Breloom And New Trainer Taichi

Shortly after the long talk with Yuga, Breloom emerged from its restless state.

Yuga took it to see Greninja training.

Like Breloom, Greninja was a green potential Pokémon, but it had already reached the Elite level, and it wasn't even one of Yuga's main Pokémon nor had it received his most meticulous training.

Yet, it had still broken through to the Elite level.

If someone were to ask Breloom who the most dedicated, hardworking, and diligent Pokémon in the Ecopark was, it would undoubtedly answer "Greninja" without hesitation.

Even if Yuga hadn't brought it to watch Greninja train, Breloom would still have given the same answer because it was a fact recognized by all the Pokémon in the Ecopark.

Since arriving at the Ecopark, Greninja had maintained a daily routine of relentless training and challenging other Pokémon.

Every Pokémon had witnessed this, and any Pokémon in the Ecopark with some strength had accepted Greninja's challenge at least once.

In an instant, Breloom understood that breaking through to the Elite level depended on steady, diligent effort and gradual accumulation.

It deeply regretted not being in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark when Florges broke through, realizing how shallow its thinking had been.

Afterward, Yuga also apologized to it, admitting he shouldn't have neglected it.

At the moment Yuga apologized, Breloom was astonished.

It had never thought Yuga would apologize because it never felt neglected by him, not for a single moment.

Breloom would always remember the scene when Yuga rescued it from the bullies in the alley.

At that moment, Yuga appeared like a god descending from the heavens, so tall and magnificent.

From that time, it became a Pokémon with a home, with a sense of belonging.

Those days of hunger and cold now seemed like a distant dream.

It was Yuga who gave it this happy life, and such a wonderful Yuga shouldn't be apologizing to it!

If Yuga knew how Breloom perceived him, he would have unhesitatingly said: I'm really not as good as you think. Your view of me must be have been through an eighteen-layer filter.

The day after Yuga's long conversation with Breloom, he noticed that Breloom had returned to normal.

Its anxiety had disappeared, and it had resumed its consistent daily training.

Seeing Breloom settle down and focus more on training, Yuga nodded his head in satisfaction.

With a calm mind, Breloom stopped rushing to break through to the Elite level and instead began refining its combat skills.

As a Fighting-type Pokémon, the most important thing for Breloom to hone was its fighting techniques.

So, Breloom started seeking guidance from other Pokémon on fighting techniques.

These included Fighting-types like Medicham, Pangoro, Gallade, Poliwrath, and Hakamo-o, as well as non-Fighting-types that were proficient in combat like Snorlax, Darmanitan, and Tsareena.

It didn't matter that some Pokémon were of a lower level.

It was there to learn their fighting techniques, which had nothing to do with levels.

Sometimes, it even suppressed its level to spar with others.

Although everyone occasionally complained about Breloom's rough sparring, they sincerely helped it.

Whenever it had questions, they answered without holding back.

In this way, several months passed.

Through its daily training, Breloom's fighting skills had significantly improved.

Although it hadn't yet broken through to the Elite level, its combat strength had visibly increased.

During this time, Yuga observed all of Breloom's efforts.

Occasionally, when Breloom overexerted itself, Yuga would take it out of the Ecopark for a walk or to enjoy some delicious food made by Audino.

A few months passed, and the year came to an end.

As the year drew to a close, it turned out that Luna, Rand, Arata Sena, and Ayashi didn't return for the New Year, making the celebration much quieter.

Luna had activities at her school, and Rand had tasks from the Ranger Union, so they couldn't come back.

Arata Sena and Ayashi originally planned to return, but they were currently not in the Hoenn region and seemed to have encountered some issues on their way, causing delays.

Speaking of Arata Sena and Ayashi, they seemed to have gained some fame in the Sinnoh region, so much so that even Yuga in the Hoenn region had heard a little bit about it.

Last year, they didn't participate in any regional league tournaments but instead ventured out to hone their skills.

At one point, they were inadvertently caught up in a major case.

With their help, the Sinnoh Investigation Bureau successfully resolved the case, giving the two of them a bit of fame, which also brought some recognition to the Verdanturf Gym.

