Steven

After the interrogation of Arata Yuuto was concluded, Yuga instructed Liliana to imprison him again.

Now, it was certain that Arata Yuuto was definitly going to prison.

While previously, there was a possibility of his release due to the unclear circumstances, that possibility had vanished.

Though over the years, he had committed morally reprehensible acts such as abandoning his family, those actions fell within the realm of ethics, and others could only condemn him; the law couldn't truly punish him.

However, once it involved criminal organizations like the Team Aqua, there was only one path: imprisonment. Moreover, in these years, he had taken several lives.

"Gather a few people and come with me to the outskirts of town. Even though his subordinates are no longer around, it's better to be cautious and check," Yuga instructed Liliana.

Liliana nodded in response to the order.

"I'll arrange the personnel, and I'll go with you."

And so, Yuga and Liliana, accompanied by a few police officers, discreetly made their way towards the outskirts of Verdanturf Town.

According to Arata Yuuto, his subordinates were located in the forest north of Verdanturf Town.

When Yuga and Liliana arrived at the location Arata Yuuto had mentioned, it was already deserted.

From the traces left behind, it was evident they had left several days ago. In other words, they had stayed here for a very short time and had made no efforts to rescue Arata Yuuto.

Although they hadn't captured Arata Yuuto's subordinates, Yuga did manage to extract information about a branch of the Team Aqua, the one where the researcher who developed the banned substance was located. This researcher was even more critical than Arata Yuuto, and capturing him would be a significant achievement.

In any organization, researchers held vital importance.

With no results to show for their efforts, Yuga and Liliana returned to town to discuss how to deal with this Team Aqua branch.

Both Yuga and Liliana believed it was best to resolve this matter as soon as possible, especially since their side already knew that Arata Yuuto had been captured. If these individuals became wary and fled prematurely, it would pose a problem.

However, this was not a minor branch. According to the information obtained from Arata Yuuto, there were several captains of his rank there, and even a high-ranking officer who personally protected the researcher. This indicated the researcher's significance.

Captains were already close to the level of Elite Trainers, so higher-ranking officers might be actual Elite Trainers.

While Yuga could handle slightly weaker Elite Trainers, the power balance among Elite Trainers was extremely polarized. Who knew if this officer had a team of six Elite Pokémon or just one? If it was the latter, Yuga would be truly outmatched, not to mention the other pseudo-Elite ranked captains.

After pondering the situation, Yuga realized he needed to enlist the help of someone else.

Thus, Yuga shared his thoughts with Liliana, who naturally agreed, as she was also concerned that the police force alone might not be enough to handle this situation.

The two of them discussed the details of their plan, and Yuga instructed Liliana to prepare for the operation.

Afterward, Yuga returned to his gym and informed Arata Sena about Arata Yuuto's situation. As his biological father, Arata Sena had the right to know.

Arata Sena was silent for a moment upon hearing the news, then accepted that Arata Yuuto would spend the rest of his life in prison. Although he was his biological father, their separation from an early age had prevented any deep emotional connection, but there was certainly no shortage of resentment.

After settling Arata Sena's situation, Yuga dialed Steven's number.

Indeed, the person Yuga had in mind was Steven.

Speaking of combating criminal organizations, it was not within the jurisdiction of the Procesutor Bureau but rather the responsibility of the investigators in the Investigation Bureau.

However, Yuga didn't know anyone in the Investigation Bureau, and the only one who met the requirements in terms of strength was Steven. So, he had no choice but to seek Steven's assistance.

Yuga wasn't sure if Steven would be available at this moment, so he made the call with a trial-and-error attitude.

After the call was connected, Steven readily accepted Yuga's request and was willing to accompany Yuga on this mission.

While this matter wasn't within his official responsibilities, if successful, the League wouldn't overlook his contribution.

This was an unspoken rule within the League – achievements spoke louder than anything else. Having achievements meant everything.

It was precisely due to this rule that the League could win over trainers, one after another.

Steven's response was swift, and Yuga received Steven's visit the day after notifying him. Steven arrived at the entrance of the Verdanturf Gym riding his ace Pokémon.

This was the first time Yuga had seen Steven's ace.

...

<<Metagross>>

Type: Steel/Psychic

Ability: Clear Body

Gender: None

Potential: Indigo

Level: 78

Moves: Meteor Mash, Psychic, Metal Claw, Magnet Rise, Bullet Punch, Zen Headbutt, Psychic Terrain, Agility, Meteor Punch, Iron Defense, Hyper Beam, Psyshock, Protect, Earthquake, Return, Gyro Ball, Rock Slide, Zap Cannon, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch.

...

Steven's ace, Metagross, was indeed remarkable. It had already reached the peak of Elite level, with impressive potential, level, and a wide array of moves.

Apart from his own Pokémon, this was only the second Indigo potential Pokémon captured by a trainer that Yuga had seen.

As Steven dismounted, he said to Yuga, "So, are all the preparations for the operation ready?"

Yuga smiled and replied, "Everything is ready; we're just waiting for you."

In reality, Yuga and Steven didn't share a particularly deep friendship. Their relationship had grown closer only after Steven attended the opening ceremony of the Verdanturf Gym. That's why Yuga thought of him for this mission.

Yuga had considered asking Wallace, but Wallace was evidently even busier than Steven. Wallace had recently taken over the position of the Gym Leader at the Sootopolis Gym from his mentor, Mr. Juan, and was swamped with Grand Festival promotional activities.

Once Steven arrived, Yuga and Liliana made final preparations to depart.

This was a situation where acting sooner rather than later was advisable. The Team Aqua branch wasn't far from Verdanturf Town, or else they wouldn't have been assigned the task of eliminating Yuga in the first place.

The group discreetly departed without drawing attention, choosing not to use flying Pokémon but instead traveling on land Pokémon.

Criminal organizations tended to be as elusive as mice, and any slightest sign could make them scatter and flee. Yuga and his team couldn't afford to be careless.