A New Queen

After seeing off Sasaki Makoto, Yuga realized it was getting late and decided to prepare lunch with the Audino.

At the dining table, Yuga shared his plan with Beidou to have him become the referee at the gym, and Beidou gladly agreed.

Beidou had initially worked at the Day Care Center in Ever Grande City, hoping to secure a official position within the Pokémon League. Surprisingly, after leaving there, he managed to achieve that goal here in Verdanturf Town.

For trainers like Beidou, who came from civilian backgrounds, obtaining an official position within the Pokémon League was quite a challenging feat. It was unlike Steven, who effortlessly joined the Prosecutor's Bureau.

After Beidou's acceptance, Yuga advised him to study the necessary knowledge for refereeing and provided him with relevant materials and reference points for the referee exam. These resources were recommended by Sasaki Makoto, who, being a seasoned member of the Pokémon League, had valuable connections and was willing to help Yuga.

In the evening, Audino hurriedly emerged from the Ecopark and approached Yuga. They whispered a few words to him, leaving him surprised.

An additional Vespiquen?

Without delay, Yuga followed Audino to the Ecopark and indeed spotted a Vespiquen playing with Ribombee in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.

...

<<Vespiquen>>

Type: Bug/Flying

Ability: Pressure

Gender: Female

Potential: Green

Level: 28

Moves: Gust, Pin Missile, Fury Cutter, Defense Order, Power Gem

...

This Vespiquen, not yet reaching level thirty, was clearly not the same as the previous pseudo-Elite level Vespiquen. The original Vespiquen was currently residing with Vivillon.

Yuga approached Vespiquen No. 2 to inquire about the situation. Seeing him, Ribombee showed great excitement and flew to land on Yuga's head.

As Yuga asked Vespiquen No. 2 about what had happened, Ribombee volunteered to provide an explanation. Despite stumbling through the narrative, it managed to convey the main points.

Understanding the sequence of events, Yuga realized his negligence in warning the other Pokémon about the dangers they might face in the Desert Sub-Ecopark. He should have advised them to avoid the desert temporarily.

However, Ribombee, despite its brave disposition, felt deeply regretful for not being able to visit the final Volcano Sub-Ecopark due to injuries today.

"What are your plans now?" Yuga inquired, well aware of the customs within the Combee family.

Having completed her evolution, it would be challenging for Vespiquen No. 2 to continue living within her original colony.

Vespiquen No. 2 responded, "I plan to construct a new Amber Castle myself and gradually form my own colony."

Yuga had the ability to converse directly with Pokémon like the Combee family, so there was no need to use his Celebi blessing to communicate.

"However, building an Amber Castle on your own may be quite challenging," Yuga expressed his concern.

The original Amber Castle had been constructed collectively by Vespiquen and numerous Combee. With only Vespiquen No. 2 available now, building a new castle might prove difficult.

In the Combee family, all Combee were descendants of Vespiquen and would only leave their original colony once they defeated the reigning Vespiquen to inherit the throne. Unless they defeated the existing Vespiquen, Combee wouldn't follow a new Queen.

So, if the new Queen wanted to establish her own colony, she would have to produce offspring and gradually grow the colony.

Vespiquen No. 2 replied, "I plan to first build a smaller Amber Castle on my own and then start forming my own colony. Once the colony is established and growing, I will consider expanding the Amber Castle."

Like Mandibuzz, Vespiquen is an Pokémon that reproduces by borrowing seeds. She does not live with the father of her child, nor does she care who the father of her child is.

Vespiquen No. 2: "I plan to build a smaller Amber Castle first, and then slowly start to form my own group. After the group grows, I will consider expanding the Amber Castle."

After evolving, Vespiquen's personality matured considerably, and she started considering things more comprehensively. However, Yuga couldn't help but notice that she often gazed at Ribombee, whether intentionally or unintentionally, which surprised him.

"Could she be interested in pursuing Ribombee?" Yuga wondered.

While there was no issue with Vespiquen and Ribombee being together, there seemed to be something... unconventional about it. Moreover, Vespiquen's approach to potential mates was complicated.

They didn't believe in having spouses; for them, a mate was a practical tool Pokémon.

Listening to Ribombee chattering in his ear, Yuga couldn't help but feel sorry for Ribombee, who seemed to have attracted Vespiquen's attention.

"I consider you a dear friend, and you're thinking about... well, you know," Yuga mused silently. What's more, it seemed Ribombee wasn't keen on taking responsibility, which might be Ribombee's mindset once it learned the truth.

Yuga thought to himself, "I might have some suspicions, but I won't say a word! Ribombee, take care."

Seeing that Vespiquen No. 2 had everything well-planned for the future, Yuga had no further worries (except perhaps for Ribombee's chastity).

After parting ways with Vespiquen No. 2 and Ribombee, Yuga, accompanied by the Audino, informed other Pokémon not to venture into the Desert Sub-Ecopark temporarily to avoid confrontation with the unruly Mandibuzz.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Yuga and Ando had discussed the construction of the gym repeatedly.

Yesterday morning marked the official start of construction at the Verdanturf Town Gym. Construction crews and materials arrived in town one after another.

Yuga's task was to supervise the construction progress along with Ando.

However, just when the gym's construction was progressing smoothly, they received word that there was a disturbance at YoYo Day Care.

Hastening back to YoYo Day Care, Yuga found a crowd gathered at the entrance.

"Who's looking for me?" Yuga broke through the crowd and asked at the entrance, and his eyes immediately landed on a familiar face, Harrold.

The customer who had been turned away by YoYo Day Care.

"I'm the one looking for you! My name is Harris, and I'm Harrold's older brother."

Harris?

Yuga wanted to burst into laughter upon hearing that name but restrained himself when he saw that no one else seemed to react to it.

"Cough, Harris, right? Are you here to stand up for your brother?" Yuga cleared his throat, suppressing his urge to laugh, and asked seriously.

"Exactly!"

Harris was not only muscular but also had a booming voice.

"However, I'm a reasonable person. You signed an agreement with my brother, and we can't make trouble for you or forcibly buy the services. So, we've come up with another way to resolve this matter."