Not long after the New Year, Verdanturf Town gradually transitioned into spring.

Spring is the most beautiful season in Verdanturf Town, with blooming flowers and colorful butterflies filling every street and alley.

Because of this, spring is also the busiest season for tourism in Verdanturf Town.

Today was a somewhat special day because a new trainer was coming to Yoyo Day Care to receive their starter Pokémon.

That's right, not "purchase," but "receive."

But aren't new trainers supposed to receive their starter Pokémon from a professor?

Why come to Verdanturf Town?

It's a long story.

To make it short, Yuga's place, as a Torchic breeding base, is supposed to regularly send Torchics to the league, so the professors could give it to the new trainers.

However, the professor was busy today and couldn't meet the new trainer.

Since the trainer was eager to start their journey, the professor decided to let the new trainer come directly to Verdanturf Town to receive their starter Pokémon.

Since it was the trainer's first time in Verdanturf Town, Yuga was a little bit worried and decided to go to the outskirts of town to meet them.

But coincidentally, a challenger arrived at the gym at that time, so Yuga thought of Breloom, who had trained all day yesterday without resting.

Yuga called Breloom over showed it a photo of the trainer, and said, "This is the kid. Make sure to bring them here safely!"

"Breloom!"

Got it!

Breloom solemnly promised.

Meanwhile, outside Verdanturf Town, a ten-year-old boy was leisurely riding a bicycle when he received a phone call.

The call was from none other than Yuga Shimizu, the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Gym.

Yuga Shimizu is quite famous among young trainers.

The boy's older sister is a trainer who admires him greatly.

When she found out her brother was coming to Verdanturf Town to receive his starter Pokémon, she asked him to get Yuga's autograph for her.

So, even before meeting him in person, the boy was already filled with curiosity about this Gym Leader Shimizu he was about to encounter.

"I've just arrived outside Verdanturf Town. Breloom? Okay, got it."

After hanging up, the boy named Taichi continued riding his bike forward.

Taichi had just learned that a Breloom would be coming to meet him.

"What a strange Gym Leader, sending a Pokémon to pick someone up!" the boy thought to himself.

As he was about to enter Verdanturf Town, three young men in their twenties suddenly blocked his path.

Each of the three had a Pokémon with them: a Mightyena, a Nuzleaf, and a Spinda.

Seeing the hostile expressions on their faces, Taichi nervously asked, "Wha... what do you want?"

The young man standing in front had dyed blonde hair and a few freckles on his face.

Though not ugly, his demeanor exuded a sleazy aura.

He glanced maliciously at the space backpack behind Taichi and said, "Kid, hand over your backpack, or else... heh heh..."

The Mightyena next to him growled menacingly at Taichi, looking ready to attack him at any moment.

Anyone who receives a starter Pokémon from a professor usually comes from a proper trainer family within the league, and their families are often well-off.

So, when Taichi left for his journey, his family equipped him with a nice space backpack.

Little did he expect to be targeted as soon as he arrived at Verdanturf Town.

Reluctantly, Taichi touched his backpack and shrank back a little bit.

Seeing Taichi's hesitation, another young man beside the blonde-haired one said disapprovingly, "Oh, you don't want to? Nuzleaf, show him a lesson."

On command, the Nuzleaf jumped out and unleashed several Razor Leaves at Taichi's bicycle, shattering it into pieces in the blink of an eye.

Taichi who is still holding the bike, fell to the ground.

In truth, the three young men didn't dare to really hurt anyone.

This wasn't their first time robbing people outside Verdanturf Town; they always targeted those who seemed "rich" but lacked the ability to fight back.

Now is the peak tourist season in Verdanturf Town, so there are many people coming and going.

Finding wealthy outsiders isn't difficult, and the three youths are quite perceptive, never provoking targets they can't handle.

As a result, they've managed to commit several robberies without getting caught.

Their Pokémon work well with them, responding to their trainers' signals and cooperating seamlessly, though they never actually hurt anyone.

Because they haven't caused any injuries and always flee quickly, the Verdanturf Town police have been unable to catch them.

