Mutual Invitation

While facing off with the woman, Yuga took a quick glance at Gillruta. Seeing no reaction from him, he focused entirely on the woman.

But did Gillruta truly know the real identity of this woman?

"Tell me, what brings you here? Or is to the target me again?" Yuga asked, looking into the woman's eyes.

The woman only scoffed lightly and remained silent.

Yuga repeated, "Seems like one doesn't cry until one sees the coffin!" After saying this, he released his Florges.

A burst of green light swept across Florges's body, and the woman across from them clutched her chest in pain and anguish.

Four or five seconds later, a burst of blood bloomed on the woman's chest. Soon, a tender green tendril sprouted from her chest, rapidly growing and covering half her chest. Her complexion turned increasingly pale at a visible rate.

The woman quickly pulled out a vial from her body, poured out a white pill, and swallowed it in one gulp. The tender green tendril withered, shriveled, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

At the same time, a Ditto fell from the woman's face, revealing the beautiful visage that originally belonged to the assistant turn into the Miyuki's beautiful face.

The female assistant was, in fact, Miyuki or Ariana of the Team Rocket.

While Yuga had always found his assistant a bit strange, he hadn't suspected anything until the accidental touch her hand.

When Ariana had fled from Verdanturf Town, Florges had marked her with a parasitic seed. Yuga hadn't anticipated that the seed would still be inside Ariana's body.

Yuga's unique ability were come from the same origin as Florges, and they reacted upon encountering Ariana. It was then that Yuga recognized her.

Typically, parasitic seeds would disappear after a certain period, but the one rooted in Ariana was different.

Yuga's Florges possessd devinity, and her parasitic seed had mutated after absorbing Ariana's flesh and, under various circumstances, deeply embedded itself in Ariana's heart.

Even Yuga hadn't foreseen this turn of events, and he had been surprised by the touch of Ariana's hand.

This seed had become almost symbiotic with Ariana's body. It would sprout periodically, causing immense pain to Ariana. As the seed had fused completely with Ariana's heart, Team Rocket's scientists were helpless. A small mistake, and Ariana's life would be in jeopardy.

Ariana was one of the four Executive of the Team Rocket. No one dared to joke about her life.

To alleviate Ariana's suffering, the scientists had developed a pill to suppress the seed's sprouting and growth, the one Ariana had just taken.

However, the existence of this seed wasn't entirely negative.

Ariana's blood, influenced by the seed through her heart's circulation, had spread throughout her body, granting her exceptional regenerative abilities. She could quickly recover from injuries in a short time.

The wound left by the sprouting seed on her chest had almost healed by now.

Of course, Yuga wouldn't have been able to discover this, as Ariana's complexion remained extremely pale at this moment.

Because of the existence of this seed, one could say that Yuga was Ariana's nemesis. It was only at the moment he encountered Ariana that he vaguely realized that Florges might still be able to control that seed.

The person Ariana hate the most at the moment was undoubtedly Shimizu Yuga. No one could truly comprehend the pain of having a seed sprout in their chest every so often, and describing it as "better off dead" wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Compared to that excruciating pain, the regenerative ability that came with the seed was nearly worthless.

"You... do you think... you can catch me like this? Heh..." Ariana intermittently spoke while clutching her chest, still feeling the lingering agony from the seed's sprouting.

As her words fell, an Alakazam appeared beside her, handing her a sword and a shield. Unmistakably it was the remains of the Aegislash from Gillruta's collection room.

"That's my sword and shield!"

Seeing this scene, Gillruta, who had been observing from the sidelines, couldn't hold back any longer.

Ariana coldly snorted and used a spatial backpack to store the sword and shield. She slung it over her back, paying no heed to Gillruta's protest.

Was Ariana's goal to retrieve the sword and shield? Yuga silently wondered, feeling that something was amiss.

"Gym Leader Shimizu, please help me reclaim my belongings!" Gillruta shouted loudly to Yuga.

Yuga glanced at Gillruta but didn't respond to him.

"You think you can take back what's already in my possession?" Ariana sneered, showing complete disdain for Gillruta. She wasn't just one of the Team Rocket's four Executive; she was also the renowned phantom thief, Barney!

Ariana might not be a match for Yuga individually, but at this moment, facing Yuga and the hundreds of ghostly elf Pokémons surrounding her, she displayed no signs of nervousness.

This left Yuga puzzled.

However, he soon got his answer.

