Hayate

After listening to Windy's story, Yuga finally understood why Windy, who was clearly a member of the Sasaki family, came to work at his YoYo Day Care.

Having shared his past with Yuga, Windy looked extremely nervous. He feared that Yuga, too, would look down on him because of his status as an illegitimate child. For over two decades of his life, he had lived through years of mockery and ridicule.

Seeing Windy's tense expression, Yuga smiled and said, "As long as you're willing to stay here, YoYo Day Care is your forever home. Forget about your status and what's right or wrong; leave it all behind in the past. Don't overthink it. In my eyes, you're just Windy, and none of the rest matters."

"Um... Thank you, boss..." Windy replied in a subdued tone, and Yuga could even hear a hint of tears in his voice. It was as if all the pent-up emotions inside Windy had surged out all at once because of Yuga's words.

From that day, after pouring his heart out to Yuga, Windy seemed to have opened up. Although he remained shy and spoke less, he gradually became willing to interact with the people in the store.

The next day, Abe came to visit Yuga, spending most of the day at the YoYo Day Care, discussing many details about assisting Pidgey Express.

James, on the other hand, settled into the Pokémon Paradise and spent his days mingling with stray Pokémon. Surprisingly, one of the Nuzleaf expressed a desire to follow him.

It had to be said that James had a high affinity for Pokémon and genuinely liked them.

This particular Nuzleaf had ordinary yellow potential. It was willing to follow James, and he was willing to adopt it.

In the end, after James repeatedly assured Yuga that he wouldn't abandon the Nuzleaf, Yuga agreed to let him adopt it. He was well aware that James was someone who treated Pokémon kindly.

Currently, James was with the Team Rocket, and Yuga was a bit worried that he might not have full control over the Pokémon he had obtained, hence Yuga asked for James's assurance.

As for Yasushi's younger sister, Miyuki, she hadn't visited the YoYo Day Care again. Yuga and Yasushi didn't know why she had come to Verdanturf Town, but it was certain that she hadn't come specifically to see Yasushi; otherwise, she wouldn't have made just one brief visit.

On the fourth day of Abe's visit to the Verdanturf Gym, the convoy escorted by Pidgey Express was about to arrive in Verdanturf Town. Yuga, accompanied by Beidou, Kazuma, and Shin, followed the convoy to the outskirts of Verdanturf Town to meet the escort team.

Unbeknownst to Yuga, shortly after he left the YoYo Day Care, James also left, taking the newly acquired Nuzleaf with him.

At the same time, in a hotel in Verdanturf Town, Miyuki changed her clothes and disappeared into her room.

The escort team of Pidgey Express departed with a convoy of vehicles. The escort team consisted of over twenty experienced and powerful trainers, indicating the importance they attached to this escort mission.

Given the likelihood that these trainers might attempt to steal the Pokémon eggs, the outskirts of Verdanturf Town was the most likely place for them to make a move. It was also the least conspicuous and easiest place to hide.

On the road to the outskirts of Verdanturf Town, it didn't take long before Yuga saw a convoy of five large trucks approaching.

The convoy slowed down as it neared, and a group of people wearing uniform gray attire alighted from the vehicles. These individuals were the escort team for Pidgey Express, and their leader was Hayate, the young boss of Pidgey Express.

"This must be Gym Leader Shimizu, I have long admired your name." Hayate, the young boss of Pidgey Express, stepped forward and greeted Yuga warmly.

"Mr. Hayate, I have heard your name for a long time," Yuga replied politely.

Hayate, the young boss of Pidgey Express, was twenty-five years old, a pseudo-Elite level trainer. While not as exceptional as a genius like Steven or Wallace, he had indeed made a name for himself.

The Pidgey Express had always hoped that their young boss would break through to the Elite level, which would elevate the power of their organization.

Their industry, such as Pidgey Express, places great importance on training trainers. Some important shipments require trainers with strong skills to transport them.

"Alright, let's not be courteous here. Let's get back to Verdanturf Town quickly to avoid any trouble," Hayate said to Yuga. He was concerned that something might go wrong with this batch of goods.

Even though he was the young boss of Pidgey Express, it would be difficult for him to bear the responsibility if anything happened.

However, as they say, "fear invites danger." Just as Hayate finished saying this, before Yuga could respond, a large purple fog suddenly began to drift around them. In the blink of an eye, it engulfed the convoy and the escort team.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Prepare for battle!" Hayate reacted quickly and shouted loudly into the fog.

"Yes!" The escort team responded in unison from within the fog. It was clear that they were a well-trained and coordinated team.

"You three, prepare for battle as well," Yuga said, turning to Beidou, Kazuma, and Shin, who were following behind him.

Beidou: "Understood."

Kazuma and Shin: "Got it, Gym Leader."

The three of them immediately went on guard.

Following that, more than twenty Pidgeots flew out of the fog, with Hayate's ace Pokémon leading the charge.

These twenty-plus Pidgeots ascended into the sky and simultaneously used Gust to disperse all the fog in a matter of moments.

After the fog cleared, Yuga saw that they were surrounded by people wearing black uniforms with black round hats on their heads. The emblem on their chests was a large orange-red "R," indicating that they were all members of Team Rocket.

Yuga hadn't expected Team Rocket to come all the way to Hoenn to hijack the Pokémon eggs that the Joy family was sending to Kanto. The smoke they had released earlier was created by Weezing and Koffing, the Pokémon accompanying this group of Team Rocket members.

All of these Team Rocket members wore black masks to conceal their identities.

However, Yuga still recognized James among the crowd, despite him also wearing a mask. His distinctive purple hair made him stand out.

That's when Yuga realized why James had appeared in Hoenn. It turned out that he was also part of the mission to intercept the Joy family's Pokémon eggs.

In addition to James, Yuga spotted someone he recognized from Team Rocket: Tyson, the one who had tried to capture Whitney in Goldenrod City. He now had his two Fearows flying proudly above his head, confronting the large Pidgeots.

Hayate: "Attack!"