Concerns

With only a week left before the competition for the Pokemon starter breeding project, Yuga planned to visit Littleroot Town early to inquire about the situation from Professor Birch.

Before he could leave, the YoYo Day Care received a business order. This order was recommended by Mayor Ishida, so he had to handle it before setting off.

The customer for this business order was the Verdanturf Town Trainer School. It was the only Trainer School in Verdanturf Town and, although not as renowned as the Trainer School in Rustboro City, it was where children in Verdanturf Town took their first steps on the path to becoming Trainers.

As Verdanturf Town developed and attracted more investors, the Trainer School received donations and support from various investors.

With the funds, the school's principal aimed to provide a better learning environment for the children. Their plan was to purchase a batch of Pokémon for the students to practice with.

Many of the younger children who had just entered the school didn't have their own Pokémon. Having some Pokémon specifically designated for them to practice with at school would greatly help them learn about Pokémon battles and how to interact with their own Pokémon in the future.

So, Mayor Ishida recommended that the Trainer School's principal meet with Yuga.

The day after receiving the call from Professor Birch, Yuga sat in the YoYo Day Care, waiting for the arrival of the Trainer School's principal. He had also begun to consider which Pokémon to recommend for the school.

Because these Pokémon were intended for practice at the school and didn't require exceptional potentials, he could recommend both common and uncommon species for a variety of experiences. For teaching purposes, he could recommend red and orange Pokémon, and for practical training, he could recommend yellow ones.

The Pokémon at Yuga's Ecopark generally had above-average potentials, but many of them were first-generation breeding Pokémon. This presented an opportunity to distribute some of the common and uncommon Pokémon.

Around nine in the morning, the Trainer School's principal, Mr. Freddy, entered the YoYo Day Care with a teacher.

"Mr. Shimizu, hello, hello. I appreciate your assistance with this matter," Mr. Freddy greeted Yuga warmly and shook his hand with excitement.

The Verdanturf Town Trainer School had received support from various sources, and a significant portion of that support was thanks to Yuga, the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town.

Mr. Freddy was an elderly man nearing sixty, and his hair was already mostly gray. He had come to Verdanturf Town in his thirties, started teaching at the Trainer School, and by his forties, he had been appointed as its principal. More than two decades had passed since then.

Though Mr. Freddy wasn't originally from Verdanturf Town, over the course of these twenty-plus years, he had married and had children in Verdanturf Town. He had long since come to regard Verdanturf Town as his true hometown.

"You're too kind," Yuga said modestly, then noticed the young man beside Principal Freddy and asked, "And who is this?"

"Look at me," Principal Freddy slapped his head. "This is my son, Frank. He's currently teaching at our school too."

The pride in Principal Freddy's tone was evident, showing his deep pride in his son.

"Hello, Mr. Shimizu, nice to meet you," Frank smiled and extended his right hand towards Yuga.

"Hello, nice to meet you," Yuga replied, shaking Frank's hand.

Yuga discreetly observed the young teacher in front of him and noticed that he exuded a calm demeanor and a subtle murderous aura.

If Yuga had not spent two years in Arus, he might not have even sensed this faint murderous aura.

Of course, this trace of murderous aura was not directed at Yuga. Yuga surmised that Frank had likely gone through many battles, and it was through these battles that he had developed this murderous aura around him.

As Yuga observed Frank, Frank also regarded Yuga with curious eyes.

Frank had heard of Yuga's name a long time ago, after all, when such a renowned figure appeared in his hometown, it was impossible not to take notice.

Initially, upon hearing about an Elite level Trainer from Verdanturf Town, Frank thought it was someone new who had moved into the town. Only later did he learn that Yuga was a native of Verdanturf Town.

However, it wasn't surprising that Frank had this misconception. After all, Yuga's rise was too sudden and fast, and the original host's life had been quite unremarkable for the first sixteen years until Yuga's arrival.

Nonetheless, that was nothing unusual; many people achieve greatness later in life, and Yuga was still quite young.

Although Frank had been curious about Yuga for a long time, he never had the chance to meet him. In recent years, he had been in the Johto region and had only recently returned.

Frank, Luna, and Rant had all attended the Trainer School for a few years before being selected for the Junior Prep Camp. After graduating from the camp, Frank had become a Prosecutor in the Johto region.

