Chapter 1049: Transfer and Assessment Task

After Breloom broke through to the Elite Four level, Yuga's days became more leisurely. Apart from handling challenges at the Gym, he spent his time casually strolling around town with his Pokémon.

Since realizing that he sometimes subconsciously neglected his Pokémon, Yuga started paying more attention to this issue.

As his main Pokémon team grew, Yuga knew he couldn't give equal attention to everyone, but he tried to avoid favoritism as much as possible. Taking a bit of time each day to walk around town with his Pokémon became a part of his routine.

Of course, the one with the most complaints about Yuga's daily outings with a Pokémon was Chimecho. No matter who got to accompany Yuga that day, Chimecho would secretly follow. Especially on the first day Yuka took Roserade out, Chimecho almost threw a tantrum to tag along.

Logically, Chimecho is small and can fly, so bringing it along every day wouldn't be an issue, but to be fair, Yuka strictly refused.

Breloom, being the kind-hearted one, even suggested giving up its turn for Chimecho, which made Yuga very upset—he was spoiling it!

But even after being rejected, Chimecho wasn't discouraged. As a Psychic-type and an Elite Four-level Pokémon, it wasn't difficult for Chimecho to follow Yuga unnoticed.

However, the problem was that Chimecho was too greedy; it wasn't satisfied with just following from a distance and insisted on staying as close as possible.

Due to Yuga's sensitivity to auras because of his Ghost-type abilities, he could detect Chimecho whenever it got too close.

Unable to follow closely, Chimecho eventually lost interest in this stalking behavior.

The residents of Verdanturf Town gradually noticed their Gym Leader's habit. It only took a few days for them to go from surprise to treating it as a normal sight.

Seeing Yuga walking around with Breloom one day, Sawsbuck the next, and Serperior the day after that, the townspeople naturally greeted Yuga and his Pokémon.

Sometimes, if Yuga had other matters and couldn't make it to the streets, people would even stop Audino, who was out shopping, to ask questions.

Recently, as Yuga's fame grew, some neighbors began to worry that Yuga might become difficult to approach, but seeing him regularly strolling around town reassured them that he was still the same old Yuga.

However, two things happened recently: one that made Yuga happy and one that left him feeling a bit melancholic.

The happy event was that Chubby, Cutie, Bell, Allie, Peppa, and Panky—the six Chansey —successfully evolved into Blissey, and Yuga was the first to taste the food made from their eggs by Audino.

Indeed, Blissey's eggs are much tastier than Chansey's, which explained why Joyna never invited him to try them.

However, Blissey's egg production is low, so Yuga only got to taste them once in the past few days, and he's been craving more ever since. Once the other Chansey evolve, he can indulge as much as he wants.

Chansey evolve into Blissey based on friendship levels, but it was clear that Chubby and the others didn't evolve because of their friendship with Yuga. While they had a good relationship, it wasn't strong enough to trigger their evolution.

Ever since a Crobat mysteriously evolved from a Golbat in the reserve, Yuga knew that the required friendship level for evolution didn't necessarily have to come from a bond with a human; bonds between Pokémon could also cause evolution.

Chubby and the others had been in the reserve for quite some time, spending every day with the Pokémon there, so it was only natural that they formed bonds strong enough to trigger their evolution.

But people are greedy; before having Chansey, Yuga was eager to try their eggs, and now that he has several Chansey, he's already fixated on Blissey's eggs.

The event that made Yuga feel a bit melancholic was that Jenny Mae was being reassigned from Verdanturf Town.

Since arriving at Verdanturf Town, Jenny Mae had earned a lot of credit by following Yuga's lead. Coupled with her own abilities, she gained increasing recognition within the Jenny family.

Now that her accomplishments had reached a certain level, she was being transferred back to the Jenny family headquarters for an important position, likely never to return to Verdanturf Town.

Over the years as a Gym Leader, Yuga had formed a good rapport with Jenny Mae and Mayor Ishida, and they had developed a strong sense of mutual understanding. Now that Jenny Mae was suddenly leaving, Yuga found it hard to let go.

