章節 917: Visit
As Yuga's finances improved, he decided to invest his money in renovate his new store and the Pokémon Paradise. He believed that money should be put to work to generate more money and had little use sitting idle.
The interior of the new store became more luxurious and well-equipped, and he even ordered a potential testing device to be placed in the store, allowing customers to check the potentials of Pokémon and Pokémon Eggs at any time.
His uncle was responsible for the renovation of the Pokémon Paradise. Under his management, the different areas of the Pokémon Paradise became more organized, and the environment became cleaner and more orderly.
For instance, the living area for stray Pokémon, which used to be relatively messy, now had dedicated Pokémon for management.
The final resting place for the PokéRide, Tauros, was also located within the Pokémon Paradise, and his uncle also would keep a his eye on their work.
Additionally, the Pokémon Paradise's hotel and restaurant were also renovated, and more Pokémon employees were assigned to these two places. This led to an increase in positive reviews from customers.
In summary, his uncle was quite dedicated and aimed to expand and strengthen the Pokémon Paradise in Verdanturf Town.
With Yuga's newfound financial comfort, he took on the role of a hands-off manager. Seeing his uncle's hard work, Yuga appointed him as the general manager of the Pokémon Paradise. He continued to pay his uncle a salary and gave him 15% of the Pokémon Paradise's income.
As the Pokémon Paradise's income grew, his uncle became busier. Recently, Yuga even hired two assistants for his uncle, and the development of the Pokémon Paradise had become relatively stable.
One morning, after leaving the Ecopark, Yuga noticed that the front of his old store was wet due to the morning snow. He picked up a broom and, alongside Wigglytuff, swept the water to the side to prevent pedestrians and customers from slipping.
Because it was still early, there weren't many people on the road. As Yuga and Wigglytuff were finishing up their sweeping, they suddenly heard someone calling his name. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Robert and Wallace walking towards him.
Since they hadn't seen each other in a long time, Robert approached Yuga with excitement, greeted him warmly, and even gave him a tight hug. Wallace, who wasn't as familiar with Yuga, simply nodded in acknowledgment.
"Why are you two here so early?" Yuga asked curiously. It was an unusual time for a visit.
Robert smiled and said, "Of course, we're here for a reason. We had breakfast at your restaurant in town already. You just came out; running a business like you do, being lazy isn't an option!"
Robert and Wallace had arrived in Verdanturf Town the previous night and were surprised to wake up to the town's first snowfall of the season.
"We came specifically to find you in Verdanturf Town?" Yuga asked with a hint of curiosity. It seemed like they had a particular purpose for making this trip.
"Let's go inside first," Wallace interjected. "Yes, let's go inside; it's a bit cold out here," Robert agreed, adjusting his collar and exhaling a long breath.
Yuga nodded and then turned to Wigglytuff beside him, saying, "Wigglytuff, there's just a little bit left. I'll leave it to you."
"Wigglytuff."
Don't worry, you go about your business.
Wigglytuff responded and continued to sweep away the remaining water.
Once inside the house, Yuga led the two visitors into the reception room and called out loudly to Audino, who was busy wiping the counter, "Audino, we have guests. Please make two cups of tea for us!"
"Audino!"
Audino acknowledged from a distance, then put down the cloth in her hand and went into the kitchen.
After entering the reception room, Yuga invited the two to sit down and asked, "So, why have you come to discuss something with me so early in the morning?"
Robert was about to speak but was stopped by Wallace with a look. Then, Wallace cleared his throat and said, "I mentioned discussing something, but it's more like I have a trade proposal I'd like to discuss with you."
"A trade?" Yuga raised an eyebrow.
"Is it on behalf of the Sootopolis Gym, or is it a personal matter?"
Wallace shook his head. "It's not on behalf of the Sootopolis Gym. It's a personal matter."
Yuga asked, "Oh? Tell me more."
Sootopolis Gym had a long-standing and good working relationship with YoYo Day Care. Wallace, as the current Gym Leader of Sootopolis Gym, approaching Yuga personally for a trade piqued Yuga's curiosity.
Wallace continued, "You're aware that the new Elite Four Conference is just six months away, right?"
