615 Phoebe

Seeing Archeops, the Mandibuzz leaders immediately became more obedient.

"From now on, you'll live here and help me keep an eye on these Mandibuzz. Don't let them cause trouble, and don't let them harm other Pokémon," Yuga said to Archeops.

Archeops reluctantly nodded at Yuga's words.

"Other than that, you can do whatever you want in your free time. I won't interfere with you. Just remember, like the Mandibuzz, you can't harm other Pokémon," Yuga added.

Hearing this, Archeops's mood improved. It seemed this kid knew his place!

The environment here was quite pleasant, and Archeops was satisfied with its new home. However, the Mandibuzz were still nervous, fearing they might become Archeops's next meal by accident.

Yuga signaled to the Mandibuzz leader, who was observing Archeops from a distance, to come over. Reluctantly, the Mandibuzz leader flew to Yuga's side, trembling slightly as it glanced at Archeops.

"Archeops will be living with you from now on. Don't provoke it, and don't cause any trouble," Yuga told the Mandibuzz leader.

The Mandibuzz leader almost rolled its eyes at the statement. Who would willingly provoke Archeops? Did they want to shorten their lifespan? Despite these thoughts, it maintained a respectful demeanor towards Yuga.

"This guy is getting more ruthless. He even caught a big shot like Archeops. What can we little guys do?" the Mandibuzz leader thought to itself.

From then on, the Mandibuzz became well-behaved and didn't cause any trouble.

With Archeops's situation resolved, Yuga felt relieved.

Before leaving the Ecopark, Yuga visited the Herbs field in the Grassland Sub-Ecopark. He had noticed that the first planted Revival Grass was about to mature, and he was eager to proceed with making Max Revive to help Dragonair's mother recover.

Upon arriving at the field, Yuga found several Lombre taking care of the Revival Grass. They had gained significant experience in tending the field, especially when Grass-type Pokémon from the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark were absent.

Additionally, Yuga spotted several Combee collecting nectar here. As the Herbs field expanded, more types of Herbs herbs began to bloom, attracting occasional visits from Combee.

Yuga carefully examined the growth of the Revival Grass, which appeared to be in excellent condition. It was likely that it would mature in another two or three days.

After leaving the Ecopark, Yuga found Anya and Misaki and handed them the recently acquired Flying-type Pokéblock formula and Rock-type Pokéblock formula, hoping they could start producing these new Pokéblocks soon.

Yuga named the Flying-type Pokéblock "Levitate" and the Rock-type Pokéblock "Resilience."

Anya and Misaki were accustomed to Yuga occasionally presenting them with new Pokéblock formulas, so they calmly accepted what Yuga handed them and headed to the workshop to begin their research.

Two days later, when Yuga was preparing to harvest the mature Revival Grass, an unexpected guest arrived at the Yoyo Nursery.

"Elite Four Phoebe?"

Upon entering the shop, Yuga saw Elite Four Phoebe lying sprawled on one of the tables, looking completely out of sorts.

Several customers in the shop noticed Phoebe and began whispering among themselves.

Hearing Yuga's voice, Phoebe propped herself up on the table, then waved her right hand to greet Yuga with a smile.

"Hey, big shot, we meet again," Phoebe said.

Nowadays, Yuga's name carried significant weight within the League, which was why Phoebe addressed him this way.

"Why are you here?" Yuga asked, looking puzzled as he approached Phoebe.

"The Direct-lineage Trainer title bestowal, that's why!" Phoebe replied, exasperated.

Yuga suddenly remembered. Oh right, that!

These past few days, Yuga had been quite busy with the matters involving Lapras and Archeops. On top of that, the Direct-lineage Trainer title was not a particularly significant issue for him, so he naturally forgot about it.

"Why did you go through the trouble of coming here?" Yuga couldn't help but ask.

Normally, this kind of task would be assigned to anyone from the League, but why did it have to be an Elite Four like Phoebe?

Phoebe chuckled, "I had other matters in this area, so I thought I'd drop by. But should we find a quieter place to talk? Look at all these people..."

As he spoke, Phoebe gestured to the customers in the shop who were engaged in animated discussions.

Upon hearing this, Yuga glanced around and then slapped his forehead, saying, "You're right, I almost forgot. Please follow me."

Yuga then led Phoebe to a private meeting room.

As Yuga and Phoebe left, the discussions in the shop grew even louder.

"Did you hear that just now?"

"Did Phoebe mention the title of Direct-lineage Trainer being bestowed? I didn't mishear, did I?"

"Gym Leader Shimizu became a Direct-lineage Trainer so quickly? It's only been a few days since he became a Gym Leader!"

"This doesn't have anything to do with being a Gym Leader. Maybe he was already close to becoming one before?"

...

Soon, news about Yuga receiving the title of Direct-lineage Trainer spread throughout the area.

After reaching the meeting room, Yuga pointed to a chair and said, "Please have a seat. I'll pour you some tea."

Phoebe waved his hand in response. "No need for tea; let's discuss the matter at hand first."

With that, Phoebe took out a document and a small, ornate box. The document was the official certificate of Yuga's Direct-lineage Trainer title. Phoebe read it aloud, praising Yuga for his contributions to the League.

Once the document was read, Yuga recited an oath as guided by Phoebe, expressing loyalty to the League and a commitment to protect it.

These were merely formalities aimed at creating a sense of ceremony, without much inherent significance.

After the oath was completed, Phoebe handed over the document and the box to Yuga.

Upon opening the box, Yuga found a silver badge inside, engraved with the words "Direct-lineage Trainer," symbolizing his new status.

"Your status in the League system has been updated to Direct-lineage Trainer. Keep up the good work, and aim to become a Honorary Trainer or even a Hall of Fame Trainer," encouraged Phoebe.

"I will continue to work hard!" Yuga promised earnestly.

And so, the entire conferment ceremony came to an end. It was indeed a straightforward ceremony, which explained why Yuga had forgotten about it in the first place.

Phoebe bid farewell to Yuga and left.