Reggie

Upon hearing Rand being mentioned, Yuga smiled and said, "He's just here to have some fun. After all, he's still young, and the emphasis is on participation."

The person across from him felt a bit awkward and admitted, "Honestly, I feel a bit embarrassed myself. I shouldn't have participated in such an amateur competition. It's just that I recently trained a new Pokémon and thought of letting it get some practice."

It was then that Yuga realized that when he watched this person's match, he appeared very professional and experienced in commanding Pokémon. He didn't seem like someone who would join such an amateur competition.

Yuga chuckled and said, "I understand, I understand."

The life of a Trainer usually consisted of either training established Pokémon or nurturing new ones. Only through continuous training could they figure out their best team combinations.

"Oh, by the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Reggie."

Hearing the introduction from the other side, Yuga found the name "Reggie" somewhat familiar. So, he replied, "I'm Shimizu Yuga, and this is my little brother, Rand."

Yuga gestured toward Rand, who was standing beside him.

Yuga: "Anyway, let's find a place to sit down and chat. It's a bit inconvenient here."

Reggie: "Sure."

So, the three of them went to the ship's café. Yuga and Reggie each ordered a cup of coffee while Rand got a glass of milk. They sat down to talk.

As Yuga looked at Reggie, the name was becoming increasingly familiar. So, he asked, "Reggie, aren't you from Hoenn?"

Reggie looked surprised and asked, "How did you know? I'm from Veilstone City in Sinnoh region. I'm here with my grandfather to visit his friend in Hoenn."

Upon hearing that he was from Veilstone City, Yuga finally confirmed his identity. In the original anime, Ash had a formidable rival in Sinnoh region named Paul, and Reggie was Paul's older brother.

Paul had admired his older brother Reggie since childhood and considered him his role model. However, after a defeat in a battle against the Pyramid King Brandon, Reggie abandoned his career as a Pokémon Trainer. This disappointment led Paul to adopt an entirely different attitude toward his Pokémon when he became a Trainer.

While watching the original anime, Yuga had always thought that Reggie giving up his Trainer status wasn't related to his loss against Brandon. Reggie's personality was mild and rational, not the kind to easily give up due to a single failure.

However, Yuga wasn't entirely sure of the exact circumstances, so he refrained from making any conclusions.

Yuga: "So, are you also going to Johto like us?"

Reggie nodded and said, "My grandfather owns a Pokémon Day Care and is participating in an exchange conference in Goldenroad City in Johto."

Upon hearing the term "Pokémon Day Care," Yuga finally remembered that after Reggie gave up his career as a Trainer, he became the owner of a Day Care. Could this Day Care have been inherited from his grandfather?

Yuga: "It's such a coincidence. I'm also going to Goldenroad City for the Pokémon Day Care exchange conference."

Reggie looked surprised and said, "You're so young, and you already own a Pokémon Day Care?"

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Yuga said, "I inherited the Day Care from my parents. Otherwise, I'd still be living at home, eating and doing nothing!"

Reggie didn't pick up on the implication that Yuga's parents were deceased. He smiled and said, "That's impressive too. My grandfather has been saying he wants to pass his Day Care down to me, but I haven't decided whether I should take it over yet."

He continued, "My grandfather only has one child, my mother, who has her own job and can't take over the Day Care. So, I'm the best candidate. I'm just not sure how to handle it."

Hearing this, Yuga finally understood that Reggie's decision to give up his Trainer status was likely because he needed to inherit his elderly grandfather's legacy.

Yuga tried to console him, saying, "Just take your time to think it through. Who knows, you might end up liking running a Day Care someday."

He continued, "When I first took over the Day Care, I wasn't exactly thrilled either. It was a half-hearted decision because I didn't know what to do at the time. But now I realize that managing a Day Care is quite fulfilling."

Reggie, considering Yuga's words, said, "You're right. There's no rush, I'll figure it out over time."

Afterwards, Yuga and Reggie chatted for a long time, discussing various topics. Yuga learned from their conversation that Reggie's parents were both affiliated with the League.

No wonder Reggie's younger brother Paul had a starter Pokémon from the Sinnoh region.

They exchanged insights on training Pokémon. Reggie had a formal education in Pokémon training and was a true academic trainer. His background was vastly different from Yuga's unconventional approach. Reggie's understanding of Pokémon and training was more systematic, and Yuga gained a lot from their conversation.

The day after meeting Reggie, Yuga and Rand made plans to go fishing together. Yuga even lent Reggie one of his "precious" fishing rods.

However, they encountered that odd middle-aged man, Edward, once again during their fishing trip.

Seeing Yuga and the others fishing, Edward's eyes seemed glued to them, as if he was trying to uncover their secret for frequently catching Pokémon. It was quite unpleasant.

Yuga told Reggie about Edward's behavior from before, and Reggie was also disgusted by such a shameless person. Throughout the day, they ignored Edward completely.

While fishing:

Yuga: "Reggie, have you caught any Pokémon from Hoenn since you arrived here?"

Reggie: "No, most of my Pokémon are from my grandfather's Day Care. They're all from Sinnoh region."

Rand suddenly spoke up, "Can I see your Pokémon?"

Rand hadn't seen Pokémon from Sinnoh region before and was curious about Reggie's Pokémon.

Of course, Yuga was also interested in Reggie's Pokémon, but he felt awkward asking like Rand did. As a bit older, he couldn't just be as forthright.

Reggie smiled and said, "Of course, no problem. However, most of my Pokémon are back at my home in Sinnoh. I only have a few with me."

Rand's eyes were filled with curiosity as he said, "That's fine."

Reggie responded, "Alright, I'll show you."

With that, Reggie took out four Poké Balls and released the Pokémon within. After a flash of red light, four Pokémon appeared on the deck.

The first was Staraptor, with a completely different appearance from Hoenn's Swellow. Its imposing aura was enhanced by its sharp eyes.

The second was Drapion, its fierce appearance coupled with its sturdy armor startled even Rand, who was usually calm and collected.

The third was a goofy and adorable Bibarel, with its round body, dumbfounded expression, and thick tail making it quite endearing.

Lastly, there was the Floatzel Reggie used in the competition. It seemed to be the Pokémon he mentioned as his newly trained one.

All four Pokémon had green potential. Except for Floatzel, the other three were all above level 30, indicating Reggie's strength was quite remarkable. At the very least, he wasn't weaker than Yuga.