However, letting go was necessary—being transferred back to the Jenny family headquarters was a great opportunity for Jenny Mae, something she had always aspired to.

Jenny Mae was originally the chief of Verdanturf Town's police department, and with her departure, a new chief would take her place. Yuga wasn't sure if the new chief would get along as well with him as Jenny Mae had.

It was unlikely that the Alliance would promote someone from within the Verdanturf police department to replace Jenny Mae, as the current officers didn't have enough seniority. An external transfer was more probable.

Sure enough, Yuga soon met the newly appointed police chief.

Two individuals were transferred to Verdanturf Town's police department, both from the Jenny family. According to Jenny Mae, the Jenny family, wanting to maintain their good relationship with Yuga —who was currently in the spotlight within the Alliance—had decided to send two members to the Verdanturf police department.

The new chief's name was Masato Shirai, a man in his early forties and a son-in-law of the Jenny family. Though not holding a particularly high position within the Jenny family, Masato was a smooth operator and a skilled diplomat.

Masato Shirai was expected to hold the position of Verdanturf Town police chief for the long term, with no foreseeable transfers.

The other new member of the police department was a direct descendant of the Jenny family, named Kotono Jenny. She was only eighteen and Masato Shirai's niece; Masato's wife and Kotono's mother were sisters.

In comparison, Jenny Mae's blood relationship with Masato Shirai and Kotono Jenny was more distant.

The Jenny family was large, with countless members. Jenny Mae wasn't part of the core family, and she earned her transfer to the headquarters through her own hard work. This was also why she had recommended Yuga to compete for the Gym Leader position in Verdanturf Town in the first place.

She had seen potential in Yuga and hoped he could help Verdanturf Town prosper, which would in turn advance her own career. And she was right.

The importance of Verdanturf Town had grown, especially with an Elite Four-level trainer based there. In the past, someone with Jenny Mae's family standing wouldn't have had the opportunity to serve in such a crucial place.

But Kotono Jenny was different. She was a rising star within the Jenny family and held a more central position in the family. According to Jenny Mae, Kotono was in Verdanturf Town only to gain experience; when the time was right, she would likely be transferred elsewhere, unlike Jenny Mae, who had to work her way up.

Yuka met Masato Shirai and Kotono Jenny at the Verdanturf police department. As the Gym Leader, it was only natural for him to be introduced to the new police chief since they would be working together in the future.

It was Jenny Mae, who was about to leave, that introduced them. As she still had work to hand over to Masato Shirai, she stayed in Verdanturf Town for a while longer.

Masato Shirai was just as his name suggested—elegant and refined. He didn't look like a police officer at all but rather a scholar. Even in his uniform, he gave off a scholarly vibe.

But Jenny Mae had already provided Yuka with Masato Shirai's background information. Despite his refined appearance, he was a highly skilled and experienced trainer, nearly on par with Elite Four trainers. He had handled numerous major cases, with both the credentials and strength to back him up.

Compared to the somewhat distant Masato Shirai and Kotono Jenny, Jenny Mae had a much closer relationship with Yuga. Therefore, as long as it didn't involve family secrets, Jenny Mae was very open with Yuga.

In contrast to the harmless appearance of Masato Shirai, Kotono Jenny had a much stronger presence. She stood there, arms crossed (though she might not have much to cross), eyebrows raised—how should one put it? She seemed... overbearing, or maybe arrogant?

Yuka quickly discerned the source of her attitude—it likely stemmed from the superiority that came with her upbringing. She was probably inexperienced with the world, and in Yuga's eyes, she seemed quite immature.

After introducing everyone, Jenny Mae told them, "I have some matters to attend to. You all chat for a bit."

With that, Jenny Mae was about to step out but then turned back to Yuga and said, "Oh, Yuga, don't leave just yet. I have something to discuss with you."

After Jenny Mae left, Yuga made some polite conversation with Masato Shirai, mostly ignoring the "impressive" Kotono Jenny beside him.

When the conversation was over, and Yuga was about to find Jenny Mae, Masato Shirai subtly slipped a Poké Ball into Yuga's hand and said with a smile, "A small gift, nothing much. I hope you can look after me in the future, Yuga."

