Meeting Harley

After giving the mysterious crystal to Lapras, Kyogre left without looking back, taking Manaphy with it. However, Manaphy, sitting on Kyogre's back, kept turning around to wave goodbye to May, reluctant to part.

Once Kyogre had left, Yuga and the others also departed from the Temple of the Sea aboard the ghost ship. No one voiced any objections to Yuga returning the Indigo Orb to Kyogre.

Although everyone had helped obtain the item, Yuga had played the leading role, giving him the right to decide what to do with it. Besides, they all agreed that it was safer to leave such an item in Kyogre's hands, preventing any future disasters.

Such a thing would only bring trouble if left in human hands.

As soon as Yuga and the others left the Temple of the Sea, the temple drifted slowly toward the ocean depths under the force of the current. Before long, it disappeared from everyone's sight.

Watching the temple gradually vanish, Shep let out a deep sigh. In his lifetime, there would be no chance for them to see the Temple of the Sea again.

After leaving the Temple of the Sea, Jack immediately bid farewell to Yuga and the others. He had been escorting Manaphy all this time, but now that his mission was complete, it was time for him to return to the Ranger Union and report the results.

Watching Jack ride away on the Mantine he had captured with a capture styler, Yuga asked Shep and the others, "Now that your mission is complete, what are your plans?"

Shep replied, "No special plans. Once we return, we'll continue our performances with the troupe, just like ordinary people." Although they had the special identity of being descendants of the People of the Water, that identity had faded over time and brought no real benefits to their everyday lives.

Hearing this, Yuga nodded and didn't ask further.

About a week later, Yuga and the others returned to Lilycove City, where Shep and his family officially bid farewell to Yuga and May. Before leaving, they gave May an address, suggesting that she might want to visit if she had the chance. As a descendant of the People of the Water, they hinted that May might gain some unexpected rewards there.

Back in Lilycove City, Yuga took the opportunity to visit Chris's home once more. Marlin that had been left there had already been taken by Robert, but Yuga did meet Chris, who had just returned from her travels. With the new year approaching, it was time for Chris, who had been traveling all year, to come home.

Afterward, Yuga contacted Himekawa again and handed over Archie, who had been tied up on the ship.

Seeing Archie in Yuga's custody, Himekawa was utterly shocked. They had been trying to catch Archie for so long without success, and yet here he was, delivered right to Himekawa by Yuga.

"Rest assured, Gym Leader Shimizu, we will make sure this man is safely brought back to the League to face trial."

Himekawa truly admired Yuga's skills. With such professional ability, it was no wonder Yuga had become a Hall of Fame-level trainer.

"Then I'll leave it in your hands, Director Himekawa."

Himekawa also told Yuga about the previous attack by White Leader. Yuga wasn't too surprised by this news. Since that thing was so important to White Leader, it was only natural that he would try to take it back.

Additionally, League experts were actively working on cracking the chip that had been sent back. Given time, they were confident they would unlock the secrets hidden within.

After saying goodbye to Himekawa, Yuga and the others didn't stay long in Lilycove City. However, before heading back to Verdanturf Town, Yuga decided to first escort May and Max back to Petalburg City.

On the way to Petalburg City, with no outsiders around, Yuga began testing Lapras' abilities after its transformation.

Just as the system had stated, after its racial value changed, Lapras' overall strength had significantly improved, with the most noticeable increases in its special attack and special defense.

Previously, when Yuga saw Kyogre using Origin Pulse during its battle with the Wishiwashi school, he had been deeply envious of that move. So, when testing Lapras' Origin Pulse, Yuga had high expectations.

Lapras' use of Origin Pulse was very similar to Kyogre's, where light spots formed near its front flippers, and then the gathered energy shot out in beams.

However, while Kyogre could form two light spots on each flipper and fire a total of four beams, Lapras could only form two beams in total, one on each flipper, and their power couldn't compare to Kyogre's.

