Voyage

After Barcas resigned, the Paradise Hotel fell into a state of unmanaged chaos, which troubled Yuga.

Strawberry was fine as a service worker, but when it came to management, she wasn't suitable.

So he requested that Barcas stay until he found a suitable manager, and Barcas agreed without hesitation, considering that he hadn't found his next job yet.

However, this matter would have to be discussed after he returned from Sinnoh.

On this day, Yuga had to leave for Sinnoh, so he woke up early.

Audino and Wigglytuff were already up, much earlier than Yuga.

They had a basket of Berries ready to be delivered to the Gym's Ecopark; these were the meals for Persian and his underlings. Since these Pokémon had to patrol early in the morning, their breakfast time was earlier than that of other Pokémon.

Yuga had initially thought about helping Audino, but seeing how easily she carried the basket of Berries on her shoulder, he silently abandoned that idea.

Although Yuga was look much taller than Audino, his body was probably much "weaker" than her.

On the other hand, Wigglytuff, wearing her little floral apron, followed Audino with her hands empty, heading to the Gym.

Yuga considered it for a moment and decided to follow them.

He couldn't do physical work, but he could lend a hand by feeding the Pokémon. That should be fine, right?

However, as he reached the Gym's entrance, he noticed something in the sky above the Gym's training grounds. It was a Illumise, dancing in the air.

As Illumise danced, a silvery-white ring surrounded it, resembling a full moon, emitting a bright silver light.

Moonlight?

Yuga recognized the move that Illumise was using.

But who would be practicing so early in the morning? Yuga wondered.

With these thoughts in mind, he crossed the threshold and immediately saw a scene with Megumi. Apart from the Illumise flying above, there was also an Leavanny below, gathering sunlight energy, seemingly preparing to use Solar Beam.

Upon seeing Yuga enter, Megumi was surprised. Under her influence, Leavanny couldn't maintain the gathered solar energy, and it dissipated.

Apologetically, Yuga said, "I'm sorry for interrupting."

Megumi quickly shook her head, "No, no, it's not your fault. I was having some trouble with this myself."

The Leavanny nearby looked somewhat dejected, probably because its attempt to use Solar Beam had just failed.

"Is your Leavanny learning to use Solar Beam?" Yuga casually asked.

"Yes." Megumi nodded, "Leavanny has learned it, but it's not very smooth when using it. I wanted it and Illumise to perform together at the Verdanturf Town Pokémon Contest, showcasing both Moonlight and Solar Beam, but they keep failing at critical moments."

Yuga nodded in understanding.

Both Moonlight and Solar Beam were indeed impressive moves, and they could be a beautiful combination.

However...

He glanced at the disheartened Leavanny.

Although Leavanny was a Grass-type Pokémon, its primary type was still Bug-type, so most Leavanny had Bug-type talents higher than their Grass-type talents.

Moreover, Leavanny's natural abilities leaned more toward physical attacks, making it naturally better at physical moves than special ones like Solar Beam.

In other words, Megumi's Leavanny was quite typical for its species.

If it were moves like Bullet Seed or Energy Ball, it would be fine, but Solar Beam was one of the ultimate Grass-type moves, which made it significantly harder to learn.

Also, looking at this Leavanny's abilities, it had Swarm, a Bug-type ability, rather than Chlorophyll, a Grass-type ability that would have been more suitable for learning Solar Beam.

"You've put a lot of effort into training it!" Yuga sighed and looked at Megumi.

It wasn't that Leavanny couldn't learn Solar Beam, but it needed to be stronger first.

Thinking about this, Yuga suggested, "Have you ever considered using Signal Beam instead of Solar Beam? While the visual effect might not be as grand as Solar Beam, I think this move might suit your Leavanny better."

"Signal Beam?" Megumi looked conflicted, "But my Leavanny has been practicing Solar Beam for a long time."

"I think the purpose of the Pokémon Contest is to showcase your Pokémon's advantages and uniqueness, It's not just about being flashy.

As it stands, it's challenging to control Solar Beam with your Leavanny. Moreover, not using it this time doesn't mean that your training with Leavanny has been in vain.

Someday, your Leavanny will master this move. Right now, you're laying the foundation, aren't you?"

Considering that she was a companion of Arata Sena and Akihito, Yuga didn't want her to take unnecessary detours.