Yuka squeezed the Poké Ball in his hand, gave Masato Shirai a deep look, then smiled and said, "We're all members of the Alliance. We should look out for each other."

After Yuka left, Kotono Jenny expressed her displeasure to Masato Shirai. "Uncle, why are you so eager to please that guy? Is it really necessary?"

Masato Shirai tapped Kotono on the forehead and said, "It is necessary. When you become an Elite Four-level trainer one day, people will treat you the same way."

But it wasn't just because of his Elite Four-level trainer status. According to the information they had, the vitality items from the Joy family also seemed to be connected to this Gym Leader, along with his impressive skills and the fact that he was Mr. Kunio's disciple. Each of these was reason enough for Shirai to curry favor.

"Hmph! It's no big deal. Just watch, I'll definitely become an Elite Four-level trainer too!" Kotono Jenny snorted dismissively before turning and leaving.

"Sigh..."

Watching his niece walk away, Masato Shirai sighed helplessly. Kotono had been sheltered too much and hadn't experienced much hardship. One day, she would have to face the consequences.

Masato Shirai hadn't come from a privileged background. Before marrying into the Jenny family, he was just an ordinary Alliance trainer, so he had experienced far more than most people.

Kotono Jenny's mother, Masato Shirai's wife, held a high position within the Jenny family. Combined with Kotono's natural talent as a trainer, it was no wonder she had developed this kind of personality.

Thinking about how his wife had repeatedly reminded him to take good care of Hitomi before they left, Masato Shirai's head began to ache. It was going to be a challenging task.

After bidding farewell to Masato Shirai, Yuga went to Jenny Mae's office to see her. Since she hadn't officially left yet, Jenny Mae was still using her office.

Hearing Yuga knock, Jenny Mae smiled and said, "Come in."

Yuga entered the office and casually found a place to sit before asking, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Jenny Mae sighed, "Well, this might be the last time we work together."

After saying that, she paused her work and tidied her desk a bit. "Here's the thing: the four-yearly Gym Battle competition is coming up, and before that, the Alliance needs to evaluate all the Gyms."

"So?" Yuga asked, puzzled.

"The higher-ups have appointed you as one of the evaluators. Our Verdanturf Gym doesn't need to be evaluated, so it's no surprise they chose you," Jenny Mae explained.

Verdanturf Gym had just been classified as an established Gym, so it didn't need to undergo the evaluation process, which was a privilege of being an established Gym.

Yuga nodded after hearing Jenny Mae's explanation. "Got it. When does the evaluation start, and are there other evaluators?"

Without realizing it, nearly four years had passed since Yuga became a Gym Leader, and the four-yearly Gym Battle competition was about to start again.

To maintain the vitality of the regional Gyms, the Alliance conducted evaluations every four years, eliminating unqualified Gyms and then hosting the Gym Battle competition, allowing new Gyms to be established. Yuga had earned his Gym Leader position through this process.

In response to Yuga's questions, Jenny Mae said, "Of course, there are other evaluators. I believe there are four in total. You'll be paired up and work separately. From what I know, Mr. Norman is definitely one of them, but I'm not sure about the other two. However, they won't be Gym Leaders—that's a rule.

As for the specific timing of the evaluation, I'm still waiting for confirmation. Once I get it, I'll let you know immediately. Today, I just wanted to give you a heads-up. By the time your evaluation starts, I'll likely have already left Verdanturf Town."

This was also why Jenny Mae said it would be their last time working together.

Since Jenny Mae was about to be transferred, they ended up chatting for a while after discussing business. By the time Yuga left the police station, it was already dark.

When Yuga saw returned home, he remembered the Poké Ball Masato Shirai had given him. He took it out and opened it, revealing an Arcanine, and it had excellent stats.

Using an Arcanine with such excellent stats as a gift didn't seem like something Masato Shirai would do on his own. It was likely the Jenny family's way of showing goodwill towards Yuga.

As Yuga looked at the well-behaved Arcanine sitting in front of him, he thought to himself, 'Does this count as bribery?'

(End of Chapter)