Gatekeeping and Foul Mood

The relocation of the Pokémon was quite troublesome; Yuga was kept busy for several days before finally moving the lower potential Pokémon into the new Ecopark.

Sending the last Pokémon into the New Ecopark, Yuga smiled contentedly.

After spending some time in the New Ecopark, he found that the relocated Pokémon were adapting well to their new living environment. Yuga happily left the Ecopark.

To ensure the safety of the Pokémon in the New Ecopark, Yuga arranged for the Druddigon to be stationed there. After all, it was usually only lazing around and had no ambition; it might as well be a gatekeeper.

"From now on, you'll guard the entrance of the New Ecopark, and this will be your new home!" Yuga pointed to the entrance and said to Druddigon.

Druddigon snorted dissatisfied but obediently went to lay by the entrance of the New Ecopark. However, the look in its eyes towards Yuga was quite plaintive.

The Dragon's Den Sub-Ecopark was such a nice place; even sleeping was more comfortable than anywhere else! Being "relocated" to this place, Druddigon felt a pang in its heart just thinking about it.

Seeing Druddigon looking so displeased, Yuga, infuriated, patted its head twice, "You're not satisfied? How long have you been here? You always laze around. You've been here for so long without any progress, how dare you be unsatisfied!"

Druddigon had thick skin, but those two pats really hurt Yuga's palms, yet Yuga was genuinely angry.

Yuga had never been overly concerned about the training of the higher level Pokémon in the Ecopark; they were mostly self-disciplined. He never ceased the supply of resources to them, which was how Dragonite's mother broke through to the Master level.

But Druddigon was really over the top; so many resources were used, yet its level remained stagnant. If it were due to inadequate potential, that would be acceptable. But it managed to train alone in the Petalburg Woods to the Elite level, showing that its potentisl was not the issue.

So, there was only one reason it hadn't progressed at all—shirking responsibility!

Hearing Yuga's accusation, Druddigon humbly lowered its head, not daring to show any more dissatisfication.

"I can't be blamed for this! Life here now is just too comfortable!" Druddigon thought with a sense of injustice in its heart.

In the danger-filled Petalburg Woods, Druddigon had to become stronger for survival. However, once it arrived at Yuga's Ecopark, that sense of tension, oppression, and crisis disappeared instantly.

It's so comfortable to have delicious food and drink spicy food all day long without having to do anything! Moreover, Yuga's management of these Elite level Pokémon was not strict.

Initially, when Salamence and Hydreigon were young, they had been taught by Druddigon for a while. At that time, in order to set a good example for the younger ones, Druddigon did consider striving for improvement, but it didn't last even two days.

Easy come, easy go!

Seeing Druddigon look foolish, Yuga continued, "If you keep going like this, you'll be guarding this gate for the rest of your life!"

Under Yuga's "Death Stare," Druddigon awkwardly scratched its cheeks with its claws: Alright... Alright, I'll try harder, but I can't guarantee how long I can keep it up!

In order to return to the Dragon's Den Sub-Ecopark, Druddigon decided to put in more effort lately.

Seeing Druddigon's humble expression, Yuga finally nodded in satisfaction, "Alright, you just guard the gate properly here. I have other matters to attend to; I'm leaving now."

Druddigon waved its claws: Sure, sure. Before putting in the effort, I need a good sleep; otherwise, I won't be in the mood for training.

Unaware of Druddigon's thoughts, Yuga left the New Ecopark.

Just after leaving the New Ecopark, Yuga was planning to return to the store, but he hadn't gone far when a torrent of crimson flames surged down from the sky, seemingly aiming to turn Yuga into ashes.

Mismagius promptly emerged from the Shadow Space and controlled the Mystical Fire, shooting them out before they could get close to Yuga.

The collision between Mystical Fire and Flamethrower produced a lot of smoke, obscuring Yuga's vision ahead. However, the roars within the smoke hinted that the attacking Pokémon was a Dragon-type.

