Resolution

The third person and his Dusclops were frightened by the Chandelure and Lampent. However, the other two individuals were bolder and ignored the intimidation from the Chandelure and Lampent, heading straight for the entrance of the Ecopark.

The Ecopark at YoYo Day Care was protected by a system, and only those granted access by the system had permission to enter. Despite being skilled lockpickers, the locks at the entrance were purely decorative, and they couldn't bypass the system's protection, leaving them sweating in frustration.

The third person, sensing trouble when the Chandelure and Lampent appeared, he was a Ghost-type Trainer with heightened sensitivity to Ghost-type Pokémon.

As his Dusclops had just attempted to flee when he realized he couldn't move. At this point, he knew that his only option was to fight back.

However, facing the numerous Chandelure and Lampent, he felt overwhelmed. Regardless of the other two individuals who still had theft on their minds, the third person released his Pokémon: Gengar, Banette, Sableye, and Drifblim. Anyway, they were only temporary companions.

But as soon as these Pokémon appeared, they were subjected to the same control as the Dusclops and were immobilized by the Chandelure and Lampent. Against such a multitude of foes, these Pokémon were at a disadvantage.

It was only at this moment that the third person realized how unwise it had been to impulsively accompany the other two and intrude into this place.

Following closely behind them were Crobat, Golbat, and Zubat, who had witnessed the attempted theft. Seeing the culprits in action, they collectively unleashed Supersonic moves.

While humans couldn't hear the sound of these Supersonic moves, they caused the air to vibrate rapidly. As a result, the three individuals and their Pokémon were overwhelmed by the Supersonic moves and lost consciousness.

The next morning, Yuga woke up and opened the back door, only to find three black-clad individuals hanging from the eaves.

What's going on?

At that moment, Audino approached and informed Yuga about what had happened the previous night. Audino had woken up earlier, and the Chandelure and Lampent had already shared the details of the events with Audino before they returned to the Ecopark from their night shift.

After hearing Audino's account, Yuga looked at the three masked individuals and exclaimed, "I didn't expect someone would dare to break in here!"

At this point, Wigglytuff also arrived. Yuga gestured to Wigglytuff and said with a smile, "Come on, Wigglytuff, give each of them a Double Slap."

As Yuga spoke, he pulled down the masks covering the faces of the three individuals. However, when he saw the face of one of them, he raised an eyebrow involuntarily.

Wigglytuff, upon hearing Yuga's command, happily ran over and proceeded to give each of the individuals several slaps. Each person received about a dozen slaps, and soon their faces were swollen.

After this, Wigglytuff returned to Yuga's side, wearing the cute apron that Yuga had bought for it.

Watching Wigglytuff act so casually, Yuga couldn't help but wonder, "Isn't Wigglytuff a bit too skilled at slapping people?"

#My cute Wigglytuff is actually a black belt in slapping?#

Soon, the three individuals regained consciousness. Due to the effects of the Supersonic move, their initial awakening was accompanied by splitting headaches. However, as they realized they were suspended in the air, their fear escalated rapidly.

"What happened last night? Can someone please explain how we ended up like this?" Yuga asked with a smile.

"We... we were just passing by, we didn't know anything! Please, let us go!" one of them pleaded with a distressed expression.

"Oh, just passing by, you say?" Yuga turned to another person. "This one seems to have been a customer at our shop yesterday."

The person who had been singled out looked embarrassed and remained silent.

Unlike their companion who had been arguing earlier, this individual understood that since they had all been apprehended, denying everything would be futile.

"Well, if you won't talk, maybe this young man can provide some information."

Yuga shifted his attention to the third person, who appeared quite young, around fourteen or fifteen years old, with light purple hair that seemed vaguely familiar to Yuga.

"Hmph!"

The boy let out a cold snort and turned his head away, refusing to answer Yuga's questions.

"You don't want to talk, huh?" Yuga sighed and continued, "Although I have ways to make you talk, do you really want to try? Besides, you, young man, seem to be a Ghost-type Trainer, right? Then you should be well aware of what Ghost-type Trainers are capable of."

When a person spends a long time with Ghost-type Pokémon, they tend to absorb the aura of these Pokémon. This made it easy for someone like Yuga, who possessed special abilities related to Ghost-types, to detect it.

Upon hearing Yuga's words, the boy's face briefly showed surprise, but he quickly regained his composure. He thought to himself: He knows it's not normal since he took all of my Pokémon.

However, his Pokémon were actually taken by Audino, and Yuga hadn't seen that.

Seeing that the three individuals remained unwilling to talk, Yuga turned to Audino and said, "Alright, go find Officer Jenny and ask her to come over."

Upon hearing that they were going to involve Officer Jenny, the other two individuals, who had a history of theft and interactions with the police, didn't seem too concerned.

However, the boy became agitated and shouted, "Don't call Officer Jenny!"

Seeing the boy's intense reaction, Yuga was somewhat surprised. He wondered, "Why is he so worked up about not calling Officer Jenny? What's wrong with that?"

