Sunken Ship

After defeating Clawitzer, Linoone rushed towards Yuga and leaped into his arms from behind.

Yuga embraced Linoone's head, gently smoothing its disheveled fur due to the battle. He scolded, "Honestly, you fell down here and you should've just waited for us to come find you. Why did you start wandering around? Do you know how long we've been searching for you?"

Though Yuga's words carried reproach, his tone was thick with concern. After spending such a long time with Linoone, Yuga had come to treat it, along with Audino and Swellow, as part of his own family.

Feeling guilty, Linoone lowered its head and earnestly apologized to Yuga, moved by Yuga's genuine care.

Chimecho and Absol approached from the side and said something to Linoone. Although Yuga couldn't hear their words, it was clear they were also worried about Linoone.

With Linoone found, Yuga's heart finally settled. He pointed to the fallen Clawitzer not far away and asked Robert, "Do you want this one? If not, I'll capture it."

Robert shook his head and said, "No need. I generally don't capture Pokémon outside because I can't guarantee their potential."

Unlike Yuga, Robert didn't possess the ability to assess Pokémon potential. He always believed that if he were to capture a Pokémon, he would need to take responsibility for nurturing it. Since the potential of wild Pokémon couldn't be guaranteed, he would have to abandon them if they weren't suitable for training. This didn't align with his initial intentions.

In this regard, Robert differed from the majority of trainers. Many trainers would readily capture any Pokémon they found appealing in the wild. Once they realized it wasn't suitable for training, they might not say they were abandoning it, but they would likely set it aside and no longer pay much attention to it.

Robert, on the other hand, aimed to be responsible for every Pokémon he captured, which was why he generally refrained from capturing wild Pokémon. This could be seen as a minor quirk of his perfectionist personality.

Unaware of Robert's thoughts, Yuga jokingly said, "You wealthy second-generation, you evil capitalist facade! But it's truly envy-inducing!"

After saying this, Yuga tossed out a Poké Ball and captured Clawitzer.

Yuga captured Clawitzer mainly because its potential had reached the green level, making it an excellent addition to the Ecopark.

Robert shook his head with a smile, finding Yuga's envious expression amusing.

As Yuga's friend, Robert understood Yuga's family situation. Honestly, he admired Yuga's ability to single-handedly manage an unknown small Day Care and consistently try to develop it.

Making a determined decision alone isn't easy, and maintaining that determination is even harder. Robert believed Yuga's ability to single-handedly uphold the Day Care demonstrated an impressive resolve.

Of course, these were all assumptions Robert had made. If Yuga were to learn of his thoughts, he would probably pat Robert's shoulder and burst into hearty laughter. There was no such determination on Yuga's part; it had merely been coincidental when he first arrived and obtained the system. He found it quite enjoyable and had continued with it.

Sometimes misunderstandings arise this way, whether they're positive or negative.

After capturing Clawitzer, Yuga suddenly said, "Oh, Robert, do you think the sunken ship we're looking for could be here?"

Robert raised doubts, saying, "Although this place is connected to the sea, can ships even come in here?"

Yuga casually replied, "Well, since we're here, let's search thoroughly. Who knows, we might find something valuable."

At that moment, Linoone tugged at the leg of Yuga's pants with its paw.

"What's wrong, Linoone?" Yuga asked, puzzled.

Upon hearing Yuga's question, Linoone abruptly dashed outside and then turned back to signal Yuga and the others to follow.

"Did your Linoone discover something?" Robert guessed, watching Linoone rush outside.

"Let's follow and see," Yuga said, leading Chimecho and Absol as they caught up.

Observing this, Robert also followed with his Chimecho and Baltoy.

Yuga and Robert trailed behind Linoone, taking several turns at junctions. After an unknown duration, they finally saw Linoone stop at an entrance.

As Yuga's group approached Linoone, they found themselves in a massive irregular circular space.

The top of the space had a small hole, allowing the limited outside light to penetrate and illuminate the dim interior.

Docked within the space was the sunken ship they had been seeking. It was much larger than Yuga and his friends had imagined.

The ship was made of wood and had tall masts, indicating it was a sailboat. However, most of the enormous masts were broken, and the ship's body was tattered and had several large holes. It was no wonder it had sunk.

Beneath the ship was a body of water, roughly the size of a small lake, but the dim surroundings made it appear somewhat eerie.

"Looks like we got lucky without much effort. Let's go check it out," Yuga said to Robert beside him.

Robert nodded.

Just as the two were about to step forward, the water in front of them stirred.

One by one, blue shrimp-like Pokémon emerged from the water, blocking Yuga and the others' path.

Surprisingly, these obstructing Pokémon were none other than the devolved forms of the previous opponents of Linoone, Clawitzer – Clauncher.

Seeing the guarded expressions of the Clauncher, Yuga whispered to Robert, "Aren't these only found in the Kalos region? How come there are so many here?"

Robert shook his head, indicating he didn't know either.

After the Clauncher appeared, Absol and Baltoy unconsciously positioned themselves in front of their respective trainers, ready to prevent any sudden attacks.

While Yuga was contemplating negotiating with these Pokémon to allow them passage to the ship, the foremost group of Clauncher unleashed a barrage of bubbles towards them.

Reacting swiftly, Yuga released his Vivillon, which materialized in front of him. Just as the bubbles approached, Vivillon used Protect, creating a white barrier that effortlessly blocked all the bubble attacks.

"Vivillon, Electroweb!"

Seeing the angered Clauncher, Yuga abandoned the idea of negotiation and initiated an offensive move.

An electrified spider web shot forth as Yuga gave the command. In an instant, the web, crackling with electricity, lashed out from Vivillon's position and ensnared a large group of Clauncher. The trapped Pokémon emitted pained cries as they struggled within the electrified net.

Yuga's counterattack signaled the start of a formal battle. The remaining Clauncher, no longer mere spectators, took action one after another.