Being an Prosecutor was a promising career, but it was also quiet demanding, with constant travel and assignments. This had left Frank with limited opportunities to return to Verdanturf Town.

However, he had recently participated in the Elite Four Challenge and made it to becone the substitute Elite Four list in the Johto region, earning him a spot as a substitute Elite Four.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, he had applied to be transferred back to his hometown, where his parents were growing older, and he was their only child. He couldn't spend his entire life in the Johto region.

His application was approved, considering his circumstances. Furthermore, they recognized his dedicated work over the years, allowing him to take a six-month leave. After this break, he would report to the Prosecutor Bureau Branch in Verdanturf Town.

The position of a teacher at the Trainer School in Verdanturf Town was arranged by the authorities to provide Frank with a chance to rest and spend time with his family.

Having not visited Verdanturf Town for a long time, when Frank got off the plane, he was almost convinced that he had taken the wrong flight because of the big changes in Verdanturf Town.

Although he had heard his father talk about the changes in Verdanturf Town over the phone, it wasn't until he saw it with his own eyes that he truly realized how different the town had become.

It was precisely because he witnessed the significant changes in Verdanturf Town that Frank was so curious about the person responsible for these transformations.

"Alright, it's not convenient to talk here. Let's go to the meeting room to discuss this in more detail," Yuga suggested, leading Principal Freddy and Frank towards the meeting room. He then called out to Wigglytuff, who seemed to be daydreaming.

"Wigglytuff, could you help by pouring two cups of tea for our guests?"

"Wigglytuff!"

Wigglytuff responded from a distance, appearing somewhat sluggish. However, Yuga was too far away to notice Wigglytuff's unusual behavior.

By the time Wigglytuff brought the freshly brewed tea to the meeting room, it had returned to normal.

"The first type of Pokémon I recommend for the school is one of our signature Pokémon, the Grass-type Hoppip. Hoppip has a gentle nature and isn't known for its high attack power, making it ideal for beginners who are just starting school."

Currently, Hoppip and Oddish that already learn Grassy Terrain were the most traded common Pokémon in YoYo Day Care. Yuga decided to recommend Hoppip, considering that Oddish had the potential to evolve into Gloom, which had a strong odor.

After all, these Pokémon were intended for children's use, and strong odors could potentially lead to their disapproval. If children grew to dislike the profession of Trainers due to unpleasant experiences with Pokémon, it would not be good. Such incidents had occurred in schools before.

Taking the children's well-being into consideration, Yuga prioritized recommending cute and gentle-natured Pokémon.

Upon hearing Yuga's recommendations, Principal Freddy nodded in agreement and included Hoppip as one of the options.

Yuga's second recommendation was Pachirisu.

Pachirisu, along with the Buneary family, had entered the Ecopark together, and after some breeding, there was now a reasonable number of Pachirisu.

Despite its playful and energetic nature, Pachirisu was gentle and affectionate, making it suitable for beginners as well.

As Wigglytuff brought the tea into the room, Yuga momentarily paused his recommendations and said, "This is our milk tea made with Sweet Honey and Moomoo Milk. Please, have a taste."

Wigglytuff politely placed two cups of milk tea in front of the guests and then left the meeting room with the tray.

Back in the kitchen, Wigglytuff sighed, which was overheard by Audino, who was tidying up. Audino asked with concern: Are you okay?

Wigglytuff shook its head and replied: I'm fine. You go ahead and focus on your work. I need to help with serving the guests.

Seeing Wigglytuff acting as if everything was normal, Audino, who had been working alongside Wigglytuff for almost three years, knew something was wrong. How could she not notice Wigglytuff's heavy heart?

What could it be? It was perfectly fine yesterday. Maybe I should ask Yuga about it?

With that in mind, Audino quickly finished cleaning the kitchen and prepared to find Yuga.

As Audino came out of the kitchen, she noticed that Yuga and Principal Freddy had just finished their conversation and were leaving the meeting room. Seeing Yuga still busy, Audino decided not to disturb him for now and planned to inquire later after the guests had left.

"That's settled, then. I'll prepare the Pokémon for you, and we'll have them delivered when they're ready," Yuga said as he walked Principal Freddy and Frank to the shop's entrance.

