On the afternoon of the third day after receiving the reservation, Yuga, who was making Pokéblocks with Audino, was informed by Suzuki Koen that the customer who wanted to buy the Pokémon had arrived.
When Yuga entered the shop, he saw a person with green hair wearing a white Windybreaker sitting by the customer service table in the middle of the store.
Yuga first signaled for Linoone at the entrance to bring the Clauncher from the Ecopark. Then, he walked briskly toward the customer.
"Hello, Mr. Wallace."
As he approached the customer, Yuga proactively greeted him.
Indeed, the visitor was Wallace, the other champion of Hoenn besides Steven.
However, unlike Steven, who was still relatively unknown, Wallace was already a well-known figure.
He was the most representative figure of the Pokémon Contest in Hoenn, winning first place in his very first participation in the Grand Festival. Since then, he had been unstoppable. Every Pokémon Contest he participated in, others undoubtedly became supporting characters. He had already won the Grand Festival multiple times, rightfully earning the title of Contest Master.
Although he hadn't participated in any Pokémon Contest in the last two years, it was said that he was preparing to inherit the position of his instructor, Juan, the Gym Leader of the Sootopolis City Gym.
Even so, Wallace remained a miracle in the history of the Pokémon Contest. Although he hadn't competed for a long time, he still frequently appeared as a judge in various contests.
In this regard, he even outshone Yuga's friend, Robert. One could say he was a genius among geniuses.
Upon hearing Yuga's voice, Wallace turned his head and then stood up, extending his right hand and smiling as he addressed Yuga, "Finally meeting you, Mr. Shimizu. I've been looking forward to meeting you."
??? At this moment, Yuga's mind was filled with question marks. "Looking forward to meeting me? Do we know each other?"
Despite his immense confusion, Yuga shook hands politely with Wallace and then invited him to sit.
Seeing Yuga's utterly bewildered expression, Wallace explained with a smile, "I heard about you from Robert."
"Robert? You know each other?" Yuga asked in puzzlement. He seemed to have never heard Robert mention this.
"Of course, we're fellow disciples!"
Wallace's casual remark left Yuga thoroughly shocked.
Wallace and Robert were fellow disciples? What kind of surprising twist was this?
"In other words, you two are both disciples of Gym Leader Juan?" Yuga asked uncertainly.
"Yes." Seeing Yuga's shocked expression, Wallace gave an affirmative answer.
So that's it. After learning this, Yuga realized that these three individuals had something in common – each of them had a Milotic.
When Gym Leader Juan was young, he had been a top-tier Coordinator. He had participated in the Pokémon Contest multiple times and won the Grand Festival. He was a truly top-class Coordinator, and even now, he still had numerous fans from the Pokémon Contest.
His signature Pokémon at the time was Milotic, and later, as he became a Gym Leader, Milotic continued to be active in Gym challenges.
Wallace was even more renowned for his Milotic. Whenever people talked about Milotic, the first person who came to mind was Wallace.
Wallace and Juan could be said to be the two most famous Milotic trainers in the Hoenn region.
As for Robert's Milotic, although it hadn't become his flagship Pokémon yet, it undoubtedly would in the future. With its exceptional talent, there was absolutely no doubt about it.
However, if there was one major difference between Robert and his master and fellow disciple, it was that Juan and Wallace were both well-known Water-type trainers, whereas Robert only had Milotic as a Water-type Pokémon.
Now that Yuga understood the relationship between Robert and Wallace, he realized that Wallace's visit to purchase a Pokémon might have something to do with Robert's influence.
"I see, so Robert and Mr. Wallace are fellow disciples!" Yuga had known both individuals from the original work in his previous life, but he hadn't expected that these two had this connection.
"Not only Robert, I've also heard about you from Gym Leader Juan!" Now that Yuga had finally grasped the connection, Wallace spoke again.
Wallace continued, "Yes, as per what Mr. Norman told me, you were very active during the recent incident at the Lilycove City TV station. He's currently putting in a good word for you with the League."
"I didn't expect you to know Mr. Norman as well." This time, Yuga wasn't surprised by Wallace knowing Norman. Since both of them were Gym Leaders, with one being the Gym Leader and the other being a disciple, it wasn't strange for them to know each other. After all, Robert also knew Norman.
"Yes, I'm about to inherit my master's Sootopolis Gym, so I'm quite familiar with Mr. Norman."
Hearing Wallace's response, Yuga sighed. It seemed that rumors weren't just empty talk. The rumor he had heard was indeed true.
"By the way, does Mr. Wallace know what's happening with the Team Aqua?" Yuga was a bit curious. After exposing himself and Norman to the League regarding the Team Aqua, he wasn't sure what would happen next.
Upon hearing Yuga mention the Team Aqua, Wallace's expression turned serious. "This matter is related to League confidential information. I can't disclose the specifics to you." After a moment of thought, he continued, "However, the League is taking this matter very seriously. Not only have various Gym Leaders been notified to assist in the investigation, but the Guardians have also taken action."
Hearing Wallace's response, Yuga nodded. It seemed that the League had no intention of letting the Team Aqua off the hook. He wondered whether this fledgling criminal organization would meet its demise here.
However, Yuga didn't have any sympathy for these individuals. Treating the destruction of the world as a noble ideal, Yuga felt that their minds were twisted. With such a beautiful world, why were they always fixated on destruction? Wouldn't it be better for everyone to work together and fill this world with love and peace?
Just as Yuga and Wallace were talking, Linoone led an Clauncher to their presence.
The information about the Clauncher was publicly available on the Yoyo Day Care website, including its growth status, abilities, learned moves, and level. Therefore, upon seeing the Clauncher, Wallace didn't inquire about these details. Instead, he squatted down to examine the Clauncher.
After inspecting it, he found that the Clauncher's growth status and health were consistent with what was mentioned on the website. He turned to Yuga and said, "The Pokémon is in good condition. Let's proceed with the formalities."
Although Wallace was a celebrity and Robert's senior, Yuga didn't skip any of the required procedures.