When Yuga received a call from the training camp at home, he was puzzled as to why they were reaching out to him so suddenly. Once he learned the details, he was shocked that Shuuya had gotten into trouble the very first time he went out.
The training camp called Yuga not only to report Shuuyas's situation but also to request that he lead a team to eliminate one of Team Radiance's bases.
They had interrogated Sith but failed to get any information out of him—he was extremely stubborn. Left with no choice, the camp resorted to using Hypnosis on him.
Unfortunately, it seemed Sith's brain had some kind of restriction placed on it. When Hypnosis was used, he suffered immediate brain death, leaving them with no useful information.
However, fortunately, during the six months Kerry spent undercover, her efforts hadn't been entirely fruitless. While she hadn't uncovered the location of Team Radiance's headquarters or identified their leader, she had discovered the locations of several of their bases.
Clearing out dark organization bases was typically the jurisdiction of the Investigation Bureau. However, the Investigation Bureau was currently short-staffed and couldn't spare personnel.
Although the training camp was a subsidiary institution of the Investigation Bureau, its main responsibility was to train new talent for the bureau. Most of the people at the camp were rookies, unfit for complex missions, so they had no choice but to turn to Yuga for help.
While they could deploy regular team members, they lacked a capable leader.
After some thought, Yuga agreed. Right now, his primary responsibilities at home were either caring for Pokémon or accepting challengers at the gym.
Recently, there had been an influx of challengers, and many weren't even aiming to qualify for the League Tournament—they came purely for the reputation of battling him. This was starting to annoy Yuga.
Casually accepting challenges from just anyone made it seem like he, a Hall of Fame-level Trainer, was devaluing himself. Yet, as the Verdanturf Gym Leader, he had to abide by the rules and accept legitimate challenges.
This mission was the perfect excuse to get away. Let Beidou handle the challengers for now.
So, on the same day he received the call, Yuga briefly delegated tasks for both the gym and his shop before flying to the training camp on Dragonite.
When Shuuya saw Yuga arrive, he was overjoyed, and Yuga breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming that Shuuya was unharmed.
Meeting Kerry again made Yuga marvel at the strange workings of fate—it just so happened that the person Shuuya saved was her.
Kerry's injuries had been effectively treated. Though she couldn't move freely yet, her life was no longer in danger.
She was equally surprised to see Yuga, never expecting that Shuuya, the person who saved her, would be connected to him.
After discussing the cleanup plan and task assignments with the training camp personnel, Yuga sought Kerry to gather detailed intelligence. He then took on the mission to clear out the largest base.
Due to her severe injuries, Kerry was unable to move and needed to remain at the training camp to recuperate. Shuuya, on the other hand, was entrusted to the camp staff to be escorted back to Verdanturf Town.
Although the training camp's rookies weren't fit for complex missions, sending someone back was within their capabilities, especially with the Flygon accompanying Shuuya.
The next morning, Yuga set out with a small Investigation Bureau team.
Speed was of the essence—if they delayed too long, Team Radiance might notice the disappearance of their squad, which could alert them and make capturing them much harder.
To Yuga's surprise, the base he was tasked to clear out was located in the Violet Glow Forest near Mauville City.
This was the very place where Yuga had once killed Motohara and rescued Wigglytuff.
That event marked Yuga's first time taking a life across both his lifetimes. Returning to this location stirred up a mix of complex emotions.
Yuga's team consisted of ten people. Upon reaching the forest's outskirts, he instructed everyone to dismount their Flying Pokémon and stealthily infiltrate the forest to avoid alarming their targets.
Once inside, the team began quietly searching for the base's location based on the intelligence provided by Kerry. Yuga released Gengar, Mismagius, and Mimikyu from his shadow space.
In situations like this, Ghost-type Pokémon, capable of moving undetected, proved exceptionally effective.
As expected, Gengar quickly returned to report that it had located the base. Yuga immediately signaled the rest of the team to regroup, and together, they advanced toward the base's location.
The base was situated deep within the Violet Glow Forest, a place where most trainers would rarely venture, making it an ideal spot for illicit activities.