"Don't call Officer Jenny…"

Observing the boy for a moment, Yuga suddenly said, "You look familiar to me. Have we met before? Do we have some history?"

The boy was taken aback by the question and was about to respond when Yuga continued, "It seems like we do have some history, and that could be troublesome. I have quite a few people with grudges against me, and I'm not sure where you fit in."

"My grandfather is Bridges!" The boy suddenly shouted in anger.

Upon hearing the name Bridges, the boy's two companions were astonished. They hadn't expected that their fellow thief was the grandson of the former Elite Four member. While they were small-time crooks, they had heard of the Elite Four's reputation.

However, the three of them were only temporary associates, so they had no knowledge of their companion's background.

Upon hearing the boy reveal his identity, Yuga smiled. In fact, he had already deduced the boy's identity to some extent. The boy, specializing in Ghost-type Pokémon, his light purple hair identical to Cecilia's, and his face bearing a striking resemblance to her, made Yuga draw connections.

If Cecilia hadn't died at a young age, Yuga might have even believed that this boy was her son. It was indeed a peculiar bloodline, where an aunt and her nephew looked so alike. Yuga wondered what was going on in Bridges's mind, seeing a face so similar to Cecilia's every day.

What Yuga didn't know was that Bridges had a deep affection for his grandson, Lovich, more than his own son. Perhaps his mind had started to distort when he killed his daughter and his first wife. On one hand, he wanted Cecilia's daughter, Cecilia's blood, to grow stronger. On the other hand, he felt guilty for what he did to Cecilia. When he discovered Mya, who had half of Cecilia's soul, he showed no mercy and killed her.

Perhaps Bridges himself hadn't realized how twisted his mind had become.

It was Bridges's special affection for Lovich that led to Lovich's animosity toward Yuga. After all, Yuga and Phoebe had played a significant role in Bridges's arrest.

Lovich didn't necessarily hate Yuga to the extreme, as he understood that his grandfather was ultimately responsible. Still, he held a certain resentment towards Yuga and Phoebe, knowing the truth about what Bridges had done. The League hadn't publicly disclosed the full details of Bridges's actions, but his family, including Lovich, had been informed of the truth.

Despite maintaining a good public image both inside and outside the League, Bridges was quite different behind the scenes.

When his family was informed of the truth, including Lovich, it had a profound impact on them. Lovich, in particular, was deeply affected since his grandfather had been someone he greatly admired.

Due to Bridges's involvement, his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, who had prominent positions within the League, were all stripped of their roles, becoming ordinary people. His family was also expelled by the Bridges family.

Speaking of the Bridges family, they were originally a declining family, but with Bridges's rise, they showed signs of revival within the League. However, after Bridges's downfall, they immediately expelled his family members, which was a pragmatic move.

However, it was unclear how long this family could maintain its dignity.

Lovich went from being a pampered young master within a prestigious family to a destitute teenager who had to earn money even to care for his Pokémon. The contrast was stark.

Bridges's current wife was a very sensible woman who felt deeply ashamed of her husband's past actions. She advised her son, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and grandson not to harbor resentment towards Yuga and Phoebe, the ones who had exposed the truth.

She even felt gratitude toward these two individuals. Without them, how long would she have been deceived by that devil? He had treated his first wife and biological daughter so ruthlessly, what about herself? What about her son, granddaughter, and grandson? Just the thought of it has terrified her.

Her son, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and grandson all followed their mother's (grandmother's) advice and started leading ordinary lives. Only Lovich, who was still young, harbored a deep-seated frustration that he didn't know how to vent.

He himself wasn't sure if this frustration stemmed from his grandfather, who had disillusioned him, or from Yuga and Phoebe, who had exposed his grandfather.

So, not too long ago, he had left home.

Growing up in an ivory tower, Lovich was targeted by his current companions shortly after leaving home. However, fortunately, Lovich, while inexperienced in the ways of the world, had decent strength, and he ended up defeating the two thieves rather than having his belongings stolen.

Later, he learned from the thieves that Wallace's Cup was being held in Verdanturf Town. When he realized that Yuga was the Gym Leader there, he decided to follow the two thieves to Verdanturf Town.

It wasn't that he wanted to do anything to Yuga; he was well aware of his own limitations. He didn't have any vengeful thoughts, and even if he did, he couldn't defeat Yuga. But he just couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a look at Verdanturf Town.

Upon arriving in Verdanturf Town, for some inexplicable reason, he had been hesitant to approach Yuga. However, when the thieves returned yesterday and asked if he wanted to join them in a big job at Yuga's Ecopark, he had impulsively agreed.

Now, in hindsight, he deeply regretted his decision. He felt foolish for tagging along with these two petty criminals. When Yuga mentioned calling Officer Jenny, he was genuinely terrified.

Calling Officer Jenny would mean that his grandmother, father, mother, and sister would all find out that he had been involved in thievery. He had taken his grandmother's instructions to heart, word for word.

