The Temple

When Yuga arrived at the entrance of the manor, Mr. Kunio was indeed waiting for him, and interestingly, Mr. Kunio was dressed quite similarly to Yuga.

Shortly after Yuga's arrival, Ryuichi also joined them, wearing the same style of clothing as Yuga.

"Sir, we can depart now," Ryuichi said after approaching Mr. Kunio and bowing.

Mr. Kunio nodded and said to Yuga, "Let's go. If you have any questions along the way, I'll explain."

Yuga nodded in response, suppressing the many questions swirling in his mind.

With that, Mr. Kunio released a majestic Tropius and mounted it, then said to Yuga, "Follow me."

A Champion-level Tropius! This Tropius's aura was even stronger than the Champion-level Dragonite in Yuga's Ecopark! Perhaps it wasn't merely Champion-level but should be considered Master-level.

Yuga wasn't aware of the specific distinctions between Champion-level and Master-level Pokémon, so he could only speculate.

This was Yuga's first encounter with Mr. Kunio's Pokémon, and he could genuinely feel Mr. Kunio's strength.

Following Mr. Kunio, Ryuichi also released his own Pokémon, an Decidueye.

But even this Decidueye startled Yuga.

An Elite-level Decidueye!

So, Ryuichi, who had always shown utmost respect to Yuga, was actually an Elite Trainer? It seemed that the boss truly walked alongside the boss!

Seeing Yuga gazing at him, Ryuichi urged, "Young Master Shimizu, why are you still standing there? Get ready; we're leaving!"

Yuga immediately snapped back to attention, releasing his own Dragonair and mounting it. Then, he followed Mr. Kunio and Ryuichi as they left the manor.

Yuga followed behind Mr. Kunio as they flew southwest towards the city of Mauville, passing over Route 118 and the outskirts of the Mauville Forest, until an island came into view in his line of sight.

This island was larger than any he had seen before, with a prominent mountain peak at its center.

Upon landing on the island's edge, Yuga saw a long stone staircase winding its way into the depths of the dense forest.

Retracting his Tropius, Mr. Kunio said, "Our destination lies at the end of this staircase."

Yuga nodded in acknowledgment.

As the three of them set foot on the staircase, a sudden gust of wind blew, and a Shiftry suddenly appeared on the stairs, startling Yuga.

An Elite-level Shiftry!

Though its aura was somewhat weaker than Ryuichi's Decidueye, this Shiftry appeared somewhat aged. The leaves on its body, which should have been green, had turned yellow, and its body looked wrinkled and lacked luster.

Neither Mr. Kunio nor Ryuichi seemed surprised by the appearance of the Shiftry. They both bowed respectfully to the Shiftry.

"Thank you," Mr. Kunio said.

A Master-level Trainer saluted to an Elite-level Pokémon. As a novice, Yuga didn't quite understand the dynamics but followed suit, bowing in respect. When in doubt, mimicking the experts was a safe bet.

After all, regardless of what the experts did, he was just a newcomer.

The Shiftry nodded at the three of them and then led the way up the staircase.

"This Shiftry has guarded this place throughout its life. It's much older than me. The first time I came here, it was already here, and it's deserving of respect." Mr. Kunio explained.

While Mr. Kunio led the way, he spoke to Yuga.

Yuga suddenly realized the reason behind this respect. It turned out he was a revered elder.

The stone staircase was quite lengthy, flanked by dense forests on both sides. Many Pokémon peeked their heads out from the woods, secretly observing the three climbers on the stairs.

Yuga guessed that the staircase likely led to the summit of the island's central mountain, as it continued ascending without end in sight.

After what seemed like a considerable amount of time, they finally reached the end of the staircase, revealing a temple before their eyes.

It did indeed look like a temple, although Yuga couldn't be certain, so he decided to call it that for the time being.

The temple was not large nor extravagant, but it had an elegant simplicity.

At the entrance stood a towering Cacturne, a Champion-level Cacturne.

Upon seeing Yuga and the others, the Cacturne appeared delighted. It first bowed respectfully to the Shiftry leading the way and watched as the Shiftry left before turning its attention to the newcomers.

Champion-level Pokémon showing respect to a Elite-level Pokémon. This indicated the great reverence the Pokémon here had for the Shiftry, despite its not being the most powerful.

"This is my teacher's Pokémon. After his passing, Cacturne has remained here to guard the temple," Mr. Kunio explained.

Indeed, it was a temple.

Following the Cacturne, Yuga and his companions entered the temple. However, aside from a small wooden table in the center, there was only a small shrine inside, and nothing else.

The Cacturne, Yuga, and his companions gathered around the table, and several Nuzleaf approached, each carrying tree berry wrapped in leaves and placed them on the table.

The Cacturne pointed to the berry on the table, indicating they were for Yuga and his companions.

"After such a long journey, have a snack to replenish your energy," Mr. Kunio suggested.

Yuga and Ryuichi both nodded, picking up the fruits from the table and starting to eat.

"Our lineage has been passed down for a very long time, dating back to ancient times. We are also one of the few lineages that still maintains a connection with the Legendary Pokémon," Mr. Kunio explained as he ate.

"You mean we still have a connection with Celebi?" Yuga asked in amazement.

Mr. Kunio nodded.

"This is why, despite our small number, our lineage has thrived. Our inheritance doesn't depend on bloodline or apprenticeship, but on Celebi's designation. Only those who have been blessed by Celebi's seeds, left behind by Celebi, have the opportunity to awaken the blessing. Otherwise, even if we take on disciples, we cannot pass on this power."

"What if Celebi never designates a successor?" Yuga asked.

"We have an agreement with Celebi. Every fifty years, Celebi will designate a successor. Of course, the previous successor also has the right to decide whether the new successor is qualified."

"Our lineage typically enjoys longer lifespans due to our unique abilities, so we're not worried about waiting fifty years."

Yuga nodded. It made sense; Mr. Kunio was over a hundred years old and had only recently chosen Yuga. Fifty years would have surely passed long ago.

In other words, the successor not only needed to impress Celebi but also needed to meet the previous successor's approval; otherwise, it would all be in vain.