Resolving Grudges

"Did you and Lloyd conspire against me?" Yuga asked, squinting his eyes.

"Indeed," Tokiwa admitted without hesitation.

"We're good friends, and I asked him for help. Please don't blame him," Tokiwa continued.

Yuga had been angry initially, but Tokiwa's straightforward admission left him unsure of where to direct his anger. They had conspired against him, but their intentions didn't seem malicious.

Recalling Lloyd's advice to split up and the suggested routes, Yuga realized that Lloyd had indirectly influenced their choices. He had subtly hinted at the routes to each of them, even though the recommendations were sensible and advantageous for their mission.

Tokiwa had not only influenced Yuga but also Christine and Sora with his suggestions. He had hinted at Christine with a look when pointing to the right route, indicated the middle route to Sora, and suggested the left route to Yuga. Each hint was a subtle manipulation, leading them to follow Lloyd's guidance without suspicion.

What made it even more convincing was that Lloyd's recommendations were genuinely helpful for their mission, so nobody had reason to doubt him.

Yuga couldn't help but feel perplexed. He had expected a confrontation with Lloyd, but now it seemed that Lloyd had orchestrated this meeting to bring Tokiwa and him face to face. It was becoming less clear who was the protagonist in this scenario.

Tokiwa asked, "Are you ready for our battle, then?"

Yuga hesitated, concerned about the potential trouble a battle might cause. "Fighting here might attract unwanted attention."

"Don't worry. Before you arrived, I cleared out all nearby Pokémon. There won't be any interference," Tokiwa assured, pointing to the sky where a majestic Braviary circled above, likely his own Pokémon.

"In that case, let's begin," Yuga agreed, sending out Chatot.

It had been a while since Chatot had stretched its wings, and it eagerly took its place opposite Tokiwa's Leavanny with wicked smile.

"Today, I'll show you how awesome I am," declared Chatot.

Chatot's strength was recovering rapidly, and with its potential now evolved into indigo, there was no doubt about its power.

"It's actually a talking Chatot," exclaimed Tokiwa, feeling very surprised.

Although he had heard that Chatots is a type of Pokémon that could learn human languages, not many could truly achieve it, especially to the extent of fluency displayed in front of him.

Yuga just smiled in response without saying a word.

"Our battle rule are only one-on-one battle. We don't want to delay your mission too much," Tokiwa suggested, understanding Yuga's concerns.

The two trainers readied themselves for the battle.

Yuga instructed, "Chatot, let's take the initiative. Use Heat Wave."

Chatot screeched and flapped its wings rapidly, sending waves of fiery heat toward Leavanny.

Thanks to Ho-oh blessing, Chatot controlled Fire-type moves with finesse. The Heat Wave it unleashed was impressive despite its small size, and it posed a real threat.

However, to Yuga's surprise, Leavanny remained calm in the face of Chatot's fiery assault. It swiftly stepped back two paces and swung its sharp, blade-like arms, conjuring a series of silver whirlwinds to block the Heat Wave.

What astonished Yuga even more was that after using Silver Wind, Leavanny's aura intensified significantly.

Yuga suddenly remembered that Silver Wind had a ten percent chance to boost all of the user's stats. Despite the low probability, Leavanny had triggered this effect effortlessly.

"Chatot, continue with Heat Wave!" Yuga commanded.

"Alright! Watch me burn this pesky bug!" Chatot replied enthusiastically.

Chatot darted forward and ascended above Leavanny, launching another barrage of scorching Heat Waves.

The Leavanny rolled on the ground to evade the Heat Wave attack, leaving behind scorched earth in its wake.

"I've been working at the Investigator Bureau for many years. My talent might not be exceptional, but given my age, I've gained a wealth of battle experience. So, please don't underestimate me," Tokiwa said to Yuga with a smile as he watched Chatot's fierce approach.

Speaking of which, Tokiwa was also from the Hoenn region, but his work placement was in Unova. Therefore, he mainly used Pokémon from the Unova region and rarely had the chance to return home. His wife and children lived in the Hoenn region.

Tokiwa was the Deputy Commander of the Investigators stationed here and a close friend of Lloyd's. Despite the significant age and rank difference, Lloyd held great respect for Tokiwa. When Lloyd had first joined the Investigator Bureau, Tokiwa had taken him under his wing, perhaps because he missed his own family due to his long absences. He had treated Lloyd almost like a son, and his straightforward and honest nature had endeared him to Lloyd. Even after Lloyd had risen to a higher rank, his attitude towards Tokiwa hadn't changed much.

Tokiwa was both a mentor and a friend to Lloyd, which was why Lloyd had willingly helped him.

In fact, just by looking at the appearance and demeanor of the Leavanny before him, Yuga could tell it was an experienced Pokémon. Facing a widespread attack like Heat Wave, the Leavanny skillfully dodged it, displaying its battle-hardened skills.

Battle experience was an invisible strength for a Pokémon, one that couldn't be measured by potential or level.

After evading another Heat Wave attack from Chatot by rolling, Leavanny immediately countered by using its Silk Shot to bind Chatot tightly, leaving it grounded. Chatot's impact with the ground echoed heavily.

Yuga hadn't expected to find himself at a disadvantage so quickly in the battle. Even worse, Chatot had stumbled by basic move like Silk Shot.

"Chatot, use Heat Wave to burn through Leavanny's Silk Shot," Yuga commanded.

Chatot's body was enveloped in crimson flames, swiftly incinerating the silk threads.

However, as Chatot was about to take flight again, Leavanny had already seized the opportunity to close the gap. Its scissor-like arms glittered menacingly as it sliced ruthlessly into Chatot's belly.

The pain made Chatot cry out and use its Hyper Voice, forcing Leavanny to retreat.

Perhaps due to the close-range encounter with Chatot's powerful Hyper Voice, Leavanny seemed slightly disoriented, swaying and struggling to maintain its balance.

"Ouch, that hurt! You pesky bug, you're so despicable!" Chatot exclaimed, its bird-like instincts disliking Bug-type Pokémon. Leavanny, in particular, had now earned its ire for injuring it.

Yuga hadn't expected that his first "strong enemy" he encountered in the underground world wouldn't be with ancient Pokémon but rather an Investigator. He couldn't help but feel a bit bemused by the situation.