Mysterious Thief

"There's nothing urgent. However, I've heard that Gym Leader Shimizu is an Elite level Trainer. I wonder if I'll have the honor of meeting him today," Brodie's voice remained casual, but Yuga sensed a hint of seriousness in it.

"Do you want to battle me?" Yuga asked, squinting his eyes.

Brodie replied, "That's the general idea."

"Do we have a grudge?" Yuga continued to inquire.

"Not really," Brodie shook his head.

"Do I have a grudge with your family, relatives, or friends?" Yuga asked again, considering that he might have offended someone recently and Brodie could be seeking revenge.

"Sort of, but I'm not here for revenge. Other people's grudges are their own, and they don't concern me," Brodie replied after a moment of thought, leaving it somewhat ambiguous.

"Sort of?" Yuga found this response puzzling. It could either be a yes or a no, but Brodie's answer left room for interpretation.

"You're quite bold, considering you know I'm an Elite level Trainer, and yet you dared to approach me," Yuga remarked.

"People often say that about me. I'm somewhat of a celebrity, but not in a good way. You need to have courage in this line of work," Brodie replied nonchalantly. With that, a Pokémon appeared by Brodie's side.

"Let me test if Gym Leader Shimizu is truly an Elite level Trainer," Brodie said, raising the question that many had wondered about. While the Pokémon League's records suggested Yuga's Elite level strength, no one had witnessed it firsthand.

Therefore, Yuga's true strength remained a mystery.

However, the Pokémon League had achieved its purpose.

Their goal was to shape Yuga into the second Norman.

Now, Yuga's name had spread widely among the trainers in the Hoenn region, and this air of mystery and ambiguity suited him perfectly.

The Pokémon that appeared beside Brodie was a Seviper. It blended into the dark night with its dusky skin, and Yuga hadn't even noticed it until it slowly slithered out and climbed Brodie's body.

It nuzzled Brodie's neck With its head and it stretched out its long tongue, licked Brodie's hand, before swiftly unwinding from around Brodie and leaping forward, locking eyes with Yuga, exuding an air of danger.

...

Seviper

Type: Poison

Ability: Infiltrator

Gender: Female

Potential: Blue

Level: 77

Moves: Wrap, Swagger, Bite, Lick, Poison Tail, Feint, Haze, Glare, Night Slash, Poison Jab, Crunch, Coil, Wring Out, Sludge Wave, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail.

...

This was an extremely dangerous Poison-type Pokémon. Though Brodie was a frequent guest on the Pokémon League's wanted list, his true strength had always been a mystery due to his exceptional evasion skills. Most people couldn't lay a hand on him before he escaped.

Today, Yuga realized that this infamous thief, just like Boss Bear, was also an Elite level Trainer, perhaps even stronger.

No wonder he dared to challenge me, Yuga thought.

"You've gone to such great lengths just to test me?" Yuga asked.

"Well, it's quite important, isn't it?"

Yuga retrieved his own Poké Ball and released his Pokémon. Instantly, the air seemed to drop a few degrees as the atmosphere became tense.

"If you want to test me, then go ahead!"

Looking at Yuga unusual Lapras hovered in mid-air, flapping its four wings. Brodie said excitedly :

"It seems everyone underestimated you. You're even stronger than I imagined! That's excellent, just excellent. It looks like my efforts weren't in vain," Brodie said with an eccentric grin.

Is this guy insane? Yuga couldn't help but wonder as he observed Brodie's weird smile.

Speaking of their Pokémon, Brodie's Seviper and Yuga's Lapras had a minimal level difference—77 and 75, respectively. However, their actual battle strength was hard to gauge.

"Seviper, let's start with a Glare to greet our esteemed Gym Leader Shimizu," Brodie commanded.

Upon hearing this, Seviper raised its snake head high, and its two intimidating eyes emitted a strange energy, glaring at Lapras.

The expected paralysis status did not occur. Lapras opened its mouth and unleashed a Hydro Pump, directly hitting Seviper's head, sending it rolling.

If you looked closely, you could see a faint green glow on Lapras's skin, but it was so subtle that it was hard to notice.

Safeguard!

Brodie, being a thief, had sharp perception.

"Indeed, you are Gym Leader Shimizu, incredibly strong," Brodie remarked excitedly, not minding Seviper getting injured, filled with admiration.

Seviper quickly slithered back up, coiling its muscular yet slender body and extended its long tongue, staring coldly at Lapras, equally unconcerned about its own injuries.

At this moment, Yuga felt that both the snake and its trainer shared a certain madness deep within them.

"Seviper, use Sludge Wave!"

"Lapras, go for Surf!"

Yuga and Brodie exclaimed simultaneously.

The Sludge Wave formed by purple venom collided with the enormous wave generated by Surf. The mixture of water and poison struck the surrounding buildings, shattering them.

Initially, there seemed to be a standoff between the poison and the wave, but soon, the poison was overpowered. Surf dispersed the venom and surged towards Seviper, who swiftly evaded the powerful attack.

Surf was a widespread move, covering a large area, but Seviper's speed allowed it to dodge effortlessly.

"Seviper, use Poison Jab!"

After dodging Surf, Seviper transformed into a lightning bolt and rapidly approached Lapras.

Lapras ascended into the air, raising its four wings and creating a refreshing mist. It flew out of the range of Seviper's deadly attack.

In mid-air, Lapras swung its tail, forming a column of water that crashed down onto the wounded Seviper, sending it flying once more.

"Ah, I haven't gained any advantage from you at all!" Brodie exclaimed, appearing somewhat distressed as he faced Yuga.

However, he quickly changed his tone and said, "Well, I've achieved my goal for today. I won't keep bothering you. Goodbye!"

As Brodie finished speaking, Yuga saw Seviper in front of him exhale a dense cloud of black smoke.

The thick smoke quickly obscured Yuga's vision. He knew Brodie was trying to escape, so he asked Gardevoir directly, "Can you sense his location?"

"No, he's gone. I can't detect any traces," Gardevoir's voice came from within the black fog.

Indeed, Brodie, being a skilled thief, was incredibly fast in escaping. He even evaded Gardevoir's psychic senses. Yuga sighed in amazement.

It was because of this exceptional escape ability that Brodie's true strength had remained a mystery all these years.

Even after he had left, Yuga still couldn't figure out why Brodie had come to find him. Was it really just a test?

He was a thief, and there were no rumors about his competitiveness or love for challenges.

So, what was the point of testing his strength? Yuga remained puzzled.

Back in the center of Lilycove City, Brodie removed his mask, revealing a face that began to morph, and on his shoulder appeared two Ditto, one purple and one pink.

It turned out that Brodie's face under the mask wasn't his true appearance, which showing his level of caution.