Furthermore, his family was currently going through a difficult period. If people found out that their son was a thief, it would only make matters worse. His parents had worked hard to secure their current jobs, and revealing that their son was a thief could jeopardize those positions.

With their family finally finding some stability, causing turmoil due to his actions would make him a villain.

However, Yuga eventually decided to inform Officer Jenny, and Lovich's family learned of the situation.

The next day, his family came to the YoYo Day Care, and it was his sister who had come.

Lovich's sister's name was Kerry, and she had once been a renowned prodigy Trainer within the League. However, due to Bridges's implication, she not only lost her position but also suffered damage to her reputation.

Once the envy of many and the target of jealousy, those who knew about Bridges's case didn't hesitate to look down on her, and those who were aware of her presence would often point fingers at her.

Although the League had stripped her of her original position, she still retained her status as an League Trainer. Using this identity, she would take on various tasks outside, all while keeping a low profile.

She was able to arrive in Verdanturf Town the day after Lovich got into trouble because her current assignment was in the vicinity of Verdanturf Town.

Upon her first meeting with Yuga, Kerry sincerely apologized on behalf of her brother.

The League's legal system varied in its treatment of theft, especially in the case of attempted theft. Depending on the severity of the circumstances, an individual could potentially receive a life sentence, but in less severe cases, with proper negotiations and compensation, the offender might not even be detained.

In truth, Yuga didn't harbor any ill feelings toward Bridges's family members. Strictly speaking, they were victims of Bridges's misdeeds as well.

So, when he met Kerry, he didn't hold any resentment towards her because of Lovich's actions. Instead, he calmly discussed Lovich's situation with her.

Prior to this encounter, Yuga hadn't met Kerry before, but he had met Kerry's grandmother, Bridges's second wife.

Notably, Kerry shared a striking resemblance to her grandmother. The most significant difference was the light purple hair, a genetic inheritance from Bridges. The events involving Bridges had undoubtedly left a profound impact on her life.

"Mr. Shimizu, this is our family's compensation for the trouble Lovich has caused you."

What Kerry brought to Yuga was a Pokémon egg, carefully stored in an incubation device. The egg was a deep purple color, adorned with golden patterns both on top and bottom.

This egg was likely that of a Ghost-type Pokémon, although Yuga couldn't discern its specific species.

One thing was certain: Yuga sensed a strange energy fluctuation emanating from the egg, similar to the one he had felt from the Pokémon egg gifted to him by the Giant Melotic. In fact, this energy seemed even more potent.

This peculiar energy fluctuation was something unique, an unknown aura that Yuga had never encountered before.

Despite having nurtured it with several vials of Essence Fluids, the egg from Giant Melotic had yet to hatch. However, it had undergone some changes on the outside—the sporadic blue spots on the white eggshell had transformed into a pale green color.

After a detailed explanation from the system, Yuga learned that the Pokémon egg wasn't a Water-type Pokémon, but due to being submerged in the sea for a prolonged period, it had absorbed a significant amount of Water-type energy, which was why it struggled to hatch.

If it hadn't been promptly given to Yuga by Giant Melotic and nourished with Essence Fluids, this egg would have deteriorated entirely in no time.

One thing was certain: it wasn't an ordinary Pokémon egg.

Thus, the Pokémon egg Kerry brought, which emitted a similar energy fluctuation, was undoubtedly special as well.

Seeing Yuga silently studying the Pokémon egg for a while, Kerry continued, "Regarding Lovich's situation, we don't expect you to forgo any responsibility, but we earnestly request that you keep this matter confidential. Our family has already..."

Kerry's words were interrupted by Yuga.

"In consideration of this Pokémon egg, I can agree to keep this matter a secret and may even refrain from pursuing Lovich's responsibility. However, please tell me the origin of this Pokémon egg."

Kerry was initially taken aback but then expressed great joy. She was thrilled that her brother wouldn't have to face imprisonment. After she had calmed down, she responded, "I don't know the origin of this Pokémon egg either. It belonged to my grandfather, and we have no idea where he obtained it. Nevertheless, he cherished this Pokémon egg dearly, and he went to great lengths but couldn't hatch it."

"I see..." Yuga sounded somewhat disappointed. "Well, since I've accepted this Pokémon egg, I'll consider Lovich's situation as if it never happened. I'll inform the police later, and you can go pick up Lovich directly."

Yuga thought it best to keep a good relationship with Kerry, especially considering the obvious value of this Pokémon egg. Sometimes, it's better to be on friendly terms with former adversaries.

Upon hearing Yuga's words, Kerry expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you. We'll make sure to educate Lovich properly when we get back, so he won't get into trouble again."

After Kerry left, Yuga immediately called Liliana to inform her of the situation. Before long, Lovich, wearing a troubled expression, was taken away by his sister. As for Yuga, he turned his attention to examining the Pokémon egg gifted by Kerry.

#

Kerry's visit to Verdanturf Town was a side note. After handing Lovich over to Liliana, Yuga went straight to the Pokémon Contest venue. The Wallace Cup had not over yet.