The Challenge

"Akihiro? You're back?" Beidou exclaimed in surprise.

"Hello, Uncle Beidou!" Akihiro greeted Beidou.

However, the term "uncle" caused Beidou some discomfort.

"Akihiro, big brother!"

Seeing Akihiro enter and join the conversation, the little kids who were eating turned their attention towards them.

"Continue eating, everyone. Akihiro and I need to talk. Stay where you are."

Beidou's words halted the little ones who had considered rushing over to see Akihiro when he returned. They obediently returned to their seats, exchanging glances.

At this moment, Yuga observed the lean, spirited young boy in front of him closely.

"Are you Akihiro?"

"Yes."

"Did you hear our conversation earlier?"

Perhaps due to Yuga's direct gaze, Akihiro appeared somewhat uneasy. His hands fidgeted anxiously, swaying the breakfast he held.

"Yes, I heard everything," Akihiro affirmed.

When he returned with breakfast and stood at the door, he heard the conversation inside and recognized one of the speakers as his familiar Uncle Beidou. The wooden house had terrible sound insulation, and standing at the entrance, Akihiro had easily caught every word of the conversation between Yuga and Beidou.

Although eavesdropping on others was highly impolite, curiosity drove him to listen to every word exchanged inside.

"Do you want to become a Pokémon Trainer?" Yuga continued to inquire.

"Yes, I do."

Despite feeling somewhat nervous, Akihiro's voice was resolute. He knew the opportunity was right in front of him, and whether he could seize it depended on himself.

"Why? You should know that becoming a Trainer means not only glory but also countless hardships and dangers."

"I want to provide a better life for my younger siblings. I want to change the future."

Akihiro fixed his gaze firmly on Yuga.

In fact, he was familiar with Yuga, even a semi-fan. When the Zapdos incident occurred in Verdanturf Town, Akihiro had coincidentally witnessed Yuga reprimanding misbehaving Trainers in the town.

Back then, he had thought of Yuga as quite formidable. If he could be as powerful as Yuga, Akihiro believed that he and his younger siblings could not only lead better lives but also avoid being bullied by others.

Being swindled out of their compensation money was still a thorn in Akihiro's heart. Originally, he had thought of people like Yuga, willing to protect the town, as heroes. However, after hearing the conversation between Yuga and Beidou, he realized that Yuga was a businessman, far from the hero he had imagined.

Yet, he didn't feel disappointed. He had been struggling on his own for so long, and he had learned many lessons along the way. Akihiro understood that Yuga's refusal to take them in was entirely justified.

"You must have heard what I said earlier. What do you believe you bring to the table that makes me want to take you in and train you?"

As Yuga looked at the young boy before him, he felt that Akihiro was different from the other children. At the very least, Akihiro's eyes revealed determination, not just innocence.

"I want to challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

Akihiro declared firmly.

A Pokémon battle? Did this boy already have Pokémon?

Yuga shifted his gaze towards Beidou, his expression filled with confusion.

Beidou also shook his head, indicating that he didn't know either.

"Very well, since you've proposed it, it wouldn't be right for me to refuse."

Yuga nodded in agreement.

To be honest, Yuga rarely engaged in friendly battles with other Trainers. Except for a small-scale tournament shortly after he arrived in this world, most of his battles were intense and serious affairs against formidable opponents like the Team Aqua, Hunter J, and Motohara.

When he trained, he usually practiced with the Pokémon in the Ecopark. Being formally invited to battle like this, especially by a child, made him feel like he was picking on a kid.

Upon Yuga's agreement, Akihiro was elated. He then pulled a Poké Ball from his pocket.

"Shroomish, can you hear me? We're going to battle soon, so give it your all!"

"Shroomish!"

Shroomish leaped out of Akihiro's arms, brimming with determination and ready for battle.

Yuga was surprised when he saw Shroomish.

...

<<Shroomish>>

Type: Grass

Ability: Effect Spore

Gender: Male

Potential: Green

Level: 20

Moves: Tackle, Stun Spore, Absorb, Leech Seed, Bullet Seed.

...

"I didn't expect you to have such a good Pokémon," Yuga thought to himself.

Akihiro explained, "I was planning to save more money before becoming a Trainer with Shroomish."

Akihiro had found Shroomish on the way home from work some time ago, and it was severely injured at the time. He began feeding it daily, and over time, they had become close friends.

Today, he had intended to bring Shroomish back home, but it coincided with Beidou bringing Yuga over.

"Nice Shroomish," Yuga praised.

"Thank you!"

Receiving compliments on one's Pokémon always brought a sense of pride.

Beidou, on the side, suggested, "Since you want to have a battle, let's go find a suitable battleground outside. I'll be the referee."

Then, Yuga followed Akihiro to an open space behind the wooden house. However, the ground was covered in thick snow, making it unsuitable for a battle.

"Leave it to me!" Yuga said with a smile.

He took out a Poké Ball and released Chimecho, saying, "Chimecho, could you please clear away this snow?"

Having just experienced a significant increase in strength, Chimecho felt like showing off a bit.

Originally pleased to be summoned by Yuga, Chimecho's mood soured upon realizing it was being asked to do physical labor.

"Ugh, you're such a terrible person! Am I just a tool for you?!"

Despite its dissatisfaction with Yuga, Chimecho obediently got to work. It flew to the center of the open space, radiating a purple light. Suddenly, the thick layer of snow on the ground was lifted into the air and flung far away. Since the snow had just fallen and hadn't melted, it wasn't too wet, and with Chimecho's help, the battlefield was prepared for battle without a hitch.

Beidou and Akihiro were left stunned by Chimecho's abilities. They couldn't believe how easily Chimecho had cleared such a large area of snow.

"Your power has grown again!" Beidou sighed.

The disparity between people was just too vast!

Yuga grinned and said, "It's not too shabby."

Beidou rolled his eyes, thinking, "Your expression says otherwise. Look how proud you are!"