The reduced power of Origin Pulse was not only due to the difference in strength between Lapras and Kyogre but also influenced by the skill's proficiency and compatibility. These factors would depend on Lapras' efforts to keep moving forward.

The ghost ship floated in the air, flying steadily toward Petalburg City, while Lapras followed behind, practicing its moves as it flew.

Since its transformation, Lapras' flight speed had greatly improved. Although the change wasn't as noticeable as its special attack and special defense, it no longer flew as sluggishly as before. This improvement was not only a result of its increased speed stat but also due to its better control over Water-type energy.

Boom!

Lapras' two Origin Pulse beams blasted through a small hill in the distance. Max, standing on the deck, clapped excitedly and shouted, "Amazing! So amazing!"

At that moment, an irritated voice came from beyond the hill.

"Who's being so reckless?!"

Then, Yuga and May saw a person wrapped in spider silk being flung out from the explosion's smoke, followed closely by an Ariados.

It was clear that this person and the Pokémon had been caught in the blast from Lapras' Origin Pulse.

"Ouch, that hurt like crazy!"

The person, who had been tossed by Ariados' silk, landed face-first on the ground. If it hadn't been grass, Yuga thought, the person might have been seriously hurt.

"Sis, sis… doesn't that person look like Harley?" Max suddenly tugged on May's arm.

May took a closer look. "…It really does!"

"Harley, what are you doing here?" Recognizing someone she knew, May called out loudly to the figure.

Rubbing his sore backside, Harley looked toward the voice and immediately spotted May and Max standing on the ship's edge. After a brief moment of shock, he stood up and pointed at them, shouting angrily, "Was it you two who just blew me up? How could you be so inconsiderate! If I got hurt, how would you make it up to me?"

Instead of getting angry at Harley's outburst, May and Max burst into laughter.

Harley was someone May had met during the Pokémon Contests. His eccentric personality had led to many clashes with May, but as the saying goes, "you don't know someone until you've fought them," and they had eventually made peace.

However, Harley's difficult personality was undeniable. Even if he became friends with you, don't expect him to be particularly kind or gentle.

Yuga also had a distinct impression of Harley. Although he hadn't met him in person, Harley wasn't very likable in the original story, always causing trouble for May.

But in reality, Yuga couldn't judge Harley too harshly, having never interacted with him.Based on May and Max's reactions, it seemed they got along well enough.

Soon, Harley and his Ariados were brought aboard Yuga's ghost ship by Lapras. As he looked at the Lapras carrying him, Harley found it surreal. Since when could Lapras fly?

"Aren't you supposed to be in Kanto with Ash? When did you come back?" Harley asked May and Max, shifting his attention away from Lapras. But soon enough, his eyes were drawn to the ghost ship beneath his feet.

A ghost ship! He had only ever heard of them in legends, and this was his first time seeing one in real life. How exciting!

Harley has a special fondness for spooky things, and the Pokémon he captures reflect this preference: Cacturne, Banette, Ariados… none of them are exactly easygoing.

"We've been back for almost a month," May replied with a smile. "What about you? What are you doing in this remote area?"

At this, Harley huffed angrily, "How can you even ask that? If it weren't for that explosion of yours, I'd have already caught that tricky Abra!"

Unlike May and the others, who came from privileged backgrounds, Harley was an orphan. Being a trainer was expensive, so in addition to participating in Pokémon Contests, he occasionally took on private jobs to make extra money.

The reason he was out here was due to rumors of an Abra sighting. At the request of a client, Harley had come to capture the elusive Pokémon.

The rumors were true; Harley had already encountered Abra.

He was about to catch it when Lapras' Origin Pulse disrupted everything. Not only did Abra escape, but Harley himself was almost caught in the blast. If it hadn't been for his Ariados' quick reflexes, using its web to fling him out of harm's way, things could have ended much worse.

"I see," Yuga said awkwardly upon hearing Harley's complaint. "That was definitely our fault. How about this— as compensation, we'll help you find that Abra."

