Mission

After the meeting, Yuga approached Joyna and asked, "How is Latias's injury?"

Yesterday, that Hyper Beam from Nidoqueen had directly struck Latias, taking off a significant portion of her body. Even though half of her body restored by using Recover move quickly, the memory of that attack still sent shivers down his spine.

Joyna shook her head and replied, "It's not a major issue."

However, a fleeting look of concern in her eyes made Yuga suspect that Latias's injuries might not be as minor as she claimed.

If Latias were an adult Legendary Pokémon, Nidoqueen's attack might not have had much effect, considering Latias's innate regenerative abilities. While she might not match the likes of DNA Pokémon Deoxys, Nidoqueen would still have trouble harming her.

Unfortunately, Latias was still immature and not as powerful.

Yuga continued, "We haven't found a way to deal with Nidoqueen yet. I'm going to gather information in the forest."

While gathering information was one aspect of his plan, Yuga was more concerned with completing the task assigned by the system: capturing ten high potential Pokémon. So far, he had only captured four.

With the current difficulties in collecting Revival Grass, staying with the main group on the cruise ship wouldn't help him complete his task. Regardless of whether they could collect Revival Grass, he was determined to fulfill the system's mission.

Joyna smiled and said, "Alright, be careful out there. If you encounter another Pokémon like Nidoqueen, it could be troublesome."

Joyna had no doubts about Yuga's abilities since she knew that Mr. Kuni'o, like others in his lineage, had the power to communicate with Pokémon. So she didn't doubt Yuga's words.

After witnessing the strength of Yuga's Gardevoir, she wasn't worried about him facing danger alone. Even if he encountered a powerful Pokémon like Nidoqueen again, he could always escape.

"Don't worry, I won't go too deep," Yuga assured her.

Pokémon as formidable as Nidoqueen were rare, and it was unlikely he'd encounter another one so soon.

After their conversation, Yuga ventured into the jungle with Shasha once more.

Since last night, the control of Gardevoir's body had been handed over to Shasha by Nana. According to Nana, it had been training Shasha to practice for some time, and Shasha need to spend more time to improve it combat skills.

Because Gardevoir's body that influenced by the presence of Celebi, was progressing rapidly, despite his original green potential. Now, the strength of Shasha, under Nana's guidance, had reached the pseudo-Elite level, making it advancement faster than most Pokémon with a blue potential.

After entering the jungle, Yuga released Rowlet again, and then released Bellossom to let it protect itself.

This time, Yuga didn't strictly follow the path they had taken yesterday. He deviated slightly to avoid potential encounters with the Nidoran Clan or Kangaskhan Clan, considering the island's apparent danger. It was best not to take any chances.

As Yuga moved ahead, he encountered fewer obstacles compared to traveling with a larger group. Any blocking vines or vegetation in his way was effortlessly cut down by Bellossom's two sharp blades. No plant could withstand the sharpness of Bellossom's Leaf Blades.

Yuga didn't engage with regular wild Pokémon unless they saw him as prey. He only confronted them when necessary.

Soon, he found his target: a group of Scyther.

Among Bug-type Pokémon, few were as strong as Scyther and its evolved form, Scizor.

However, Scyther was extremely rare in the wild, making them valuable. Even in major Pokémon Day Care, it was difficult to obtain Scyther with ordinary potential.

Seeing these rarely encountered Scyther, Yuga's heart raced with excitement. Dealing with a group of them alone might be challenging, but it was worth the risk.

Among this group of Scyther, four had high potential: a couple, a young Scyther.

Yuga's target was the young Scyther.

The young Scyther, curious due to its age, was easily lured away from its group by the Vivillon that Yuga released. It didn't take long for Yuga to successfully capture the young, green potential Scyther. In addition to this one, Yuga had discreetly captured four or five yellow potential Scyther before quietly leaving the area.

If this had been when the Day Care were just starting, Yuga would have likely not left so easily. He would have taken any high potential Scyther he could find, regardless of the consequences.

However, now that the Day Care was on the right track. Although it still needs to expand its business, the YoYo Day Care good reputation has been established, and there is no need for him to resort to such unethical practices.

This island was clearly a harsh and survival-oriented environment. Without their leaders, the Scyther group would probably face difficulties, but the absence of the young Scyther wouldn't have a significant impact.

Overall, Yuga was a person who had a strong sense of self-interest but preferred not to act unethically when possible.

For instance, when it came to taking in stray Pokémon, if he was impoverished and struggling, he wouldn't even consider it. However, if he had the means, he would help, accumulating good karma for himself.

Not long after leaving the territory of the Scyther, Yuga encountered a group of Heracross. These two groups of Pokémon shared a close proximity in their territories and had similar group compositions, leading Yuga to suspect that they were rival factions.

His hunch was correct, as these two groups had been living in close proximity for many years and had developed deep-seated animosities.