From a distance, Yuga spotted guards stationed at the entrance. In a low voice, he instructed the Investigation Bureau members, "Spread out around the base, scout the surroundings, locate all the exits, and ensure they are sealed off."
Yuga wasn't worried about being unable to take down the base—his concern was that someone might escape amidst the chaos.
"Yes, sir!"
In the blink of an eye, the Investigation Team members vanished from Yuga's sight.
About an hour later, one of the team members quietly reappeared by Yuga's side and whispered, "Captain, we've scouted the area. All exits have been secured with personnel stationed at each."
"Excellent," Yuga nodded with satisfaction. "Return to your position. Your task is to ensure no one escapes from inside the base."
"Yes, sir!" The team member saluted, displaying complete trust in Yuga's orders.
Once everything was in place, Yuga emerged from the shadows, no longer bothering to conceal himself.
The two guards at the base entrance were startled to see Yuga suddenly appear and shouted, "Who goes there?"
Without saying a word, Gengar and Mismagius appeared on either side of Yuga. One unleashed Dark Pulse, while the other cast Mystical Fire, simultaneously bombarding the base's gates.
It was time to make an impression!
Yuga had no intention of sneaking around to capture this base—it was entirely unnecessary. With his strength, he could crush it head-on.
Besides, he had brought Aegislash along as a bodyguard. It wasn't likely that a mere division base of Team Radiance would have a Legendary Pokémon protecting it, right?
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The guards' faces turned pale at the sight and immediately sounded the alarm. Moments later, trainers with Houndoom began pouring out of the base.
"Who are you?" the leader shouted. However, after someone whispered in his ear, his expression changed dramatically—he had clearly recognized Yuga.
It's often said that your enemies know you best. Members of dark organizations typically keep a record of League trainers they shouldn't provoke to avoid unnecessary trouble.
But they never expected Yuga to come looking for them before they could cross him.
"Attack! Attack! Attack now!" The leader's voice cracked from shouting, his terror evident.
At his command, an onslaught of Flamethrowers, Dark Pulses, and Shadow Balls rained down on Yuga like a storm.
Yuga paid no attention to the attacks; after all, he was putting on a show and couldn't afford to appear weak.
Chimecho appeared in front of Yuga at some point, erecting countless Reflect and Light Screen barriers. The transparent walls blocked all the incoming attacks.
Ever since Mewtwo started working under Yuga, Chimecho's strength had grown significantly.
Witnessing this, the Team Radiance members were terrified out of their wits. How were they supposed to fight this?
When the Team Radiance's barrage of attacks ceased, it was Yuga's turn to strike. Gengar and Mismagius transformed into limitless firepower turrets, their Dark Pulse and Mystical Fire engulfing the entire battlefield. Team Radiance members scattered like rats, clutching their heads in pain and screaming as they fled.
Some tried to escape amidst the chaos, but they suddenly felt as though they were being crushed under a massive boulder. Running was impossible—breathing itself became a challenge.
It turned out that Chimecho had applied its Gravity field on them.
Under the relentless bombardment from Gengar and Mismagius, all the Pokémon belonging to the Team Radiance lost their ability to fight.
Seeing this, Yuga released Florges and said, "Tie them all up."
"Florges~"
Florges responded promptly. Under its control, countless vines, stronger than any rope, sprouted from the ground. In no time, all the Team Radiance members were tied up tightly, wrapped like dumplings. Aside from their heads, not a single part of their bodies was left exposed.
The Investigation Team members stationed nearby watched this unfold with a mix of admiration and pride.
"Look at that! That's what a League Hall-level Trainer can do! Those dark organizations? They're nothing but paper tigers!"
In the past, every time they executed a sweep operation, they were always cautious and fearful of making a mistake. This time, however, it felt exhilarating.
Even though they weren't the ones fighting, just witnessing the scene left them deeply satisfied.
Since there were not many members in this Investigation Bureau, Yuga had instructed them to guard all the exits. Thus, they left the subdued Team Radiance members alone for now, as they were unconscious and tightly bound with vines. Yuga planned to deal with them properly after finishing off everyone inside the base.
Without sparing a glance at the defeated individuals, Yuga walked straight toward the base's entrance, which had already been reduced to rubble by Gengar and Mismagius's earlier bombardment.
