Return

When Mayor Ishida learned that Yuga had taken first place in the preliminary round, he was about to jump for joy. He knew this competition was in the bag.

While winning the overall championship wasn't guaranteed, securing a spot was almost certain. The qualifying tournament had been held for many seasons, and it was common for the first-place finisher in the preliminary round not to win the championship. However, not even securing a spot in the finals was unheard of.

If the first-place finisher in the preliminary round couldn't secure a spot, it would become a massive joke!

Mayor Ishida beamed with joy, and Liliana was equally thrilled. She had always believed in Yuga, but she didn't expect him to bring her such a surprise.

Many people at the scene recognized Yuga, and discussions about him spread. However, they didn't approach him, and Yuga paid no attention to the whispers and curious glances.

"Let's go, I'll treat you all. Let's celebrate properly."

Mayor Ishida waved his hand enthusiastically and invited Yuga and Liliana. His excited expression, combined with his bald head, was truly amusing.

Yuga agreed without hesitation; he was genuinely hungry. After an afternoon of non-stop battles, both his physical and mental energy were depleted.

So, Mayor Ishida chose a relatively upscale restaurant and led Yuga and Liliana inside.

While Yuga was now considered well-off, he rarely dined in such high-end restaurants, so he looked around with curiosity.

As they were about to enter a private dining room, a voice suddenly called out to Yuga. When Yuga turned around, he saw a blond youth looking at him.

"Are you calling me?"

Yuga immediately recognized the youth who had stopped him; they had met at the opening ceremony in the morning. It was Siebold, the Water-type Elite Four from the Kalos Region.

Accompanying Siebold was Phoebe, the Ghost-type Elite Four from the Hoenn Region. However, Phoebe didn't speak; she merely nodded slightly as a form of greeting.

"Of course."

Siebold smiled and approached Yuga, with Phoebe following closely behind.

Mayor Ishida and Liliana were astonished when they saw Siebold and Phoebe heading their way. They couldn't fathom how Yuga had any connection to Siebold.

Meanwhile, Ribombee, perched on Yuga's head, tried to hide as much as possible upon seeing Siebold. It shrank into Yuga's hair, attempting to minimize its presence.

"Do you have something to discuss with me, Mr. Siebold?"

Yuga asked, puzzled.

In response, Siebold pointed to Yuga's head. Yuga instantly understood Siebold's intent. It was all about this Ribombee, the one Yuga had unintentionally "kidnapped."

Yuga reached out to take Ribombee off his head, but he found that the Ribombee was clinging tightly to his hair, unwilling to let go. It almost pulled out some of Yuga's hair.

Siebold: "You're not coming back yet? How long are you planning to stick around!"

Startled by Siebold's reprimand, the Ribombee reluctantly let go, flew down, and approached Siebold.

As it flew, the Ribombee glanced back at Yuga with teary eyes, as if pleading for help. Yuga could only shrug, conveying his inability to intervene.

After all, the Ribombee is not his own Pokémon. Yuga has already violated the rules by taking it out of the battle company building. How can he still have the right to plead for mercy now?

Siebold hadn't brought the Ribombee's Poké Ball with him because he hadn't expected to encounter Yuga at this restaurant. So, he allowed the Ribombee to perch on his shoulder, unfazed by its sobbing expression.

After retrieving Ribombee, Siebold, the Water-type Elite Four, said to Yuga, "Alright, I won't disturb your meal any longer. You go ahead and enjoy."

Yuga nodded and, along with Mayor Ishida and Liliana, turned to leave.

Phoebe, the Ghost-type Elite Four accompanying Siebold, hadn't uttered a word during the entire encounter. She continued to watch Yuga's departure without saying a word.

Siebold quipped, "What's wrong? Not going to exchange a few words with the talented Trainers from your Hoenn region?"

Phoebe remained silent, still fixated on Yuga's retreating figure.

Phoebe sensed a faint Ghost-type Pokémon aura from Yuga, though it was extremely subtle. She found it peculiar and believed that this young Trainer might be hiding some unknown trump card.

Yuga's Shadow had indeed regained the Ghost World Origin Stone energy after it sucked clean by Marshadow before, but he was no longer worried about being detected by other Ghost-type Pokémon or people.

When Marshadow had departed, it not only improved the potential of Gengar and Mismagius but also placed a seal on Yuga's Shadow. Now, no one could sense the abnormalities in Yuga's Shadow.

Despite Marshadow adding an extra layer of security, the prolonged exposure to Ghost-type Pokémon left traces of Ghost-type attributes on Yuga. This was what Phoebe, the Ghost-type Elite Four, had detected.

It was only when Yuga's group had completely disappeared from sight that Phoebe, accompanied by Siebold, entered a private room.

Back in their own private room, Mayor Ishida and Liliana, out of curiosity, inquired about Ribombee. Yuga didn't conceal anything and explained the whole situation.

After hearing Yuga's account, Mayor Ishida and Liliana were utterly astounded. They couldn't believe the strange turn of events. It wasn't just about a Guarding Pokémon not doing its duty; it actually ran off with a Trainer. It was truly unheard of.

After enjoying a good meal, once they returned to their accommodation, Yuga released all his Pokémon from their Poké Balls.

Except for Dragonair and Absol, all his Pokémon had participated in battles today, leaving them quite tired. Yuga gave them Pokéblocks to recover, and then he used his special ability to give them all a thorough massage to relieve their fatigue.

After finishing the massages for his Pokémon, Yuga returned them to their Poké Balls, allowing them to rest. By now, the evening had descended.

Yuga went to the balcony and spotted Brawly feeding a burly Hariyama in the small garden outside.

Brawly looked up just as Yuga appeared on the balcony, and he greeted him with a smile. "Congratulations on winning the preliminary round."

Yuga returned the smile. "Congratulations to you too for making it through the preliminaries. Best of luck in the main tournament."

Although they knew each other, they weren't particularly close, so their exchange remained brief. After Brawly finished feeding his Pokémon, he retreated to his room.