997 Yuichii

Yuga stepped down from the referee's stand and walked to face Ined. He released his Pokémon and said, "One match to decide the winner, let's begin."

Ined nodded with a serious expression, glanced at Yuga's Pokémon, and then released her own. To Yuga's surprise, her Pokémon was a rare Arcanine.

This Arcanine had red fur, sharp eyes, and moved with great agility, clearly indicating it was an exceptionally well-bred Pokémon.

During the previous exchanges battles, Ined had never used this Pokémon, and now it seemed like she had been saving it for this moment.

The students in the audience were abuzz with discussions upon seeing Ined's Arcanine, especially the student who had just lost to Ined in the previous match, feeling somewhat slighted.

Second Place Student: Am I not worthy of battling Arcanine?

This student was from No. 5 Middle School, and losing to Ined had already left him quite frustrated. Now, he realized there was always a step further to feeling worse.

Ined's side had the Arcanine, while Yuga had his Dartrix.

In terms of level and type advantages, Yuga was likely at a disadvantage, but he doesn't think that he would lose.

Ined's Arcanine had the common Intimidate ability, which activated right at the beginning of the battle, and affecting Dartrix.

Yuga's Dartrix reaction was very quick. As soon as the battle began, it used a Nasty Plot move, attempting to boost its Special Attack.

On the other hand, Ined's Arcanine responded directly, sending a Flamethrower sweeping towards Dartrix. If not for Dartrix maintaining awareness while using the Nasty Plot move, it would have been engulfed in flames.

Yuga's Dartrix had a flying style quite different from regular avian Pokémon. Probably because It had spent a considerable amount of time with Vivillon, and its flying techniques were heavily influenced by Vivillon's style. It prioritized agility and grace during flight, aiming for effortless and efficient movement rather than pure speed and burst.

Bug-type Pokémon usually had lower physical endurance compared to other types, so they often developed their own unique flying techniques.

Dartrix gracefully twisted and turned, dodging the fire pillars each time. It appeared as though it was about to get hit, but it always narrowly missed.

The students in the audience couldn't help but sigh with disappointment at the near-misses of Ined's Arcanine. Only Ined on the stage knew that her Arcanine had never had a chance to hit Dartrix. Each time it seemed close, but it was due to the illusion created by Dartrix's graceful flying technique.

Amidst the evasion, Dartrix completed two rounds of its Nasty Plot move, significantly boosting its Special Attack power.

Dartrix's Nasty Plot move could strengthen its Special Attack by two stages each time, similar to the effects of the physical attack-boosting move, like Swords Dance. Two rounds of a four-stage enhancement were the maximum limit of Dartrix's current enhancement.

However, what surprised Yuga and the students and teachers present was that as soon as Dartrix's enhancement ended, it started glowing with the light of evolution.

In fact, In terms of its level, Dartrix should have evolved a long time ago, but Pokémon evolution involves a variety of factors, and just reaching the necessary level doesn't guarantee an evolution. Yuga had never been in a rush, but unexpectedly, today Dartrix suddenly evolved.

Dartrix underwent an evolution, and Ined and her Arcanine knew what was happening. They waited quietly as Dartrix underwent the evolution process.

After approximately two to three minutes, the glow of evolution on Dartrix faded, revealing a Decidueye with a green cape and brown leafy feathers.

Compared to the slightly plump Dartrix, Decidueye had a taller and more imposing figure. It had sharper claws and, particularly, its face concealed beneath the green cape exuded an indescribable air of mystery.

...

Decidueye

Type: Grass/Ghost

Ability: Long Reach

Gender: Female

Potential: Blue

Level: 58

Moves: Tackle, Leafage, Peck, Astonish, Leer, Razor Leaf, Foresight, Synthesis, Shadow Ball, Feather Dance, Brave Bird, Nasty Plot, Leaf Blade, Pluck, Sucker Punch, Swords Dance, Sunny Day, Roost, Solar Beam, Double Team, Steel Wing, Energy Ball, Shadow Claw, Grass Pledge, Seed Bomb, Aerial Ace, Spirit Shackle

...

After its evolution was complete, Decidueye immediately drew a spectral bow and shot three dark arrows toward Arcanine.

This was the move Spirit Shackle, a move that Decidueye learned after evolving.

As of now, Decidueye was the only known Pokémon capable of learning Spirit Shackle. This move seemed tailor-made for Decidueye, and most Decidueye could easily master it after evolving from Dartrix.