"Give it to me!"

After a few hearty laughs, the young man with the Nuzleaf yanked the backpack from the fallen Taichi.

Taichi glared at the three, but seeing the Pokémon beside them, he had to swallow his anger and not act rashly.

"Not bad."

The three of them rummaged through Taichi's space backpack and nodded in satisfaction.

Taichi had planned to leave immediately after getting his starter Pokémon from Verdanturf Town, so he carried everything he needed, including money.

The three youths weren't big-time criminals; they didn't seek great wealth, just enough to get by.

Too much loot would have made them fearful of getting caught.

Boom!

Just as the three were about to leave with Taichi's stolen belongings, a green figure descended from the sky.

As the dust settled, a Breloom stood in front of them.

Earlier, Yuga had heard from Taichi over the phone that he had arrived outside Verdanturf Town, so he urged Breloom to hurry.

The clever Breloom had called upon a Flygon and flown to the town's outskirts.

Upon arrival, it witnessed the robbery.

The three youths were startled by Breloom's sudden appearance and took a few steps back.

Then they heard a dragon's roar overhead.

Looking up, they saw the Flygon circling above.

Their expressions changed.

They didn't recognize the Breloom, but they knew the Flygon.

There were few locals in Verdanturf Town who didn't recognize YoYo Day Care's Flygon.

It was a town landmark, often seen either napping on the Day Care's roof or patrolling the town's skies.

Seeing Breloom suddenly appear, Taichi immediately realized this was the one Gym Leader Shimizu had sent to meet him, feeling as if Breloom was a godsend.

Realizing the situation was dire, the three turned around to flee, but before they could take more than a couple of steps, Breloom's Seed Bombs exploded at their feet, throwing them off balance.

The Pokémon accompanying the three youths were terrified.

Breloom's presence was too intimidating. While they had acted fiercely to scare Taichi, their bravado was just a facade.

However, seeing their trainers in trouble, the three Pokémon still bravely stood in front of Breloom.

At that moment, Breloom suddenly had a breakthrough.

Though it was just for an instant, its imposing aura surged as the three Pokémon stepped forward, causing them to faint from the overwhelming pressure.

Breloom, who was about to make a move: ...

The trio who is waiting for their Pokémon to save them: ...

Only Taichi's eyes sparkled as he looked at Breloom.

Many years later, when Taichi recalled his initial impression of trainers, it was Breloom's heroic image descending from the sky to save him that stood out.

Taichi's parents were both trainers, but they were often away on missions, leaving Taichi and his sister to be raised by their grandparents.

Thus, he never really felt the presence of his parents as trainers.

But at this moment, seeing Breloom before him, Taichi had a clear understanding of what a trainer truly was.

The three youths were taken to the police station by Flygon, while Taichi was led back to YoTo Day Care by Breloom.

Breloom felt quite uncomfortable under Taichi's admiring gaze the whole way.

When Yuga returned after sending off a challenger, he saw that Breloom had successfully brought the new trainer back and praised it, "Well done, well done."

Then he noticed something different about Breloom, "You had a breakthrough, huh? Well done, well done."

Yuga's tone wasn't surprised, just matter-of-fact.

Breloom, who had expected more praise, felt relieved at Yuga's calm reaction.

After chatting with Taichi for a while, Yuga handed him the Torchic as agreed.

Taichi was delighted with the lively and adorable Torchic, feeling even more excited about his future as a trainer.

As he was about to leave, Taichi hesitated for a moment before asking, "Gym Leader Shimizu, could I have two autographs?"

One was for his sister, and the other he decided he wanted for himself, as a memento of Breloom's trainer.

Yuga was taken aback as he looked at the paper and pen Taichi held out.

This was the first time anyone had asked for his autograph.

Am I a celebrity now? he wondered.

But why two?

Though puzzled, Yuga happily signed the autographs for Taichi.

Today was a day to remember! Yuga thought, feeling good.

Meanwhile, in Littleroot Town, a girl with a headscarf and a boy with a Pikachu had a fateful encounter outside Professor Birch's research lab.