As the smoke cleared, Yuga finally spotted the Pokémon in the air not far away. It was a Pokémon clad in blue scales, with fierce, fiery red wings—a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon Salamence.

The attack didn't hit, and Salamence didn't linger; it turned to leave.

Seeing this scene, Yuga was puzzled: Hmm? Is it trying to lure me to follow?

Being skilled and brave, although Yuga didn't know the origin and purpose of this Salamence, he decided to follow.

Of course, Yuga had no intention of pursuing too far; once this Salamence left Verdanturf Town, he wouldn't follow.

The fervor around the Rustboro City incident might have slowly subsided, but there were still potential dangers.

However, this Salamence didn't fly too far. Yuga, riding on his Charizard, followed it to an open grassland on the outskirts of the town, where Mega Salamence landed in front of a young girl.

This Salamence indeed had an owner!

Seeing Mega Salamence land and affectionately nuzzle the girl, Yuga spoke, "Who are you? What's your purpose in bringing me here?"

The girl had short, pitch-black hair and was draped in a gray cloak, strangely reminding Yuga of Lance.

The girl grinned upon hearing Yuga's words and said, "You're Shimizu Yuga? If you want to know who I am, you'll have to face me in battle! Salamence!"

As the girl shouted, Salamence soared into the air, its body undergoing a tremendous change amidst a dazzling array of colors. Yuga finally noticed the Mega Anklet on the girl's wrist.

The appearance of Mega Salamence after undergoing the Mega Evolution became even fiercer. It opened its mouth and spewed a Flamethrower towards Yuga and his Charizard.

Charizard flapped its wings to dodge the attack from the Mega Salamence. Yuga then jumped down from Charizard's back and shouted to Charizard, "Charizard, Mega Evolution."

Upon hearing Yuga's command, Charizard let out a loud cry and started to Mega Evolution.

Seeing Yuga's Charizard begin to Mega Evolution, a hint of surprise flashed in the short-haired girl's eyes, but she didn't command the Mega Salamence to seize the opportunity to attack. Instead, she patiently waited for Charizard to complete its evolution.

"Roar!!!"

After Mega Evolution, Mega Charizard immediately activated its ability, Drought, and then unleashed an overwhelmingly oppressive Fire Blast towards Mega Salamence.

The Fire Blast surged toward Mega Salamence, but Mega Salamence used Flame Fang to break it into pieces. The remaining sparks fell on the grass, scorching the lush greenery to black.

After repelling Mega Charizard's Fire Blast, Mega Salamence swiftly turned and used a Double-Edge against Mega Charizard.

Mega Charizard Y had a more streamlined physique, making it more agile and better equipped for flying and controlling flying energy. As Mega Salamence charged, Mega Charizard effortlessly evaded its attack and once again released a Fire Blast.

Mega Salamence, in its high-speed charge, couldn't stop in time and was hit head-on by Mega Charizard's Fire Blast, getting struck down from the sky onto the ground.

Boom!

Mega Salamence crashed in a disgrace, creating a large pit in the grass, leaving an exposed yellow soil.

Mega Salamence was naturally a very irritable and aggressive Pokémon. Being easily defeated by Mega Charizard in this manner, it felt exceptionally angry and was about to go berserk. However, it instantly calmed down upon hearing the girl's light chuckle.

While Mega Salamence was falling, Mega Charizard once again spewed a Fire Blast towards it, but the now after calmed down Salamence used Dragon Tail to dissipate the attack into twinkling sparks.

"That's enough, Salamence!"

Mega Salamence was ready to counterattack, but upon hearing the girl's voice, its raised Dragon Tail halted in mid-air.

Observing the girl and Salamence's actions, Yuga felt puzzled but directed Mega Charizard to dissipate the flames in its mouth.

