Risky Return Trip

"Um, thank you for saving me!"

At this moment, the man holding a Pokémon egg approached with a grateful smile, addressing Yuga's group.

However, as he looked at Yuga, a barely noticeable hint of jealousy flashed in his eyes.

Yuga turned to the man and said, "No need for thanks. Just hand over the Pokémon egg you're holding."

"What... what do you mean?" The man seemed puzzled by Yuga's words, hesitating for a moment.

"Don't understand?" Yuga replied, "No worries, Vivillon!"

With a gesture, Yuga signaled his Vivillon, which immediately used Psychic to control the Pokémon egg in the man's arms, making it float into Yuga's hand.

Seeing his Pokémon egg taken away, the man's expression darkened. "What's the meaning of this?"

"What I mean is something you should already know," Yuga said coldly, fixing his gaze on the man.

The man couldn't help but shrink back under Yuga's scrutiny. Then, he turned angrily to Beidou and said, "Beidou, this person is your friend, right? What's going on? Why did he steal my Pokémon egg? Are you just going to stand by while your teammate is treated like this?"

Upon hearing the man mention Beidou as his teammate, Yuga and Flannery were surprised. They hadn't expected this connection between the two.

However, the man's words made Beidou's expression turn oddly serious. He replied, "Teammate? Are you seriously calling yourself my teammate now?"

Beidou's retort silenced the man, leaving Yuga and Flannery puzzled.

"Did your team provoke the Ursaring group down south?" Yuga suddenly asked.

"What if we did? None of your business!" The man replied, his expression inexplicably defiant.

The man's team was actually Beidou's former team, and after unintentionally trespassing into the Ursaring territory, they not only failed to leave immediately but also hatched a crooked plan.

The stronger the Pokémon, the better the potential of their offspring. So, when they saw a group of powerful Ursaring guarding Pokémon eggs, they couldn't resist the urge to steal them.

Normally, if your strength is sufficient, you can do as you please, and no one can stop you. However, these individuals were both lacking in strength and recklessly audacious.

One of them had a Kecleon, which they relied on for its incredible stealth abilities to steal several Pokémon eggs in succession.

They managed to snatch the eggs, but their greed led them to be discovered by the Ursaring, who then pursued them relentlessly.

The Ursaring were overwhelmingly powerful, and the five of them were quickly scattered, fleeing in all directions.

The man Yuga's group had encountered was the only survivor of this group, with all his Pokémon defeated. Eventually, he stumbled upon Yuga's group.

Yuga angrily remarked, "Normally, your recklessness isn't my concern, but you shouldn't have used us as shields against the Ursaring!"

Flannery and Beidou were equally furious. If it weren't for Yuga's strength, they wouldn't have escaped unscathed from the formidable Ursaring.

"But why did you need to steal my Pokémon egg when you're unharmed?" the man protested.

"Just because we're unharmed doesn't mean you can use us as targets. This Pokémon egg is your payment."

"But didn't you already subdue a stronger Ursaring?"

After saying this, the man's eyes turned envious and red. The Ursaring was undoubtedly powerful, and its potential was likely high. Subduing it would have immediately bolstered his strength, saving him a lot of trouble.

At this moment, Flannery pointed at the man's nose and scolded, "You've got some nerve! The Ursaring we defeated had nothing to do with you. What gives you the right to consider it as payment for us? If it weren't for us, you'd have been long gone at its mercy!"

The little girl sure had a way with words, and her rapid-fire scolding left the man speechless.

"Alright, let's move on and ignore him!" Yuga called to Flannery and Beidou, intending to continue their journey.

"Hey, you can't just leave me behind!" Seeing Yuga's group about to leave him, the man immediately panicked. All of his Pokémon were incapacitated, and being left alone in this situation was akin to a death sentence.

So, the man tagged along behind Yuga's group like a clingy shadow.

Yuga's group didn't object to him following. While they didn't hold this man in high regard, they had no intention of letting him come to harm.

During their journey, Yuga asked Flannery and Beidou if they wanted the Pokémon egg he had taken from the man. Both of them declined, so Yuga decided to keep it for himself.

Flannery's primary goal was to gain experience, and she might consider a suitable Fire-type Pokémon if she encountered one, but Ursaring was off the table.

Beidou was employed by the Ever Grande City Day Care Center to capture Fire-type Pokémon from the dormant volcano. If it wasn't a Pokémon he personally favored, he wouldn't capture other Pokémon.

So, in this situation, Yuga benefited.

Generally, trainers didn't frequently capture Pokémon in the wild like Yuga did. Skilled trainers sometimes captured powerful wild Pokémon because achieving a high level of strength in the wild indicated excellent potential. However, capturing average-strength Pokémon was uncommon because their potential was harder to gauge.

Therefore, if trainers wanted to breed young Pokémon, they often preferred using the services of a Day Care, as it ensured quality.

Afterward, Yuga's group encountered some other Pokémon on their journey, but none were particularly strong, and they easily dealt with them.

"It's getting late; let's stop here for today and return to the base," Yuga said as he checked the time, suggesting to the other two.

"Yeah, we should head back now before it gets dark!" Flannery agreed.

Upon hearing Yuga's suggestion, the man who had been trailing them chimed in, "Hey, you can't just leave me behind!"

Through Beidou's introduction, Yuga and Flannery had learned that the man's name was Kondoh and that he used to be on Beidou's team. However, Beidou hadn't shared more details about their relationship, and while Yuga and Flannery were curious, they respected Beidou's decision not to divulge more information.

Ignoring Kondoh's protests, Yuga and his group agreed to return to the base. Thanks to their efforts in clearing the way, the journey back was considerably easier, and they made it back to the base just before nightfall.

Staring at the base, a disheveled Kondoh was nearly in tears. He had finally made it back alive!

He gave Yuga's group a resentful glare before running toward the base.

Yuga's group paid no mind to Kondoh's ungrateful behavior. They weren't particularly close, and no one owed anything to anyone.

Once inside the base, they saw other teams returning, some looking relieved, while others appeared troubled. It was clear that everyone had their unique experiences during the mission.