The Heracross clan was more assertive in nature and aimed to dominate the area, but they were slightly weaker overall compared to the Scyther, making it challenging to achieve their goal.

The Scyther clan, on the other hand, was more solitary by nature and initially ignored the Heracross.

However, after enduring repeated provocations from the Heracross clan, they were no longer willing to tolerate it and wanted to drive them away.

Although the Heracross clan was slightly weaker than the Scyther clan, they weren't significantly so. Despite their efforts, the Scyther clan had failed to drive them away.

Scyther, Heracross, and Pinsir were the three most renowned Bug-type Pokémon in the Kanto region. Encountering two of these species here was a rare opportunity that Yuga couldn't pass up.

It's not that there are no habitats for these three Pokémon in other region, but compared to the Kanto and Johto region, they are far behind

The high potential Pokémon in Heracross clan are similar to Syther clan, but they have one more newly-born young Heracrosa with green potential, so Yuga decided to secretly capture both of the young Heracross in the group.

If he hadn't taken in the additional young Heracross, the Heracross clan might have overtaken the Scyther clan in the future, so this act served to balance the two groups' strengths.

Just like with the Scyther, after capturing high potential Heracross, Yuga also managed to capture a few with yellow potential.

Highly rare and powerful Pokémon, even with average potential, commanded higher prices than ordinary Pokémon. The reason Yuga was capturing these yellow potential Scyther was to expand the variety of Pokémon available in his new store.

He already had an Insect Paradise where Bug-type Pokémon could breed, and by introducing these yellow potential Scyther and Heracross, he could increase their population. He planned to use the high potential ones for breeding and sell the lower potential ones, creating a win-win situation.

Rare Pokémon were much more profitable than common ones.

After capturing the Heracross, Yuga wandered around the area for a bit but found no further opportunities. Feeling a bit disappointed for not encountering a Pinsir, he decided to take a break.

The jungle environment was hot and humid, and Yuga was covered in sweat. He planned to find a water source nearby to refresh himself. Fortunately, water sources weren't hard to find on the island, and he soon came across a small stream.

The stream had a gentle flow, and there were only a few small Pokémon drinking from it. It appeared to be a relatively safe spot.

After arriving at the stream, Yuga took out a towel from his system backpack and was about to wet it when suddenly, a round head popped out of the water.

Yuga's hand and the round head were just inches apart. At first, the owner of the head blinked its large eyes at Yuga. Then, as if startled, it attempted to dive back into the water.

However, before the owner of the head could disappear underwater again, Shasha, at Yuga's side, acted swiftly. Using its psychic powers, Shasha pulled the head out of the water, and with a splash, the round-headed creature plopped onto the ground.

It didn't struggle when it realized it was being held by Shasha's psychic power. Instead, it sat down and curiously stared at Yuga with its distinct black and white eyes.

It looked at Yuga, and Yuga also look at it

...

[ Squirtle ]

Type: Water

Ability: Torrent

Gender: Female

Potential: Blue

Level: 50

Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Withdraw, Rapid Spin, Water Pulse, Aqua Tail, Iron Defense, Rain Dance, Hydro Pump, Muddy Water, Aqua Ring, Aura Sphere, Icy Wind.

...

Yuga hadn't expected to encounter such a high potential Squirtle in this situation. This Squirtle even had an inherited special move called Aura Sphere.

However, it puzzled him, why a Squirtle with both had high potential and high level but it still hadn't evolved yet.

Yuga tossed a Poké Ball towards Squirtle. The first attempt was easily deflected by Squirtle, but the second one successfully captured her.

"Guess my charming appearance did the trick!" Yuga thought to himself, shamelessly.

Squirtle had a gentle nature. When released from the Poké Ball, she didn't attack Yuga but instead showed great curiosity and eagerness to interact. After consuming a Pokéblock Yuga gave her, she became even more cooperative, readily following his lead.

This was a Squirtle that would stick to your side and be loyal when it realized that resisting wasn't an option. To her, pride was worthless when it came to survival.

Squirtle was a long-lived species, and despite her seemingly youthful appearance, she was likely much older than Yuga. She had a clever mind hidden behind those innocent eyes.

Upon examination, Yuga quickly discovered the reason why this level 50 Squirtle hadn't evolved. She had a pristine Everstone nestled within her shell.

Squirtle cherished this Everstone deeply, and Yuga decided not to force her to part with it.

Squirtle was very familiar with the environment in this area, and with her guidance, Yuga found his way much easier.

However, whether it was beginner's luck or Squirtle having exhausted her luck, Yuga didn't encounter any more high potential Pokémon after that.

Seeing that it was getting late, Yuga decided to return to the cruise ship docked by the island.

This was Squirtle's first time encountering the human world, and she was immensely curious about everything. She looked around, touched things, and was thoroughly excited.