The battle ceased, and Mega Salamence returned to its normal form. The girl slowly walked over to face Yuga, flashing an exuberant smile.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Zinnia, from Meteor Falls, a member of Draconid People."

Draconid People?

Yuga immediately recalled what Lance had once explained to him about the descendants of the Dragon Clan. The Joht Dragon Tamer Clan, the Hoenn Draconid People Clan, and the Unova Village of Dragons were all descendants of the Dragon Clan, once devout followers of the Dragon God, Rayquaza.

Following the split of the three Clans, the Dragon Tamer Clan and the Village of Dragons adapted to the changing times and joined the League, while the Hoenn Draconid People remained shrouded in mystery, secluded from the world. It was said they resided near the Meteor Falls, but this was never confirmed.

So, what was the purpose of this person, Zinnia, a member of the Hoenn Draconid People, in attracting Yuga?

Seeing Yuga frown in silence, Zinnia explained with a smile, "It's rather disrespectful to lure Gym Leader Shimizu in this manner, please forgive me! It's just that the Verdanturf Gym has been declining all visits. I had no choice but to resort to this way."

"Are you here for Rayquaza?"

Yuga didn't beat around the bush and directly asked.

Zinnia hesitated for a moment and replied in a low voice, "Yes."

Yuga hadn't expected that the Draconid People was still searching for Rayquaza's whereabouts, while the Village of Dragons and Dragon Tamer Clan, as fellow descendants of the Dragon Clan, had long ceased to believe in the dragon god, Rayquaza.

Times have changed, so what significance is there in continuing the pursuit of a Legendary Pokémon? Now these Legendary Pokémon no longer shelter one clan, unlike in ancient times when there were many of them; now, they are exceedingly rare.

"I want to know the whereabouts of Rayquaza," Zinnia said, fixedly gazing at Yuga.

In fact, after learning about the events in Rustboro City, the Draconid People had already considered sending someone to meet Yuga. However, at that time, the situation had just unfolded, and Yuga was under the scrutiny of various forces. They couldn't easily make an appearance, hence the delay it until now.

Zinnia had been in Verdanturf Town for several days, silently monitoring the activities of the Verdanturf Gym and the YoYo Day Care. But Yuga had secluded himself, declining all visits, even leaving the Gym's management to others, leading to her present actions.

Before taking action, she worried that Yuga might not come out with Salamence, but fortunately, everything went smoothly, and she finally met the person she wanted to see.

Feeling the intense gaze from Zinnia, Yuga sighed and replied, "I'm sorry, but I don't know where Rayquaza is."

Zinnia grew anxious upon hearing this. "How can that be? Didn't you take Rayquaza away from Rustboro City? How could you not know where it is?"

Zinnia seemed a bit agitated and was about to say something but was immediately interrupted by Yuga's voice.

"Okay, calm down! I truly don't know where Rayquaza is! I did take it away from Rustboro City, but it was because it was injured and had some connection to me. After I healed its injuries, I let it go. Rayquaza can fly, and it has its own will. I didn't install a camera on it, so I have no idea where it might have gone!"

"Impossible... You... You're lying to me..." Zinnia murmured to herself, finding it hard to believe Yuga's explanation.

She had invested so much effort and time in seeking Rayquaza, even infiltrating the Team Aqua and Team Magma for information, but due to Yuga's interventions, these organizations faced too many changes, and she couldn't gather any substantial information.

Finally obtaining accurate information about Rayquaza, she had arrived in Verdanturf Town with high hopes, only to receive the response "I don't know" from Yuga. For the moment, Zinnia couldn't accept it.

"You're lying to me, aren't you? You know where Rayquaza is, right? As long as you tell me where Rayquaza is, we, the Draconid People, will definitely repay you properly," Zinnia said, her emotions escalating.

Yuga was about to say he didn't know, but suddenly, something crossed his mind. He gazed at Zinnia with an uncertain look and said, "Properly repay me? If I were to tell you where Rayquaza is, what reward do you plan to give me?"