Seeing the three arrows flying towards it, Arcanine didn't take any chances. It leaped away from its spot, narrowly dodging the attack.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The arrows struck the ground, leaving three deep craters.

But it wasn't over yet. Decidueye, not discouraged by the failure of Spirit Shackle, continued to draw its spectral bow and fire more arrows. Each arrow was aimed at the agile Arcanine.

However, Arcanine wasn't one to be underestimated. Although it appeared massive, it moved with grace and agility, easily evading Decidueye's arrows.

The two Pokémon engaged in a fierce battle in the field, with Decidueye acting like a true sharpshooter, firing one arrow after another without pause.

Due to the rapid fire of Decidueye's Spirit Shackle move, the agile Arcanine eventually made a mistake. In a split second, Arcanine found itself trapped between two shadow arrows, one in front and one behind.

While these two shadow arrows didn't directly hit Arcanine, as the name implies, Spirit Shackle influenced the target's shadow, even if the target itself evaded the attacks.

The moment the shadow arrows hit the shadow of Arcanine, which was trying to evade, it suddenly appeared as if it was immobilized. Despite struggling and leaping, it couldn't move from its position.

This was another aspect of Spirit Shackle's effect, aside from inflicting damage. It immobilized the target by controlling its shadow, preventing the opponent from moving.

Of course, this effect was challenging to use against opponents significantly stronger, but it worked effectively against Arcanine, which was on a similar level as Decidueye.

Because of the unique nature of the Spirit Shackle move, students from the Trainer School were familiar with it. So when they saw Arcanine desperately struggling without moving an inch, they immediately knew the reason.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three Shadow Balls, controlled by Decidueye, were hurled at the immobilized Arcanine. Helpless to avoid the attack due to its immobility, Arcanine was knocked down and lost consciousness.

Yuga and Decidueye emerged victorious!

Ined didn't appear too disheartened by her defeat. Instead, she thanked Yuga, saying, "Thank you, Gym Leader Shimizu, for your guidance."

Yuga smiled and replied, "Just keep working hard. Strive to win next time."

As Yuga finished speaking, he suddenly heard a hearty laughter.

"Ha ha ha, what a great battle. I heard that Gym Leader Shimizu came to Tust, and I initially thought it was just a rumor. But I didn't expect to see you here for real."

A man and a boy approached Yuga one after the other.

"Principal Keihara, it's been a while."

Of the two newcomers, the older one was Principal Keihara, whom Yuga had known for a while, but he didn't recognize the younger one.

"It's been a while, indeed," Principal Keihara said with a warm smile.

"If you were planning to come, you should have let me know earlier. I could have made better preparations. We're old friends; we should uphold the tradition of being gracious hosts."

Yuga shook his head and replied, "I just happened to pass by Rustboro City, and I came here upon an invitation from Gym Leader Roxanne."

Since the two businesses had close ties, Yuga had a good relationship with Principal Keihara. They enjoyed a lively conversation for a while.

"Is this the famous Gym Leader Shimizu?"

At this moment, the young man who had been following Principal Keihara spoke up.

Yuga looked at the young man with a hint of confusion, waiting for an introduction.

This young man, around twenty years old, appeared to be of a similar age to Yuga, and he had a handsome appearance. However, his arrogant expression left a rather unpleasant impression.

"Oh, this is our advanced Trainer School's Student Council President, Yuichii. Despite his young age, he has quite impressive abilities. He's also the top student in our advanced Trainer School," Principal Keihara introduced Yuichii to Yuga with enthusiasm, clearly pleased with this student.

Yuga gave a brief greeting, saying, "Hello," but he didn't seem very impressed with this student named Yuichii.

Yuichii, on the other hand, noticed Yuga's indifference and felt quite annoyed. He had been praised and admired throughout his life and had never experienced such treatment.

"Was Gym Leader Shimizu just battling this young lady earlier? After all, Gym Leader Shimizu is a somewhat famous Trainer. I didn't expect he would take an interest in picking on children."

Yuichii even emphasized the words "somewhat famous" when speaking, adding a touch of sarcasm to his tone.

Principal Keihara was taken aback. Wasn't Yuichii usually quite polite? What was going on today? Why was he trying to challenge Yuga like this?

Yuichii's father was one of the directors of Tust.

