A Turn

The next day, Yuga arrived at the Pokémon Contest venue in Lilycove City early in the morning. On one hand, he was there to finalize a supply agreement, and on the other, to check the results of the bidding for the Razor Fangs.

Since he didn't need Misaki and the others this time, Yuga had not invited them along. They had experienced quite a fright the previous night, and Yuga felt it was better for them to rest.

Gardevoir was still refusing to get out of bed, but Yuga chose not to bother with it.

Upon reaching the Pokémon Contest venue, Yuga arrived a bit before nine o'clock, and he waited there for a while.

"Hello, Gym Leader Shimizu, nice to see you again."

While Yuga was waiting for the results, he suddenly heard someone calling his name from behind. He turned around and saw Miyuki standing there, greeting him with a charming smile.

It was her again, the woman who just wouldn't give up! Yuga frowned, feeling somewhat annoyed.

"Hello, Miss Miyuki."

She greeted him with a smile, so Yuga responded with a polite but distant greeting. He figured she must be here to finalize a supply agreement as well.

What puzzled Yuga, however, was that shouldn't the one with the authority to sign such agreements be Miyuki's grandfather? Or had Miyuki taken over the Ancient Incense House?

But Yuga didn't dwell on it; it wasn't his concern.

Miyuki sensed Yuga's reluctance to engage with her but chose to ignore it, continuing the conversation as if nothing were amiss.

Yet, Miyuki couldn't help but wonder what had caused the young Gym Leader to be so distant. Was it related to the recent incident?

In the past, men who saw Miyuki were often captivated by her beauty, even if they didn't like her. Yuga's indifference was a first.

When the clock struck nine, the large screen displayed the bidding results for the last set of items.

In the category of held items, the name "YoYo Day Care" was prominently displayed, indicating that YoYo Day Care had successfully secured the Razor Fangs.

This wasn't surprising, considering that the method for creating Razor Fangs was a system reward, making it a common choice.

YoYo Day Care had truly excelled in this bidding event, with none of their items failing to secure a contract.

Seeing this, Miyuki also followed Yuga's gaze to the large screen and congratulated him sincerely.

"Congratulations, Gym Leader Shimizu."

"Thank you. I need to go sign the agreement now, so please excuse me."

Apologizing to Miyuki, Yuga quickly left the hall.

Finally, he had escaped that woman!

Yuga let out a sigh of relief and headed towards the Pokéblock area.

To avoid encountering Miyuki again, Yuga decided not to visit the Incense area immediately. He would go there last.

The agreement signing process was swift, with no need to wait in line. Each supplier was assigned a dedicated staff member for the signing, and once completed, they were free to leave.

Yuga finished signing for the Pokéblock area and then proceeded to the Held Items area. Finally, he headed to the Incense area.

As expected, when Yuga arrived at the Incense area, Miyuki had already completed her agreement signing and left.

When it comes to people like her, Yuga just couldn't do anything about it. Even if he ignored her, she would persist, and she hadn't done anything to him or offended him in any way. Her attitude had always been gentle. So, what could he really do?

Back at the hotel, Yuga spotted Drew and his Budew not far from the entrance, engaged in some activity. He went over to greet them.

Since their parting that day, Drew often came to the hotel where Yuga and Solidad were staying to visit and play with them.

"Drew, what are you doing here?"

Yuga asked with a smile.

"Training!"

Drew glanced at Yuga and replied.

"That's impressive! By the way, I have a Roserade too. You know about Roserade, right? It's the final evolution of Budew."

Upon hearing Yuga's words, Drew's eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly, saying, "Can I see your Roserade?"

Yuga regretfully replied, "Unfortunately, that won't be possible right now. My Roserade is back at home; I didn't bring it with me. How about I introduce you to it another time when we have the chance?"

Although Drew was a bit disappointed, he obediently nodded and said, "That sounds good. We have a deal then."

"Of course, I promise!"

Yuga smiled as he spoke. He knew that Drew was destined to become a Coordinator Trainer in the future, and Verdanturf Town had the Pokémon Contest venue. Perhaps one day, Drew would participate in competitions there.

With this thought in mind, Yuga asked Drew, "Have you thought about what you want to do in the future? Like becoming an elegant Coordinator Trainer, similar to your sister Solidad?"

Drew pondered for a moment and replied, "I want to become as skilled a Trainer as you."

Yuga was horrified when he heard this.

Could this child have been misled by me?

"Well, um... It's not... Don't you find Coordinator Trainers like your sister more charming?" Yuga tried to redirect Drew's aspirations.

Yuga was sweating a bit; he didn't want this child to change his life's path because of him. The responsibility was too great, and he couldn't bear it.

Drew insisted seriously, "I think you're more amazing."

Yuga was becoming increasingly worried.

"No, you're still young and don't understand. Trainers like me aren't as fun as Coordinator Trainers."

"As long as you're strong."

"It's just that you haven't met anyone stronger. I'm not that great."

"You're the most amazing I've seen."

Yuga was running out of arguments. He didn't know if there was any hope left for this child.

He knew Drew had the potential to be a Coordinator Trainer, but he wasn't sure if Drew wanted to be a regular Trainer like himself.

What if Drew's path went astray, and he didn't achieve anything in the future? What would Yuga do then?

It's okay, Yuga reassured himself. Drew was still young and hadn't defined his interests or life direction yet. He would figure it out in due time. Yes, he definitely would.

Yuga, unable to successfully steer Drew back onto the "right path," decided to train with him for a while and offer some advice. After all, he was now a Gym Leader, and nurturing talent for the League was part of his responsibility.

After receiving Yuga's guidance, Drew and his Budew made significant progress. Drew then declared, "My decision was right. I'll definitely become a Trainer as amazing as you."

Upon hearing this, Yuga was nearly at a loss.

Wait, all the advice I gave him was what my mentor told me! It's not because I'm amazing myself.

Could this child still be saved?