Hearing this, Zinnia became even more excited.

"As long as you tell me, I promise you anything!"

Yuga: Hmm... A girl saying something like this to a man seems a bit odd...

Nevertheless... it's said that the Draconid People bred many Bagons... Yuga squinted, nurturing a somewhat "mischievous" thought.

"Hmm..." Yuga cleared his throat. "It's not that I can't tell you about Rayquaza's whereabouts. But you must first tell me what reward you would offer to me!"

"This..." Zinnia was puzzled. It wasn't something she could decide. "How about... I'll go back to the Clan and ask?"

Yuga smiled warmly, saying, "No worries, go ahead, ask! I'll be waiting for you." It seemed the chance of obtaining Bagons was now a possibility!

Previously, Yuga had boldly claimed his intention to collect all the Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon and then sell them at the Day Care. However, the practical difficulty was immense because these Pseudo-Legendary were too rare and controlled by top forces like the Dragon Tamer Clan and Village of Dragons.

Now that the Draconid People had come to him, Yuga naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass by.

Observing Yuga's beaming smile, Zinnia couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but her yearning for Rayquaza made her willingly disregard the sense of oddity within her.

"Well, then, wait for my message; I'll return very soon," Zinnia said before departing on her Salamence.

As Zinnia and Rayquaza slowly disappeared into the sky, Yuga smirked and, in a pleasant mood, returned to the Day Care.

As Yuga stepped into the shop, he saw Chatot, grinning mischievously, perched on the shelf at the entrance.

Upon seeing Yuga approach, Chatot puffed up its chest, seemingly ready to say something, but after noticing Yuga's smile, it disdainfully asked, "What happened to you? Why are you smiling so disgustingly?"

Yuga raised his hand, seemingly ready to hit it. "Haven't smacked you for three days, so you think you're the king, huh!"

But before the hit landed, Yuga's hand halted mid-air. "You've had a breakthrough?"

Initially flinching when Yuga seemed to want to strike, Chatot puffed out its chest proudly upon hearing Yuga's words. Strutting on the shelf, it remarked, "As expected of my boss, his vision is sharp. From today onwards, I am no longer the same person!"

Chatot was happy about Yuga acknowledging its breakthrough, but Yuga thought that praising it might make its head swell, so he rolled his eyes and said, "So, do I have to address you as "Niu Gulu·Chatot?"

Chatot was momentarily puzzled, "Niu Gulu·Chatot? What does that mean? But it sounds pretty good! From today onwards, I'll be Niu Gulu·Chatot!"

After saying this, it flutter its wings and flying over to Suzuki Koen, showing off its new name and amusing the nearby guests, who burst into laughter.

Yuga shook his head, thinking, "What a goofball!"

However, Chatot had finally caught up to Noctowl in terms of level.

Due to limitations in potential, Noctowl's progress had been quite slow over the past two years. Now, with Chatot, which had a indigo potential, reaching Noctowl's level, the gap between them would likely widen in the future.

•¤•

Explanation: The worldview of this book primarily revolves around the animated series. The portrayal of characters like Zinnia here differs from their appearances in comics and games. Although some aspects of their backgrounds might overlap, they are not the same individuals. It's crucial not to confuse or conflate them because Zinnia doesn't make an appearance in the animated series.

The depictions of characters like Zinnia in the games and comics contain more detailed settings, but the author does not intend to delve into these details and will portray them based on their own interpretation.

It's not just Zinnia; other characters related to the games and comics follow a similar approach.

The reason the author mentioned this is due to previous instances where some people criticized the author's portrayal of Sabrina in the book, suggesting it was incorrect because Sabrina is part of the Rocket Team. However, in the animated series, Sabrina's affiliation with the Rocket Team was not mentioned. The author had already clarified in the book's introduction that the characters and the world view are primarily based on the animated series.

This mention is to prevent such misunderstandings from occurring in the future.