"Roselia."
As the white light dissipated, the Budew that was in Yuga's arms had disappeared, replaced by a beautiful Roselia.
Unlike other Roselias, the flowers on the hands of Yuga's Roselia were a vibrant red color, not the usual mix of blue and red.
"Roselia, Roselia!"
After completing its evolution, the Roselia happily hugged Yuga and called out.
At the same time, the voice of the system sounded in Yuga's mind.
[ Congratulations to the host for completing the friendship task. Budew has evolved into Roselia. ]
[ Reward: Grass-type Universal Pokéblock Formula and Poison-type Universal Pokéblock Formula. ]
Yuga glanced at his system backpack and found that there were indeed two new Pokéblock formulas inside. It was undoubtedly the Grass-type and Poison-type Universal Pokéblock Formulas.
Happily hugging the Roselia, Yuga congratulated it, "Congratulations on evolving, Roselia."
"Roselia, Roselia!"
Clearly, Roselia was also pleased with its evolution.
Yuga used his Insight skill to look at Roselia's data.
...
<<Roselia>>
Gender: Female
Type: Grass, Poison
Ability: Natural Recovery
Level: 20
Skills: Absorb, Growth, Water Sport, Stun Spore, Magical Leaf, Leech Seed, Poison Sting.
...
This Roselia truly lived up to its peak Green potential. It had just reached level 20, yet it had already acquired such a diverse set of skills.
Under the high-speed flight of the Great Flygon, Yuga quickly arrived at the foot of Mt. Chimey. He followed the same path he had taken before to search for the cave where Houndoom's tribe used to live.
Fortunately, Yuga had a good memory. Following his recollection, he finally found the cave he remembered.
When he reached the cave entrance, Yuga released Houndoom. Seeing the familiar place before it, Houndoom extended its neck and let out a long howl.
Hearing this long howl, the Houndour inside the cave all rushed out. However, upon seeing Houndoom, they hesitated for a moment. Evolved Houndoom no longer resembled its former small self, and its personality was no longer as submissive. As a result, its kin couldn't recognize it.
However, after Houndoom called out to them a few times, they eagerly gathered around Houndoom. Their eyes conveyed not only the joy of reuniting but also curiosity about Houndoom's drastic change.
Houndoom and the group of Houndour chattered away, sometimes casting curious glances at Yuga.
Yuga didn't mind and didn't interrupt their reunion. Instead, he called out to Houndoom from a distance, "Houndoom, I'll take Ninetales to the mountaintop to see its companions. I'll come back for you later."
Hearing Yuga's words, Houndour turned its head and nodded at Yuga. Then, it continued to catch up with its kin.
Yuga shook his head with a smile and, accompanied by Roselia, headed toward the mountaintop.
Yuga's Ninetales had been a gift from Elite Mr. Moore. The mountaintop was also an important place for Mr. Moore to raise Fire-type Pokémon. Yuga wondered if Mr. Moore was there.
Before Yuga and Roselia reached the mountaintop, they heard two voices—one old and one young—arguing.
"Grandpa, can't you go easy on me? With your strength, I'll never be able to beat you in my lifetime!"
"When battling, giving your all is the greatest respect you can show your opponent. If you keep holding onto that kind of thinking, you'll never surpass me in your life."
"Damn it! Quilava, hold on! Use Stored Energy Flame Assault!"
The young voice sounded increasingly impatient.
Shortly after, a loud explosion rang out.
"Quilava! Are you okay?"
When Yuga arrived, he saw a red-haired girl holding an incapacitated Quilava. On the other side stood a spirited elderly man and a dignified Growlithe.
These two were none other than Old Mr. Moore, who had given Yuga Ninetales, and his granddaughter Flannery.
Yuga's arrival with Roselia quickly caught the attention of Old Mr. Moore and Flannery.
"It's you!"
Flannery shouted, clearly recognizing Yuga. He was the one who defeated her outside of Lavaridge Town.
"It's you! Why are you here?"
Old Mr. Moore also had an impression of the young man he had given a Vulpix to. So, when Yuga arrived, he recognized him.
"I'm here to bring Ninetales back to see its companions!" Yuga said, releasing Ninetales from its Poké Ball.
"Ninetales!"
As soon as Ninetales appeared, it let out a happy bark. Evidently, it was delighted to be able to come back and see its old friends. When it saw Old Mr. Moore, it happily ran over and nuzzled him, clearly remembering him.
Old Mr. Moore patted Ninetales' head and said with a chuckle, "Good, good. It seems your new owner has raised you well."
"Ninetales."
Upon hearing Mr. Moore's praise, Ninetales let out another joyful bark, agreeing with Mr. Moore's words.
While under Yuga's care, Ninetales hadn't been used as a primary battling Pokémon, but it had received all the care it deserved. Whether it was training, food, or shelter, Yuga treated them all fairly and equally.
After bonding with Ninetales, Mr. Moore raised his head and said to Yuga, who was standing nearby, "Young man, would you like to battle me using Ninetales?"
A battle with an Elite Trainer? Yuga hadn't expected Mr. Moore to propose such a challenge and was momentarily stunned.
"What? Not willing?" Mr. Moore wasn't annoyed by Yuga's hesitation; instead, he smiled and asked.
Hearing Mr. Moore's words, Yuga quickly shook his head. "Why wouldn't I be willing? It would be an honor to battle you."
At that moment, Flannery, who was holding her Quilava, spoke up. "I think it's better to forget it. How could he possibly be Grandpa's match?"
Hearing Flannery's words, Mr. Moore said solemnly, "Flannery, if you keep holding onto that kind of thinking, you'll never surpass me in your life, and you won't have the chance to inherit the Lavaridge Gym."
After Mr. Moore's reprimand, Flannery said with a hint of grievance, "Why? Am I wrong in saying that?"
"Whether it's right or wrong, you need to figure that out for yourself. You're not a child anymore; there are some things you need to understand on your own." Mr. Moore finished speaking and got ready for the battle with Ninetales alongside his Growlithe.
With Mr. Moore ready, Yuga and Ninetales were not to be outdone.
The Growlithe's level was similar to that of Ninetales. It was slightly higher at level 32, but its potential was only Green, making it considerably weaker than Ninetales. In any case, the power gap between the two Pokémon wasn't significant.
Yuga's Ninetales didn't slack off just because it was battling its former owner. On the contrary, it was even more enthusiastic. Its nine long tails, which usually swayed lazily, were now held high and swung forcefully from side to side, exuding a powerful aura.