With his Insight ability, Yuga could easily understand where her Leavanny's talents lay based on its data. Therefore, he offered this advice.

Furthermore, Yuga's good friend, Robert, was also a Coordinator Trainer, and a top-notch one at that. So, he had picked up some advice-giving skills from him, making it suitable for him to offer suggestions to beginners like Megumi.

Upon hearing Yuga's words, Megumi fell into deep thought, realizing that he had a point. She had been on the wrong path before.

She suddenly looked up at Yuga and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your advice. I will consider this carefully."

Yuga smiled and replied, "You should think it over. I'm just giving you a suggestion. The specific course of action should be decided by you and your Leavanny."

Megumi nodded in understanding.

Just as Yuga was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and turned to Megumi, saying, "If you do decide to teach your Leavanny Signal Beam, you can go and find Audino. She can recommend some Pokémon that are good at using Signal Beam to help you."

In Yuga's Ecopark, there were many Pokémon proficient in using Signal Beam, such as Galvantula, Ariados, Masquerain, and even some in the Flygon family who had this move.

However, when it came to Signal Beam, Vivillon was the most skilled. But today, Yuga was leaving Verdanturf Town, and of course, Vivillon would be going with him.

Upon hearing Yuga's words, Megumi's eyes lit up, and she immediately expressed her gratitude.

After helping Audino and Wigglytuff finish feeding the Pokémon, it was already 9 o'clock in the morning. Yuga hurried to Verdanturf Town's airport.

Accompanying Yuga on this journey was his newly recruited main Pokémon, Rowlet.

Since this was the first time traveling far together with Yuga, Rowlet was excited and didn't want to go into its Poké Ball. Yuga couldn't persuade it, so he let it accompany him.

After nearly a month of getting to know each other and working together, Yuga and Rowlet had gradually become familiar with each other, and their bond had grown strong.

However, even though Yuga had arrived at Verdanturf Town's airport, he didn't plan to take a plane to Sinnoh.

He was just taking a plane to Pacifidlog Town and then a boat to Sinnoh.

Speaking of the reason, it was thanks to Mr. Kuni'o.

Knowing that Yuga was going to Sinnoh, he informed Drake, who was also heading to Sinnoh, to take Yuga along on his boat.

Drake had his own ship, and Yuga was catching a ride with him. It was both safe and cost-effective.

Of course, this was just the surface reason. After all, Yuga didn't really need to worry about the cost of the trip.

Mr. Kuni'o's main purpose was to introduce Yuga to Drake.

He believed that Yuga was still young, and he would have many opportunities to interact with the Pokémon League in the future. It was essential to get to know influential people and expand his network.

As a Veteran Elite Four of the Hoenn League, Drake held a high position in the League. Knowing him would only be beneficial for Yuga.

It had to be said that even though Mr. Kuni'o's attitude toward Yuga was not always warm, he had put a lot of thought into Yuga's future, and he had gone to great lengths to arrange these opportunities for him.

This included their dealings with the Temple clan as well.

The reason Mr. Kuni'o had arranged for them to meet was to allow Yuga to become acquainted with Drake and the Temple clan.

Compared to other Masters, Mr. Kuni'o is the only one without any backing, so he can't help but think a bit more for Yuga. After all, he won't be able to stand behind Yuga forever.

The plane was fast, and Yuga boarded in the morning, arriving in Pacifidlog Town in the afternoon.

As soon as he got off the plane, Yuga spotted a young man in a white sailor suit holding a sign with his name on it, looking around anxiously.

He quickly maneuvered through the crowd, getting to the young man's side and asking, "Are you Mr. Yoshimitsu? I'm Shimizu Yuga."

"Ah! Finally, I've been waiting for you! Nice to meet you. I'm Yoshimitsu, the Master's senior disciple. I've come specifically to pick you up."

Yoshimitsu had seen pictures of Yuga before, so he finally recognized him and spoke to him enthusiastically.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Yuga replied, nodding.

Yuga had received prior notice about Yoshimitsu, the senior disciple of Mr. Drake, coming to pick him up, so he wasn't surprised.

"Let's go, I'll take you to my Master. Can I call you Yuga? When you get on my Master's ship, don't be polite, just let me know if you need anything..."

As Yoshimitsu led Yuga, he chatted away, seeming quite friendly...