Principal Freddy and Frank ultimately chose ten Hoppip, five Pachirisu, and five other Pokémon like Starly and Taillow.

Yuga offered these Pokémon at very low rates, almost as if he were giving them away. This was his way of supporting the Trainer School and understanding the importance of education for Verdanturf Town.

"Mr. Shimizu, would it be possible for us to have a practice battle?" Just as Yuga thought that Frank and Principal Freddy were about to leave, Frank unexpectedly asked for a Pokémon battle.

What a typical Trainer's temperament – eager for competition and victory. Yuga thought to himself.

"Of course! I have no reason to refuse," Yuga responded with a wide grin.

Audino, who had been waiting for the guests to leave, was quite annoyed. What's going on? I have something to discuss with you! Can't you postpone this battle to another day?

"Let's head to the gym," Frank agreed, and he followed Yuga toward the direction of the gym. He was looking forward to their upcoming match.

Although Frank became a substitute Elite Four in the Johto region, he wasn't considered a prodigious Trainer but had achieved success through his hard work.

Seeing Yuga lead Frank away with a cheerful demeanor, Audino felt frustrated. He couldn't even notice when his own Pokémon were troubled. What kind of Trainer are you?

Audino turned herbhead and spotted Wigglytuff leaning against the counter in deep thought. She didn't know how to handle the situation. Should I ask what's wrong, or should I just leave it? If I ask, will it even want to talk about it? If I don't ask, I won't know what's happening.

It's so difficult to be a good friend.

After much deliberation, Audino approached Wigglytuff and whispered: "Uh... Do you think... um... it's not too busy in the shop right now. Do you want to go outside and relax a bit?"

Wigglytuff looked up at Audino, her good friend who seemed genuinely concerned. She slowly nodded in agreement.

As Audino held her friend's hand, the two of them stepped outside. Meanwhile, Yuga and Frank had reached the gym.

They stood on opposite sides of the battle arena. Yuga said to Frank, "Let's settle this in one battle. As the Gym Leader, I'll go first. Here's my Pokémon."

"Sounds good," Frank agreed without hesitation.

Yuga's chosen Pokémon was Kartana.

Kartana had a delicate and lightweight appearance, but it could hover steadily in the air, unaffected by the wind.

Although it was the youngest among Yuga's main Pokémon, it had shown the fastest progress.

While it hadn't yet crossed the threshold to become an Elite level Pokémon, it had surpassed Pokémon like Bellossom, Serperior, and Breloom two or three months ago.

Thanks to its unique Beast Boost Ability, Kartana could also compete with Elite level Pokémon.

Frank appeared surprised upon seeing Kartana, as henever encountered Pokemon like it before. Yuga offered an explanation, "This is Kartana, a Grass and Steel-type Pokémon."

Clearing his doubts, Frank nodded and sent out his own Pokémon:

...

[ Togekiss ]

Type: Fairy/Flying

Ability: Serene Grace

Gender: Male

Potential: Blue

Level: 72

Moves: Charm, Metronome, Yawn, Wish, Safeguard, Baton Pass, Air Slash, Psyshock, Roost, Shadow Ball, Reflect, Steel Wing, Dazzling Gleam, Thunder Wave, Nasty Plot, Signal Beam, Heat Wave, Sleep Talk

...

Frank's status as a Elite level Trainer surprised Yuga, even though he hadn't expected it. However, it didn't necessarily shock him, given the murderous aura that Frank emanated.

What puzzled Yuga was why someone of Frank's caliber would take a teaching position at the Verdanturf Town Trainer School.

Was he really Principal Freddy's son, or an imposter with malicious intentions toward the town? Or perhaps his target is me?

Yuga didn't about the actual situation of Frank. And for a while his imagination was so wild that he even developed paranoia about being persecuted.

Frank had participated in the Elite Four Challenge in the Johto region. If he had been part of the one in Hoenn region, Yuga would have definitely known about it, as he followed the competition very closely.

For the Elite Four Challenge in other regions, Yuga typically only focused on the final Elite Four member and the Champion. He didn't pay much attention to the other participants.

Currently, the Champions and Elite Four from various regions had already aligned with the one in Yuga's memory.