Inside the base, alarms continued to blare. Wave after wave of Team Radiance members rushed toward Yuga, only to be knocked down by Gengar and Mismagius's relentless attacks.
Meanwhile, in the deepest part of the base, a burly middle-aged man hurriedly entered a room and said anxiously to an elderly man with a full head of white hair.
"Sir, the Verdanturf Gym Leader has broken in! Our people can't hold him off. You need to take the items here and leave immediately!"
The elderly man frowned upon hearing this. "The Verdanturf Gym Leader? You mean Shimizu Yuga?" It was clear he knew who Yuga was.
"Yes, that's him," the burly man confirmed.
"Then I'd better leave right away. With him here, you all won't stand a chance," the elderly man replied. Without another word, he began packing up the items in the room with swift, efficient movements.
Unlike most people, he had access to more information. He knew that Shimizu Yuga was far more terrifying than rumors suggested. If he didn't make a quick escape now, it might soon be too late to run.
The burly man: …
Although I know what you're saying is the truth, why does it sound so unpleasant to hear!
If it were an ordinary person talking to him like that, he would've punched them without hesitation. However, the old gentleman held an extraordinary status in the organization, so even if he were given courage tenfold, he wouldn't dare show him any disrespect.
While directing his assistants to pack up, the old man turned to the sturdy man and asked, "How did Shimizu Yuga find this place? This is one of our most secretive bases. If he's found it, didn't you receive any warning signs?"
The sturdy man's face flushed with shame as he stammered, unable to provide a proper response.
Seeing this only made the old man angrier, and he scolded, "And you call yourselves intelligence operatives? You're absolutely useless."
Before long, the old man had finished gathering his things. Leading a small group of people, he hurried out of the room, giving the sturdy man a command: "Take a team yourself and block Shimizu Yuga. Under no circumstances should you let him chase after us."
"Yes, sir!"
The sturdy man responded promptly, leading his men away without a trace of resentment, despite knowing full well he was being used as a human shield.
Going to personally obstruct Yuga meant almost certain death. The old man understood this, and so did the sturdy man.
Meanwhile, Yuga had easily swept through the base's grunts, none of whom could withstand even a single move against him. Soon enough, he reached the depths of the base, where he came face-to-face with the sturdy man.
In truth, the sturdy man was internally panicking when he saw Yuga. He wasn't an idiot—if the old man was so afraid of Yuga, it didn't take a genius to figure out Yuga was not someone to mess with.
But to ensure the old man could make his escape, he steeled his resolve and sent out his three Houndooms and two Mightyenas. The subordinates accompanying him also quickly released their Pokémon.
At the same time, Yuga's earlier arrangements took effect: the escaping old man was intercepted at one of the exits by a member of the search team.
However, this member was no match for the bodyguards accompanying the old man. While the old man wasn't a Trainer himself, his high status within the organization meant the bodyguards by his side were all top-notch experts.
Fortunately, another team member stationed at a nearby exit rushed over just in time, preventing the old man's escape.
Although Yuga was temporarily acting as the Investigation Team's leader, the team originally had its own captain. Coincidentally, it was this original captain who had come to intercept the old man. His strength was formidable, and he single-handedly subdued all the old man's bodyguards.
Realizing he was about to be captured, the old man immediately ordered one of his Houndooms to burn the box in his hands. The box contained critical confidential information about the organization.
The fire had burned halfway through the box when the Swampert released by the Investigation Team's captain extinguished the flames with a Water Gun. How much of the information inside was salvageable remained unclear.
Seeing that the box hadn't been fully destroyed, the old man pulled out a dagger and slashed his own throat without hesitation. The information in the box paled in comparison to what the old man himself knew. If he fell into the League's hands, it would spell disaster for the organization, so he didn't even think twice before deciding to end his own life.
Blood gushed from the old man's neck as he collapsed to the ground, twitching a couple of times before becoming lifeless. The sight left the search team members utterly dumbfounded.
To think someone could be so ruthless as to slash their own throat! In all their years in the search team, this was the first time they had witnessed such a scene.
This old man was truly a tough one!