Ariana lightly clapped her hands, and a blur passed by. A Beedril appeared by her side.

With his Insight ability activated, Yuga's pupils constricted.

This was Giovanni's Beedril!

Yuga had an unforgettable impression of this particular Beedril.

Seeing Yuga's shocked expression, Ariana chuckled and said, "It seems you recognize this Beedril. Do you think I'd meet you without any preparation after knowing we were going to cross paths?"

Seeing Yuga in a tough spot, Ariana suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

"Beedril, kill him for me!" Ariana commanded the Beedril.

High-level Pokémon were extremely proud and wouldn't easily obey commands from anyone other than their trainers. However, this Beedril was fiercely loyal to Giovanni, and Giovanni had ask it to listen to Ariana. As a result, it diligently carried out the tasks Ariana assigned.

The Beedril's wings vibrated rapidly, and in an instant, it disappeared from Ariana's side, leaving only afterimages. When it reappeared, it was not far from Yuga.

It raised its sharp twin needles and viciously stabbed towards Yuga. If it struck, Yuga would be instantly cut in half.

The distance between the Beedril and Yuga was extremely close, and Yuga could even see his own reflection in its eyes, which resembled sparkling rubies, beautiful yet cold.

In the nick of time, Dusknoir was materialized, and its fists clashed with the Beedril's stingers, causing both of them to retreat.

In the blink of an eye, the Beedril unleashed dozens of stingers, and Dusknoir threw a flurry of punches. The bee's stingers and the shadow's fists constantly intertwined and flickered, with neither of them gaining the upper hand.

Giovanni was not present, and without undergoing mega evolution, the Beedril's level was not far from level 100, similar to Dusknoir's level.

The Beedril's speed was unparalleled, its figure constantly flickering in the air, and with each flicker, it would thrust a lethal stinger towards Dusknoir.

Dusknoir remained stationary the entire time. It wasn't a speed-type Pokémon; in fact, it was quite slow. Instead, it relied on its exceptional reflexes to adapt to changing circumstances and used a calm approach.

Ariana, on the flying fortress, watched Dusknoir's fierce struggle with the Beedril, her expression extremely unpleasant. This was the first time she had seen a Pokémon capable of contending with her boss precious Beedril like this.

Initially, she thought that having the Beedril meant everything would be safe.

On the other hand, Gillruta, standing at the entrance of the flying fortress, watched the two battling Pokémon in the sky. He squinted involuntarily.

As the head of the Rite family, he couldn't be oblivious to the true strength of these two Pokémon.

However, both Shimizu Yuga and his teacher were grass-type trainers. So, why did Yuga have such a powerful Dusknoir by his side?

Gillruta didn't suspect that Dusknoir was belonged to Yuga; after all, Yuga was still young. Becoming an Elite level trainer at his age was already extraordinary. If he could train a Master level Pokémon on top of that, it would be quite terrifying.

Therefore, in Gillruta's mind, the formidable Dusknoir was undoubtedly Mr. Kuni'o's Pokémon.

I have to say, this was a beautiful misunderstanding.

Gillruta was surprised to find out that Mr. Kuni'o was a master who also good at nurturing ghost-type Pokémon. He mentally took note of this unexpected revelation.

Dusknoir's potential was not as high as the purple potential Beedril's, and, coupled with the Beedril's elusive speed, it gradually began to fall behind.

At that moment, a purple light flashed in the deep, lone eye of Dusknoir, and immediately, it and the Beedril were enveloped in a cubical blue space.

This was Dusknoir's Trick Room.

This move was an absolute nemesis for the high-speed type Pokémon like Beedril. The moment Trick Room enveloped it, Beedril felt as though it had sunk into a quagmire, and its body seemed unresponsive.

At this time, the roles of Beedril and Dusknoir were entirely reversed. Dusknoir launched a rapid assault, and the Beedril had to react passively.

As soon as the Trick Room was activated, Ariana realized that she couldn't do anything with Yuga today. She was well aware of the weakness of assassins type Pokémon like the Beedril once their speed was compromised.

Losing speed was akin to losing everything.

The Beedril couldn't compare to the high-defense Dusknoir, and its frail body could be said to die if it was beaten by Pokémon with the same level as its. Even someone as intelligent as Giovanni couldn't overcome this problem.

Realizing the situation was unwinnable, Ariana decisively chose to retreat. She called to the Beedril, "Beedril, we're leaving!"

