Reputation

The Mantine, still reeling from the overwhelming stench, was defeated.

However, Marlon probably had a clear understanding of Roxie's true strength. There was no surprise in his expression when he was defeated. It seemed as though he was accustomed to it.

But then again, they were good friends, so naturally, they were well aware of each other's capabilities.

Roxie and Marlon's match was the last one of the day. The semifinals and finals were scheduled for the following day.

As soon as Yuga left the arena, he saw Mayor Ishida and Liliana waiting for him at the entrance. Both of them were ecstatic and congratulated Yuga, with Mayor Ishida's face almost creased from smiling so much.

Since there weren't many matches scheduled for the day, the games ended quite early. After exchanging pleasantries with Mayor Ishida and Liliana, Yuga headed to the Pokémon Center.

After contacting his family, Yuga used Trade Machine to send back his two Jellicents, Noctowl, Charmeleon, and Breloom.

In the upcoming matches, Charmeleon and Breloom wouldn't be much help due to their limited abilities. It was better for them to return and undergo further training.

As for the Litwicks, since they were numerous and didn't have Poké Balls for transport, Yuga decided to let them stay in his Shadow Space. They seemed to enjoy it there, with Chandelure watching over them. Yuga had no concerns about them causing any trouble. He planned to deal with them once he returned to Verdanturf Town and opened his new Sub-Ecopark.

As for keeping the Elite level Volcarona with him, it was mainly for self-protection. With Mismagius and Gengar asleep, make Yuga doesn't personal protection, which made Yuga feel somewhat uneasy.

Yuga wasn't sure if these two Pokémon would reach the Elite level when they woke up. He believed the likelihood was slim, as achieving the Elite level was no easy feat. Otherwise, there would be far more Elite Trainers in the world.

As Yuga was heading back after transporting his Pokémon, he encountered Alexa riding her mount, a Gogoat. She strongly criticized Yuga.

Alexa had watched Yuga's battle with Viola, and seeing her sister lose so badly deeply pained her.

However, according to her, Viola quickly came to terms with her defeat after returning home. She was satisfied with reaching the top eight and securing the Gym Leader spot.

Her Bug-type Pokémon were at a disadvantage against others, and if it weren't for her decent talent, she wouldn't have made it this far.

The Viola and Alexa families were relatively affluent, allowing them to obtain a precious Blue potential Bug-type Pokémon like Scizor for Viola as her starter.

Viola had a particular fondness for butterfly-like Pokémon, so she focused on breeding Pokémon like Vivillon and Masquerain later on. These Pokémon were more challenging to breed due to the complexity of their characteristics. After all not everyone could obtain the Enchanted Honey produced by Vespiqueen like Yuga did.

Speaking of which, Alexa had also been a Trainer for a while. Her starter was a Dragon-type Pokémon called Noivern, which was even rarer than her sister's Scizor.

Unfortunately, Alexa realized that she didn't particularly enjoy Pokémon battles, so she gave up on further training. Now, apart from her starter Noivern, she only had her Gogoat, which she raised specifically for her journalist work.

"By the way, can I interview you? You're one of the hot contenders for the championship this time."

Alexa dismounted her Gogoat and leaned over towards Yuga with a cheerful smile, getting so close that her forehead nearly touched his chin.

Yuga took a discreet step back, finding the young lady quite uninhibited. Why was she standing so close for no reason?

"Don't say that," Yuga replied.

"There are plenty of people better than me. I haven't heard anyone calling me a hot favorite for the championship."

Alexa rolled her eyes at Yuga. "Why do you sound so insincere? You've made it to the top four, after all."

Yuga chuckled awkwardly and rubbed his nose. He knew that he had been considered a top contender for the championship from the beginning, especially since the preliminary rounds. He had garnered quite a bit of attention online. However, hearing it directly from someone else felt a bit embarrassing for him.

The Gym Leader Tournament was a large-scale competition, even bigger than the annual League Championships held in different regions. It was televised across various regions, and so Yuga had become quite well-known. Especially in the Hoenn region, he had brought honor to the region.

Speaking of which, one of the reasons Yuga had participated in this competition was to increase his own fame and indirectly boost the reputation of YoYo Day Care. To some extent, he had achieved that goal.

Many people who learned about Yuga through this competition had also indirectly learned about YoYo Day Care. What Yuga didn't know was that during his absence, YoYo Day Care's business had boomed many times over.

In the end, Yuga politely declined Alexa's interview request. He felt it would be somewhat arrogant to accept an interview as if he had already won the championship.

As Alexa was about to leave, she said to Yuga, "By the way, my sister mentioned that she'd like to meet you sometime. She's interested in discussing the breeding methods for Vivillon with you."

Viola was very interested in Yuga's Vivillon. She had noticed a significant gap between her own Vivillon and Yuga's. Not only in terms of strength but also in appearance. Yuga's Vivillon exuded elegance, grandeur, and agility, qualities that Viola greatly admired.

Hearing Alexa's words, Yuga shook his head in resignation. He didn't think he had any exceptional knowledge in Vivillon breeding. The strength of his Vivillon was due to various external factors.

Undoubtedly, Yuga had provided the best growth environment, top-quality food, and a well-thought-out training regimen for his Vivillon. However, more importantly, Yuga's Vivillon was a rare Indigo potential Pokémon. In terms of growth rate and intelligence, it outperformed other Pokémon.

Furthermore, having the Enchanted Honey produced by Vespiqueen was the biggest advantage that allowed it to surpass the limits of its species.

All of these factors were beyond the control of Vivillon Trainers. What could Yuga possibly share in a discussion?

When Yuga returned to his accommodation, he found Brawly training with his Pokémon. There was no sign of discouragement despite his loss in the competition.

This kind of resilience was essential for a Trainer. Yuga hadn't expected Brawly to be so determined. It was no wonder that he would become one of the most renowned Gym Leaders in the Hoenn region.