Harley's eyes lit up at the offer, but he remained "reserved," saying, "Oh? Is that really okay?"

In truth, Harley had noticed Yuga from the start, but Yuga's status was so high that Harley hadn't dared to approach him.

Harley knew who Yuga was, of course—someone that famous was hard to miss. He also knew that the ghost ship belonged to Yuga. If it weren't for Yuga's presence, Harley would've already been pestering May and Max with a million questions about the ship—he loved ghost ships!

While Harley could be open and straightforward with his friends like May, when facing someone as prominent as Yuga, even someone as quirky as Harley couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

"It's no problem. After all, it was our mistake," Yuga reassured him.

"Well, since you're offering… okay, then."

And so, Yuga, May, and Harley disembarked from the ship, leaving Max behind to "guard" the ship. Although Max wasn't happy about it, there was no room for negotiation.

Once they were on the ground, May asked, confused, "How are we supposed to find that Abra?"

Harley, equally frustrated, added, "Exactly! That Abra is not only tricky, but it can also use Teleport. Tracking it down won't be easy."

Yuga smiled faintly. "Leave it to me."

With that, he released Florges and said, "Florges, would you mind giving us a hand?"

"Florges!"

Florges nodded and closed its eyes. It spread its arms wide, and a light green energy ring expanded from its body, radiating outward.

Rustle, rustle, rustle...

As the green light spread out, the surrounding leaves and grass rustled, seemingly responding to Florges. After a short while, Florges opened its eyes again, and the movement of the plants around them came to a halt.

Florges nodded at Yuga, who smiled and said to May and Harley, "We found it."

"That's it? You found it already?" Harley looked confused, feeling a sense of bewilderment.

Yuga released his Sawsbuck, allowing Florges to sit on it and lead the way. Although Florges was capable of walking and jumping, its legs weren't suited for running or fast movement. Without Sawsbuck as a mount, its speed would be quite slow.

In the forest, all the flora acted as Florges' eyes and ears, so under its guidance, Yuga and the others quickly located Abra.

However, to their surprise, they discovered that they were not the first to arrive. Abra was already surrounded by three people.

Realizing that someone else had reached Abra first, Yuga and the others hid in the shadows to assess the situation. But from their conversation, Harley learned that these people were working for the same employer as him.

This infuriated Harley.

"What's the meaning of this? Do they look down on me?" Harley whispered, his face turning pale with anger.

Harley's task was acquired from the League's task website, which was specifically set up for trainers like him who were not financially well-off, and it was monitored by the League.

There were rules for every job. According to the website, in the case of solo tasks like Harley's, once he accepted the task, the employer was not allowed to hire others until he explicitly stated he could not complete it. (Harley had to pay a deposit to take on the task, which would be forfeited if he failed to complete it.)

Clearly, the people in front of him had been privately hired by the employer, bypassing the League's website. Although their actions did not technically violate any rules, Harley still felt deeply insulted.

If this got out, how would he ever stand in this line of work again? Even if the employer was at fault, others might assume he lacked the ability, leading to a loss of trust.

Fueled by his anger, Harley was about to charge out when Yuga quickly held him back.

If the three people were unaware of the employer's actions, then Harley would have no justification for confronting them. After all, they had also used their own skills to find Abra, putting them on the same footing as Harley.

Given how rare and elusive Abra were, it was no wonder that Harley's employer was "playing both sides."

However, what happened next surprised Yuga and the others.

Abra, appearing quite young, was incredibly intelligent. Realizing it was outnumbered, it showed no intention of putting up a fight and prepared to use Teleport to escape.

But just then, the three people surrounding it threw out two fist-sized cubes each. The six cubes flashed with blue electricity, instantly forming a light prison that trapped Abra inside.

Abra's attempt to teleport was interrupted, and astonishingly, when it tried to use Teleport again, it failed and was shocked by the blue currents emanating from the cubes.

Clearly, the devices used to trap Abra were some sort of high-tech gadget specifically designed for capturing elusive Pokémon!