Banned Substance

After interrogating Arata Yuuto, Yuga was genuinely surprised.

Arata Yuuto turned out to be a member of the Team Aqua and held a significant position within it.

Years ago, when he had left home to search for treasure in Sea Mauvile, he had an altercation with other trainers who had also embarked on the treasure hunt. At that time, Arata Yuuto's strength was poor, barely reaching the level of a novice trainer, making him an easy target in fights.

Unfortunately, Arata Yuuto's weak abilities were coupled with a stubborn nature; he refused to yield even when outmatched. In the desolate wilderness, the others took advantage of this and severely beat him.

This incident left Arata Yuuto deeply resentful, not just of his own lack of strength but also of those who had bullied him. It further fueled his belief that the world was unjust.

Due to these events, Arata Yuuto's personality took a significant hit.

Later, he was found and rescued by members of the Team Aqua. They didn't rescue him out of kindness but with the intent to recruit him.

In the environment dominated by the Pokémon League, organizations like the Team Aqua thrived on recruiting individuals like Arata Yuuto, who were easily swayed.

The person who found Arata Yuuto held a prominent position within the Team Aqua and was even a captain.

To convince Arata Yuuto to join the Team Aqua, this captain, after nursing him back to health, took Arata Yuuto to confront the individuals who had previously harmed him.

Arata Yuuto had initially intended to reclaim his Pokémon from those individuals, but they had no interest in his weak Pokémon and had released them carelessly.

Days had passed since the incident, and with the vast world outside, Arata Yuuto's Pokémon couldn't be traced. This had infuriated Arata Yuuto greatly.

At that time, Arata Yuuto's mentality had already shifted drastically. In a fit of rage, he not only sought revenge against the captain who saved him but also killed the bullies.

Trainers going missing during adventures was common, so the disappearance of those individuals didn't raise any suspicions.

The reason Arata Yuuto reacted so strongly when Yuga confiscated his Pokémon was due to his past experience of having Pokémon stolen.

Knowing that he had taken a life, Arata Yuuto realized there was no turning back and joined the Team Aqua without hesitation.

With the help of the Team Aqua, Arata Yuuto regained control of his Pokémon. Despite his mediocre training talents, the unlawful organization provided various illegitimate means to enhance his Pokémon's power.

This marked the beginning of Arata Yuuto's ascent within the Team Aqua.

Initially, the Team Aqua had prospered, but over a year ago, Yuga and Mr. Norman in Lilycove City had undertaken actions that exposed them to the watchful eye of the Pokémon League.

The League's relentless pursuit had inflicted heavy losses on the Team Aqua, significantly reducing its influence.

As a result, the Team Aqua developed a strong animosity towards Yuga and Mr. Norman.

However, Mr. Norman had been established for a long time, with deep connections to the League and formidable strength, making him untouchable. Consequently, the Team Aqua turned its attention to Yuga, the easier target.

Around four months ago, the Team Aqua had suddenly developed a new type of drug. This drug could enhance a Pokémon's power significantly by sacrificing its potential.

This drug wasn't entirely new; the Team Aqua had been researching it for years. However, initially, it only provided a short-lived boost to a Pokémon's strength. After the drug's effects wore off, not only would the Pokémon's power plummet, but it would also die due to the exhaustion of all its life force.

It was only about four months ago that they improved the drug, enabling it to permanently boost a Pokémon's strength, albeit at the cost of sacrificing most of its lifespan. The strength gained through this method was still inferior to the conventional means of training, but it was remarkably effective.

When this drug was initially developed, most people were hesitant to use it. However, Arata Yuuto, with his unyielding determination, became the first to take the plunge.

It was precisely because of his "decisiveness" that Arata Yuuto not only received a rapid promotion to the position of captain but also successfully elevated his Pokémon to the pseudo-Elite level.

Of course, this drug wasn't a one-size-fits-all solution to elevate all Pokémon to the pseudo-Elite level; the effectiveness of the enhancement was closely tied to the Pokémon's initial strength.

Arata Yuuto had spent over a decade with the Team Aqua, and although his strength didn't reach the pseudo-Elite level naturally, it was still formidable, allowing him to achieve that rank.

Arata Yuuto's first mission as a captain was to eliminate Yuga in Verdanturf Town.

Ever since Yuga had become a Gym Leader in Verdanturf Town, the Team Aqua had been wary of him.

Yuga's rapid growth was a cause for concern. If they didn't deal with him swiftly, his increasing connection with the Pokémon League would make it much harder to take action.

During this period, the Team Aqua had been relentlessly pursued by the League.

Considering that Arata Yuuto was a local resident of Verdanturf Town, this task was assigned to him. However, the Team Aqua greatly underestimated Yuga's capabilities.

Yuga had publicly used his pseudo-Elite level Pokémon, with Chandelure being the most visible one. This led them to believe that Arata Yuuto alone would be enough to handle the situation. Little did they know that Arata Yuuto would be defeated so swiftly.

In reality, Arata Yuuto wasn't the only one sent by the Team Aqua for this mission. As a captain-level figure, he wasn't expected to act alone and had brought several subordinates with him.

However, when Arata Yuuto arrived in Verdanturf Town to gather intelligence, he had ordered his subordinates to wait outside the town.

Now, after a week of Arata Yuuto's capture, his subordinates had shown no response, leaving Yuga, who knew the full story, bewildered.

With their captain captured, shouldn't they be coming to rescue him?

Arata Yuuto, having regained consciousness from the hypnotic trance, was panting heavily, sweat streaming down his forehead. It was evident that the mental strain caused by the hypnosis was substantial.

"I never expected you to be part of the Team Aqua. Does this mean I've caught a big fish?" Yuga remarked, looking at Arata Yuuto with a smile.

However, what surprised Yuga even more was that he had become the target of the Team Aqua, and they were eager to eliminate him.

"You... despicable..." Arata Yuuto gritted his teeth and growled with reddened eyes. He wished nothing more than to dismantle the person before him.

"Do you think I can find your accomplices if I go outside the town right now?" Yuga threatened.

In reality, Yuga knew that Arata Yuuto's subordinates had likely fled long ago, and he was merely trying to intimidate him.

And indeed, as Yuga suspected, Arata Yuuto's subordinates had disappeared as soon as he was captured. Arata Yuuto had assumed the role of a captain through unconventional means, leading to resentment among his subordinates. However, he still had some higher-ups supporting him, which had kept his subordinates in check.

Now, with his failed mission and capture, the individuals who had never truly respected him saw this as an opportunity to let him face the consequences. Moreover, they knew they stood no chance against Yuga.