Capture

The Water Gun from Starmie struck the spatial barrier, shattering into splashes of water that dampened the entire space. However, the spatial barrier appeared to be undamaged.

Nevertheless, Starmie seemed relentless, growing increasingly frenzied. Shot after shot of Water Gun was fired, scattering water splashes throughout the entire space, saturating the air with moisture.

Although Starmie couldn't break the space, it was putting significant pressure on Mismagius and Gengar.

This type of space was inherently unstable, and facing a pseudo-Elite level Pokémon gone berserk inside it was draining Mismagius and Gengar physically and mentally.

Naturally, Yuga couldn't allow Starmie to continue its rampage. He continued to command Florges to attack Starmie, with numerous pink petals transforming into a storm and heading for Starmie.

To stop Starmie, Florges also became resolute, employing the advanced Grass-type move, Petal Dance.

Starmie's Water Gun and Florges' Petal Dance clashed violently within the space, causing the entire area to tremble as if it might collapse at any moment.

At some point, the collision of petals and water reached a Poké Ball on the ground, which happened to be accidentally opened.

A red light flashed, and a Crawdaunt appeared in the space.

This Poké Ball was the same one that had been knocked away by Florges earlier.

Seeing Crawdaunt emerge, the middle-aged man exclaimed with excitement, "Crawdaunt, come to my rescue!"

Crawdaunt quickly assessed the situation on the battlefield, brandishing its massive claws, ready to rescue the middle-aged man.

Yuga hadn't expected Crawdaunt to be released so conveniently. He promptly released Absol as well to stop Crawdaunt.

Absol's speed was remarkable, leaping beside Crawdaunt in an instant and raising its front paws to use a Slash attack on Crawdaunt.

Crawdaunt countered Absol's Slash with a Harden, simultaneously lifting its enormous claws and use a Crabhammer move against Absol.

If the clash between Crawdaunt and Absol was a direct physical confrontation, then the battle between Florges and Starmie was a battle of attrition.

Florges could use recovery moves like Wish, while Starmie had its use Recover move.

Both Pokémon were skilled in special attacks, essentially recovering while engaging in long-range bombardments.

In the end, it was Starmie that fell first.

Starmie's recovery capabilities were inferior to Florges, especially when Florges used Wish in conjunction with the Grassy Terrain. Starmie's special defense couldn't match up either, ultimately succumbing to exhaustion.

While Florges and Starmie settled their battle, Crawdaunt found itself at a disadvantage in its fight against Absol.

However, Florges didn't have the luxury of waiting for the Crawdaunt vs. Absol match to conclude. She directly joined the fray, teaming up with Absol to defeat Crawdaunt.

Seeing both of his Pokémon defeated, the middle-aged man glared at Yuga with resentment in his eyes.

Life was so unfair. He had paid such a high price to become a Trainer, achieving the rank of pseudo-Elite, only to be easily defeated by a youngster not even twenty years old!

Was talent really that crucial?

If Yuga had heard these thoughts, he would have shaken his head and said, "No, what you lack isn't talent; it's Golden Finger."

With the outcomes clear, Gengar and Mismagius dispelled the independent space and exchanged glances before returning to Yuga's shadow.

Yuga recalled Absol, leaving Florges by his side, and approached the middle-aged man. "Still unwilling to reveal your purpose for being here?"

The middle-aged man shot Yuga a fierce glare, turned his head away, and refused to utter a word.

"Very well, if you won't talk now, don't regret it later."

With those words, Yuga retrieved the Poké Balls of Starmie and Crawdaunt, both of which were no longer battle-ready.

"Give me back my Pokémon!"

Upon seeing Yuga confiscate his Pokémon, the middle-aged man's eyes turned red with madness. He appeared as if he wanted to tear a piece of flesh from Yuga's body, but he was firmly bound by Florges and couldn't move. He could only shout furiously at Yuga.

"Want your Pokémon back? Try it in your next life!"

Yuga intentionally waved the two Poké Balls in front of the middle-aged man's eyes, almost making him spit blood in frustration.

Apart from the Poké Balls of Starmie and Crawdaunt, Yuga had found several other Poké Balls on the middle-aged man, but the Pokémon inside had poorl quality in terms of both potential and strength, so Yuga didn't pay them much mind.

Yuga thought for a while and decided it was time to pay a visit to the Pokémon Center, especially due to the strange situation surrounding Starmie and Crawdaunt. Now that he was the Gym Trainer of Verdanturf Town, he felt a responsibility to protect his territory. It was evident that the middle-aged man had come prepared, and Yuga needed to investigate his motives thoroughly.

With these thoughts in mind, Yuga summoned Gengar.

"You take this guy back to the Gym, hang him on a post in the yard, and keep a close eye on him. I'll be back shortly."

Gengar nodded in response and used its Psychic abilities to control the middle-aged man, helping him cross over the Gym's courtyard walls and entering the Gym's yard.

As Yuga watched Gengar depart, he glanced around. The independent space created by Gengar and Mismagius had proven remarkably effective. Their intense battle with the middle-aged man had not left a trace once the space was removed. However, the stability of this independent space still needed improvement.

After a quick assessment, Yuga headed to the Pokémon Center, where he found Joyka.

He waited in the Pokémon Center's lobby for about an hour before Joyka emerged, holding a stack of examination reports, her brows furrowed.

Seeing Yuga approach, Joyka explained, "The condition of those two Pokémon is extremely dire. I found some unknown substances in their bodies, and these substances are rapidly accelerating their physical deterioration."

"Deterioration?" Yuga asked, furrowing his brows.

Joyka continued, "Yes, these two Pokémon should have significantly longer lifespans than ordinary humans. However, based on the examination results, their lifespans appear to be less than half of that of an average human. At their current state, they are prematurely entering old age."

Yuga contemplated this information.

It explained why these two Pokémon were weaker compared to other pseudo-Elite level Pokémon. Their bodies were already aging.

"Where did you obtain these two Pokémon?" Joyka couldn't help but ask.

"I confiscated them from a criminal. I found it suspicious at the time, so I brought them here for examination."

Yuga didn't hide the circumstances. As a Gym Trainer, dealing with criminals was part of his responsibility.

"I see," Joyka nodded in understanding.

She wasn't sheltered from the darker aspects of the world. Such incidents were not within her purview to manage.

After spending some time at the Pokémon Center, Yuga returned to the Gym, prepared to deal with the peeping middle-aged man.