Having their first encounter with humans, Squirtle didn't want to stay inside the Poké Ball. She preferred to follow closely behind Yuga, exploring this new and fascinating world.

Other people didn't find it strange that there was a Squirtle following behind Yuga. After all, Gardevoir was also with them, so having an additional Squirtle didn't raise eyebrows. They had seen the power of that Gardevoir with their own eyes.

Moreover, Squirtle's behavior was completely different from the other Pokémon on the island. She was incredibly well-behaved, following Yuga closely, and showing curiosity and eagerness to interact.

Squirtle's presence didn't cause much commotion on the cruise ship, mainly because the atmosphere was tense due to the encounter with Nidoqueen earlier.

Upon his return, Yuga met with Joyna again, using the pretext of gathering information. He wanted to keep up appearances even though he hadn't discovered anything during his expedition.

In the evening, Joyna hosted another small meeting to discuss how to deal with Nidoqueen. They made discussion until late into the night but couldn't come up with a practical solution.

Nidoqueen was too powerful, and all their tactics were futile in the face of absolute strength. The only way to deal with Nidoqueen was to have someone who could defeat it in battle.

Yuga remained calm and collected throughout. Even if he couldn't collect Revival Herbs, he had captured several high potential Pokémon and an outstanding Squirtle, making his trip worthwhile.

Perhaps the excitement from capturing Pokémon during the day had left Yuga restless at night. He found himself unable to sleep, so he engaged in a late-night conversation with Squirtle, asking her to share interesting stories from the island.

However, the island didn't have many interesting tales to offer. It was a place where bloodshed and survival of the fittest were commonplace. Squirtle didn't like conflicts and had seen more running pigs than she'd prefer.

"What did you just say? Describe it to me again!"

As they chatted, Yuga suddenly sat up excitedly on his bed because from Squirtle's description, he was certain that the Pokémon she had encountered was none other than Arcanine!

Squirtle didn't understand why Yuga had suddenly become so excited, but she obediently repeated her previous words, confirming that the Pokémon she had encountered was indeed Arcanine.

Arcanine! Just like Joy family's Blissey, Jenny family's Growlithe and Arcanine was extremely rare in the outside world. Apart from the one Yuga had seen at the auction, he had never encountered a wild one before.

"Tomorrow, you'll lead the way, and we're going to find that Pokémon."

Yuga knew that he couldn't miss this opportunity. If he didn't capture this unclaimed Arcanine, he might never have another chance to encounter one in the future.

Squirtle hesitated and said, "But that Pokémon is really scary. Are we sure we want to find it?"

Squirtle had encountered Arcanine when it was engaged in a battle with another Pokémon, and the terrifying aura it emitted left a lasting impression on her.

"Let's go take a look first. If we can't handle it, we'll have Gardevoir teleport us out," Yuga reassured Squirtle.

Hearing this, Squirtle breathed a sigh of relief. That sounded like a good plan. With Gardevoir's Teleport move, they could escape if things got too dangerous.

With Squirtle's agreement, Yuga happily went back to sleep.

The next morning, Yuga found Joyna again and informed her that he would continue to gather information today. Joyna had no reason to object.

Other members of the team, feeling embarrassed by Yuga's dedication about Revival Herbs, They were all the elites of the family, and they were no different from the others. It made no sense that Yuga, an outsider, was working so hard, and they continued Salted fish.

So they requested Joyna to go outside. Although they didn't have Yuga's special ability to communicate with Pokémon, they felt it was better than doing nothing.

Seeing their determination, Joyna felt pleased. Even if they couldn't find a solution to dealing with Nidoqueen, at least they would gain some experience and not have their trip go to waste.

After reminding these team members not to be overly reckless, Joyna granted their request. While they might not be as powerful as Yuga, but with caution, they should be able to handle most of situations.

Seeing the others depart, Joyna let out a sigh and returned to her room, where Latias lay weakly on the bed.

"Latias, are you feeling any better?"

Joyna gently stroked Latias's head as she asked.

"Latias..."

Latias made a soft noise of agreement, nuzzling against Joyna. She didn't want Joyna to worry too much, but Joyna could easily tell that Latias was putting on a brave front.

On the other hand, the rest of the team, with Joyna's permission, split into pairs and entered the forest. Yuga, led by Squirtle, returned to the stream from the previous day.

"Is this where you saw Arcanine, near the upper stream of this creek?" Yuga asked Squirtle.

Squirtle nodded and said, "Squirt!"

Despite Squirtle's assurance, Yuga couldn't help but hesitate. The upper stream of this creek was very close to Nidoran Clan's territory. What if they accidentally disturbed the Nidoran Clan or, worse, attracted Nidoqueen's attention? That would be a disaster.

However, Yuga's strong desire to encounter Arcanine ultimately prevailed. They had to take a look; otherwise, it would be a missed opportunity. As for the other potential dangers, they could assess the situation and decide how to proceed when the time came.