Originally, Principal Keihara was discussing the renovation of the advanced Trainer School's training room with Yuichii's father. When he received the news of Yuga's visit to Tust, he hurriedly came to the junior division, and Yuichii had expressed a strong desire to accompany him, saying he really wanted to meet Yuga.

Principal Keihara used to like this student quite a bit; he was talented, had been elected as the Student Council President of the advanced Trainer School, and was a rare talent.

However, Principal Keihara couldn't believe that this usually polite student was speaking so aggressively today.

Yuga furrowed his brows, wondering if he had some sort of grudge against this guy.

What Yuga didn't know was that, in Yuichii's eyes, he indeed held a grudge against him.

To understand this, we need to delve into Yuichii's background.

The Yuichii family wasn't a large or particularly well-known family, even though they didn't have many members, but they held a significant position within the Pokémon League.

First of all, Yuichii's father was a Mayor of the renowed LaRousse City

If Rustboro City was known as the hub for Pokémon Trainer academies, LaRousse was the epicenter of scientific research and development within the Pokémon world. The two cities were even nicknamed: 'The City of Culture' (LaRousse) and 'The City of Battle' (Rustboro).

The human world heavily relies on science and technology, and LaRousse City's position is of utmost importance in this regard.

Secondly, the founder of the Melo Tech Corporation, which Yuga had previously admired, is Yuichii's mother, Melo.

As far as Yuga knew, Melo was a formidable woman who dedicated her life to her work. There were often rumors about her discord with her husband. However, these were mere gossip, and the specifics of their relationship were known only to them.

Lastly, we should talk about Yuichii's uncle.

Yuichii's uncle was younger than his father. He was now not even in his forties but held the prestigious position of the regional Chairman of the Hoenn League.

In other words, Yuichii's uncle was the highest-ranking authority in the Pokémon League of Hoenn region.

However, due to the events that had taken place within the Unova League a decade ago, regional Chairmans from various regions had been closely monitored by the League's headquarters. As a result, the power of the regional Chairmans was not as extensive as one might assume.

Nevertheless, Yuichii's uncle had a good reputation and had devoted all his time to the League, he even choosing not to marry. As a result, he held a significant status in the Hoenn League.

So, how did Yuichii, the wealthy and influential young man, become an enemy of Yuga?

It turns out that Yuichii had shown great talent as a Pokémon Trainer from a young age. As a result, his father wanted him to become a disciple of the only Master level Trainer in Hoenn, Mr. Kuni'o.

When Yuichii was around ten years old, his uncle used his influence to arrange a meeting with Mr. Kuni'o, with the intention of seeking permission for Yuichii to become his apprentice.

However, in Mr. Kuni'o's lineage, there had always been a rule of accepting only one apprentice at a time, and the most basic requirement for apprenticeship was having the Celebi's blessing.

Yuichii was heartlessly rejected by Mr. Kuni'o.

Yuichii was a young prodigy, doted upon at home, and he thought that becoming Mr. Kuni'o's apprentice was almost a certainty. But he couldn't believe that he was rejected so decisively.

Yuichii was deeply resentful of this rejection.

For many years afterward, Yuichii would visit Mr. Kuni'o every year, determined to become his apprentice. However, year after year passed, and Mr. Kuni'o continued to refuse him.

Most people would have given up, as they're not masochists. But Yuichii had a burning determination to become Mr. Kuni'o's apprentice. The thought of not receiving Mr. Kuni'o's tutelage was something he couldn't accept.

This continued until a few years ago when Yuga came into the picture.

What was Yuichii's family? They were a family of high-standing individuals. So when Yuga became Mr. Kuni'o's apprentice, they got wind of it.

But given Mr. Kuni'o's esteemed position, even if they had dissatified, they had to accept the reality.

Initially, Yuichii's family kept this information from him, as they were afraid he might not handle it well.

However, no secret remains hidden forever, and as Yuga's fame continued to rise, Yuichii eventually learned about it through other sources.

When he first heard the news, Yuichii was consumed by bitterness and wished he could just spit on Yuga's face.

But due to his privileged upbringing, Yuichii, although proud, was not a malicious person. He held a grudge against Yuga, but he never thought about taking harmful actions against him.

Meeting Yuga today was an unexpected encounter for Yuichii, but he couldn't help but feel angry, which was why he made sarcastic remarks towards Yuga.

In summary, he was being jealeous.