Yuga nodded; he was indeed aware of this.
The Elite Four Conference was held every four years and lasted for six months. Unless there were exceptional circumstances, the new Elite Four and Champion of the Pokémon League would be decided through this competition.
It was an important event, and Yuga knew that Cynthia had expressed her intention to participate in the Elite Four Conference.
However, each region's Elite Four Conference was separate from the others, so even if Cynthia wanted to participate, she wouldn't compete in Hoenn region.
Not just anyone could enter the Elite Four Conference. Besides the previous Champion and Elite Four members who had direct qualifications for the final Elite Four Conference, others needed to meet various conditions.
Of course, one of the hard requirements was strength. If you weren't at the Elite level, entering was pointless.
Within the League, there was an official ranking of the strength of the Elite Four members who participated in the Elite Four Conference, based on their performance in previous Conferences.
Hence, it was also called the Elite Four Ranking Conference.
After each Elite Four Conference, the trainers on the ranking list who didn't secure a position as the new Champion or Elite Four member were referred to as "Elite Four Reserve" trainers.
To Yuga's knowledge, Mr. Norman was one such Elite Four Reserve trainer, and his ranking was quite high. It seemed that after Glacia became the new Elite Four, Mr. Norman had the highest ranking in Hoenn region.
To become one of the Pokémon League's Elite Four or even the Champion, you have to climb the ranks step by step in the Elite Four Conference, constantly improving your ranking until you reach the final showdown with the Elite Four and the Champion.
Win, and you become the new Elite Four; lose, and you become an Elite Four Reserve.
Elite Four Reserve trainers do have a chance to rise through the ranks, although the probability is quite low. In Hoenn region, for example, the current Ice-type Elite Four, Glacia, was once a Elite Four Reserve who advanced.
Glacia succeeded became Elite Four shortly after Phoebe.
The previous Elite Four stepped down for unknown reasons and disappeared from the scene.
Therefore, without the follow-up Elite Four Conference, the new Elite Four were replaced by Glacia, who had the highest ranking on Elite Four Ranking Reserve..
This rare occurrence has only happened a few times over the years, with Glacia being the most recent example.
Each Elite Four Conference sees significant changes in the rankings for Elite Four Reserve trainers. The gap in strength between Elite Four members and Elite Four Reserve trainers is considerable. The lowest-ranked Elite Four Reserve trainer typically has only one Elite level Pokémon, while the highest-ranked may have more than six.
However, there are exceptions, and every four years, the rankings can shift dramatically. The Elite Four Conference is a challenging competition, and even the highest-ranked Elite Four Reserve trainer can be overtaken by someone with a lower ranking.
Trainers like Yuga, who are considered Elite level but have never participated in a Elite Four Conference, don't appear on the rankings because they haven't taken part.
"Steven, will strive for a place among the Elite Four or even the Champion in this year of the Elite Four Conference," Wallace reiterated.
Yuga wasn't surprised by this. Steven, especially with his Mega Metagross, had reached the level of a Champion level trainer.
The Elite Four required at least six Elite level Pokémon, but to become the Champion, you only needed one Champion level Pokémon. In fact, you could become the Champion without any Champion level Pokémon if you could defeat the four Elite Four members consecutively.
Steven had the strength to achieve this now.
"But how does Steven's challenge for the Champion position relate to the trade you mentioned?" Yuga asked, still puzzled.
Wallace sighed and said, "Becoming the League Champion isn't as simple as you might think. The League's various factions are complex, and the Steven family is relatively weak within the League."
While the Devon Corporation was successful and wealthy, their influence within the League was somewhat limited. They were considered newcomers compared to the older factions and didn't have as much sway.
In contrast, Cynthia had an advantage in this regard. The Temple Clan was the largest faction within the Pokémon League, making her path to becoming Champion much smoother, provided her strength matched the position.
Wallace continued, "In case Steven succeeds this time but lacks sufficient support, he would face significant constraints in his role as Champion."
Becoming the League Champion wasn't easy. It was a crucial position with immense power, and even if you won the Elite Four Conference based on your strength, securing and maintaining that position was no simple task.
Yuga asked, "So you want me to support Steven?"
Wallace nodded.