In reality, Yoshimitsu was several years older than Yuga because of his long years at sea, his skin was tanned, and he had short brown hair, making him look considerably younger than his actual age.

He and his junior disciples weren't just the Mr. Drake's disciples but also his crew and subordinates, spending most of the year at sea.

Under Yoshimitsu's guidance, Yuga soon arrived at the dock in Pacifidlog Town, where he saw the Mr. Drake and his ship.

The Mr. Drake was directing the crew to load the supplies needed for this voyage onto the ship. When he saw Yoshimitsu return, he just nodded and didn't say anything.

Yuga approached him politely and greeted, "Mr. Drake, thank you for this journey."

The Mr. Drake nodded and said, "Rest assured, I will safely take you to Sinnoh."

Despite the fact that the Mr. Drake's hair and beard were gray, he had a very tall figure.

Yuga was already over six feet tall, but the Mr. Drake was still half a head taller.

Coupled with his serious and reserved demeanor, his preference for not talking much, and his attire in a gray-black overcoat, he appeared very imposing.

After exchanging a few words with the Mr. Drake, Yuga was led by Yoshimitsu onto the ship.

The Mr. Drake's ship was very large, but it wasn't a modern-day steamship; it was a sailboat powered by wind.

However, as Yoshimitsu explained, their ship didn't rely solely on the wind at sea; they also used their own Pokémon.

Following that, Yuga saw many Pokémon resting with their eyes closed on the ship's masts, including Wingull, Pelipper, Swablu, and Altaria.

These Pokémon are all part of the crew on the ship and belong to the Mr. Drake. While they assist in sailing the ship, they also engage in a special form of training.

Yuga also noticed that at the top of the thickest mast on the ship, there was an unusually large Altaria. He could tell at a glance that this was a Elite level Pokémon and undoubtedly belonged to the Mr. Drake.

This Altaria served as the leader of the other Pokémon on the mast, maintaining order among them during the voyage to prevent chaos. Since the ship relied on wind power for sailing, it was crucial for the Pokémon to cooperate well; otherwise, the ship wouldn't make any progress, making a leader essential.

The Altaria, with its eyes closed, had sharp perception. When it sensed Yuga's gaze, it opened its eyes, glanced at Yuga, and nodded in a friendly manner.

Altaria is a very gentle type of Pokémon among the Dragon-types.

The ship stayed overnight at the Pacifidlog Town dock, and early the next morning, before Yuga even woke up, they set sail, beginning their journey to Sinnoh.

When Yuga arrived on the deck, he saw Flying-type Pokémon controlling the air currents, flapping their wings to move the ship forward. The sea was calm at this moment, so the ship's progress depended entirely on the Pokémon's propulsion.

Having so many Pokémon working together to control the air currents and allow the ship to sail steadily was truly remarkable. It was impossible without their long-term cooperation.

As Yuga gazed at the Pokémon, lost in thought, the Mr. Drake walked up to him and asked, "How are you feeling? Any seasickness?"

Yuga shook his head and replied, "No, the ship is sailing very smoothly."

The Mr. Drake, relieved, said, "That's good."

Just then, the Rowlet perched in Yuga's arms woke up.

It glanced at Yuga and then at the Wingull, Altaria, and other Pokémon flying alongside the ship, immediately getting excited and cooing while flapping its wings, seemingly eager to join the fun.

Seeing this, Yuga quickly grabbed it and gently pushed it back.

"What are you doing? You can't go over there and cause trouble. They're not playing."

Noticing the lively Rowlet, the Mr. Drake, with a rare smile on his serious face, asked, "Is this Rowlet a Pokémon you recently trained?"

Yuga nodded and said, "Yes, just hatched not long ago, but it loves to cause trouble."

Of course, Yuga was only saying that in jest; he actually liked the lively Rowlet.

Seeing Rowlet staring with its round eyes at the Flying-type Pokémon in the sky, the Mr. Drake said, "Just let it go. It won't cause any trouble."

"Okay..."

Before Yuga could finish his sentence, Rowlet, with the Mr. Drake's permission, wriggled out of Yuga's embrace and excitedly cooed its way over to the Altaria and the other Pokémon.

As Yuga watched Rowlet fly off into the distance, he sighed and shook his head helplessly.