The Beedril acted promptly, without hesitation. Upon receiving Ariana's command, it withdrew from the battlefield. Once it left the battlefield, Dusknoir's Trick Room automatically dissipated.

The Beedril, unburdened by the constraints of the Trick Room, was incredibly fast. It disappeared after a few blinks, taking Ariana with it. Its speed was nearly equivalent to Teleport.

With Dusknoir's speed, it couldn't catch the Beedril, and the ghost-type Pokémon surrounding them were helpless against Beedril's insane speed.

As Yuga watched Ariana depart, he didn't feel any regret. He had a premonition that they would meet again.

As long as Florges was with him, Ariana would be like a mouse in front of him. He didn't believe the Beedril could continuously protect her.

With Ariana gone, Yuga turned his gaze to Gillruta and said, "Mr. Gillruta, I've already informed Officer Jenny in Rustboro City. Later, I hope you will cooperate with the police investigation."

Gillruta's eyes widened, and he asked, "What do you mean?"

Yuga sternly replied, "Your female assistant is Ariana, one of Executive of the Team Rocket. I have reasons to suspect your involvement with the Team Rocket."

Gillruta protested angrily, "I don't know anything! I'm the victim here. If you won't help me retrieve my belongings, fine, but why investigate me?"

Looking at Gillruta's angry demeanor, Yuga wasn't sure if he was genuinely unaware of the situation or if he was putting on an act.

Yuga maintained an official tone, saying, "Rest assured, if you're truly not involved with the Team Rocket, the League will clear your name. But until then, please cooperate with the investigation."

Despite Gillruta's protests, he was eventually taken away by Officer Jenny from Rustboro City, and even his flying fortress was impounded by the police.

To cooperate with the investigation, Yuga also visited the Rustboro City Police Department and provided a detailed account of Ariana's involvement.

After this point, the matter was no longer Yuga's concern. The investigation into Ariana and Gillruta was handed over to the Rustboro City police, and agents from the Investigation Bureau would also become involved.

After leaving the Rustboro City Police Department, Yuga initially intended to return to the Verdanturf Town. However, he unexpectedly encountered Roxanne, the Gym leader of the Rustboro Gym, on the street.

The two had previously interacted due to business regarding the migration of Beautifly and Dustox in the Petalburg Woods. They were acquaintances, though they hadn't met frequently, so their conversation was somewhat brief.

As Yuga was about to bid farewell to Roxanne, she suddenly called him back, "Yuga, would you like to join me at a small-scale Trainer's Exchange Event in Rustboro City tomorrow?"

A Trainer's Exchange Event?

Upon hearing this, Yuga became interested. Having recently earned two billion, he was considering how to spend it, and this event seemed like a good choice.

Yuga thought for a moment and accepted Roxanne's invitation.

"In that case, why don't you stay at the Rustboro Gym tonight, Yuga? This way, we won't have to meet up tomorrow morning," Roxanne suggested.

Yuga smiled and replied, "Certainly, I'd be honored."

He then inquired, "By the way, Roxanne, where were you heading in such a hurry earlier?"

"Ah, I almost forgot. Our school is hosting a student exchange event with Tust Comprehensive Trainer School, and I was just on my way there," Roxanne said, slapping her forehead in frustration.

Roxanne not only served as the Gym Leader of Rustboro Gym but also as a teacher at one of Rustboro City's Trainer Schools.

Yuga was familiar with Tust; its full name was Tust Comprehensive Trainer School. It was a large, prestigious trainer school that covered primary, middle, and high school education for young trainers.

This school primarily catered to elite and affluent families, and its educational standards were exceptionally high, even among the numerous trainer schools in Rustboro City. Rustboro City itself was known for being home to the largest and finest concentration of trainer schools in the entire Hoenn region.

Yuga's familiarity with Tust was due to a business partnership with the YoYo Day Care. They supplied Tust with a significant amount of incense each year.

The collaboration between Tust and YoYo Day Care was orchestrated by Steven, who had connections to both establishments. The quality of incense from YoYo Day Care exceeded that of regular market offerings, making their partnership a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Roxanne suggested, "By the way, Yuga, do you have any plans after this? If not, how about joining me at Tust? You could even give some guidance to our students!"

Roxanne knew of Yuga's abilities, and having him teach her students would be an excellent opportunity.

Yuga readily agreed, "Sure!"

With no pressing engagements in the near future, he saw no reason not to visit the school and offer some guidance.