Yuga continued, "Do you think I have the authority to support Steven?"
Wallace replied, "Mr. Kunio does."
Yuga fell silent at this response. Indeed, if he had his master's support, no one would dare to oppose the new Champion. His master was like Guardian of Hoenn region, ensuring that the Hoenn region's competitive edge will never fall behind against other regions.
"I'm sorry, but I can't make decisions on behalf of my master," Yuga finally spoke after a moment of thought.
This was a significant matter that could potentially involve power struggles within the League. While his master was a Master level Trainer, he is not young after all.
Wallace replied, "You don't have to refuse right away. I'm not asking you to give an answer on behalf of Mr. Kunio. I just hope you can act as an intermediary and convey our request to him. In return, if Mr. Kunio agrees, Devon Corporation will fully support the development of Verdanturf Town, pushing it towards the scale of a major city."
Wallace continued, "You should know that Devon Corporation has the resources to support the rise of a city, and with Steven becoming the Champion, the development of Verdanturf Town will also receive policy support."
Yuga couldn't help but be impressed by the grand vision laid out by Devon Corporation.
Pushing Verdanturf Town towards the scale of a major city! Only Devon Corporation in all of Hoenn region had the audacity to make such a claim.
If Steven truly became Champion, with Devon's financial strength and the authority of the Champion, Wallace's promises were not empty words.
However, if Yuga agreed to Wallace's conditions, he and Devon Corporation would become partners, with shared interests and risks.
Yet, Yuga couldn't deny that he was tempted.
Indeed, when the stakes were high enough, there seemed to be no deal that couldn't be struck in this world.
Yuga reluctantly said, "Alright, I agree."
Wallace smiled and said, "I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation."
Yuga couldn't help but be curious about Wallace's intentions. He asked, "Since you're asking us to support Steven, shouldn't the one negotiating conditions be Steven, not you?"
Were their relationships really this close? Could such a critical matter be entrusted so easily, not to mention the substantial promise from Devon Corporation?
Wallace smiled and explained, "I have my reasons for being here. To give you some confidence, apart from the trade I just mentioned, I also plan to offer you some sweeteners."
Yuga inquired, "Sweeteners? What do you mean?"
Wallace proposed, "You've probably heard of my Wallace Cup, haven't you? How about I host next year's Wallace Cup in Verdanturf Town?"
Wallace was a prominent figure in the Pokémon Contest, holding a position equivalent to the League Champion within the Pokémon Contest's official circles. His Wallace Cup was the Pokémon Contest's biggest event aside from the major Grand Festivals..
Moreover, this competition was not limited to just the Hoenn region; Coordinators from the entire Pokémon world could participate.
The ribbons and medals earned in the Wallace Cup were recognized in any major Pokémon Contest Grand Festival symbolizing a prestigious achievement.
Wallace's influence within the Pokémon Contest was truly significant.
Yuga questioned, "Are you serious?"
If such a grand event were hosted in Verdanturf Town, the influx of visitors and its impact on the town's economic development would be tremendous.
Wallace responded, "I've said it's a sweetener for you. Do you think I'm not serious?"
Yuga furrowed his brow, saying, "You should know that, with Verdanturf Town's current conditions, it's not capable of hosting such a large-scale competition."
Verdanturf Town used to be one of the fixed locations for the Pokémon Contest, but even with its previous Pokémon Contest venue, it couldn't accommodate a larger event like the Wallace Cup. Not to mention that the current venue was too small to even seat the spectators who came to watch.
Wallace smiled slightly, confident as ever. "Since I've proposed it, rest assured I have a plan in mind. You don't need to worry about that."
Upon reflection, Yuga realized that Wallace was negotiating on behalf of Devon Corporation and himself. For a company as financially robust as Devon, this small matter wasn't difficult to handle.
"Well, I have to admit, your offer has impressed me," Yuga admitted.
Wallace responded, "Investment indeed requires some upfront costs, but isn't it worth it?"
Yuga acknowledged, "Indeed."
The Wallace Cup was scheduled for spring next year. With Verdanturf Town already in winter, time was limited. They needed to make all the preparations for hosting this major competition before spring arrived.
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