Upon hearing Chatot speak, Ryuichi was quite surprised.
"A talking Chatot! That's quite rare. Truly fitting for Young Master Shimizu's Pokémon!" he exclaimed.
Yuga, feeling somewhat exasperated, thought, "Whether it talks or not, it's got nothing to do with me. I'd prefer it not to talk!"
"Of course! I'm the one and only talking Chatot in the world!" Chatot proudly puffed its chest.
After bringing Yuga into the house and having a seat, Ryuichi brewed a pot of tea, poured a cup for Yuga, and then sat across from him.
Speaking of Ryuichi's tea-making habits and techniques, he had learned them from Mr. Kuni'o, but he didn't particularly enjoy drinking tea himself.
After their long journey, Yuga was indeed a bit thirsty. He took a sip of the tea and asked Ryuichi, "Ryuichi, do you know why Mr. Kuni'o sent me here this time?"
Ryuichi pondered for a moment and then asked Yuga in return, "Does Young Master Shimizu know Mr. Kuni'o well?"
Yuga held his tea cup still for a moment and then shook his head. He didn't just not know Mr. Kuni'o well; in fact, he knew nothing about him.
He could guess that Mr. Kuni'o was a significant figure, but he had no idea about his specific identity.
To that end, he had even tried searching for information about Mr. Kuni'o online but found nothing.
"In that case, have you heard the term 'Master' before?" Ryuichi continued.
Master? Before coming to this world, Yuga used to hear Ash constantly saying he wanted to become a Pokémon Master, but since arriving here, he hadn't heard that term. He had no idea what it meant.
Yuga shook his head in confusion.
"Then, let me explain," Ryuichi said.
In this world, a Trainer with a Pokémon team containing at least one Elite-level Pokémon was recognized as a Elite-level Trainer. Those who had six Elite-level Pokémon were considered as Elite-level Trainer.
As a result, even among Elite Trainer, there were vast differences in strength.
Through the rigorous selection process of the Pokémon League Champion, all the League's active Elite Four members were Elite Trainers who possessed at least six Pokémon of Elite-level.
However, it was different for the Champion, who ranked above the Elite Four.
It didn't require you to have six Champion-level Pokémon, or even a single one. To become a Champion, all you needed to do was hold your own in a battle against the four active Elite Four members of the League simultaneously.
This was because the number of true Masters was extremely limited, and being a Champion was often more of a title than an actual ranking.
In the entire history of the League, there were very few instances where a non-Champion Trainer earned the title. Usually, a Trainer would at least have one Champion-level Pokémon.
The term Ryuichi referred to as a Master meant a true Champion-level Trainer. Each of them had at least six Champion-level Pokémon and had experience facing Legendary Pokémon in their prime without suffering defeat.
For instance, the Legendary Pokémon Yuga had seen, like Latias, weren't in their prime, and the Zapdos that appeared in the Petalburg Wood barely qualified.
Only when a Trainer and their six Champion-level Pokémon collectively faced Legendary Pokémon in their prime without defeat would they be acknowledged as a Master.
"Are you saying that Mr. Kuni'o is a Champion-level Trainer with the Master title?" Yuga exclaimed in amazement.
Ryuichi nodded and continued, "Master-level Trainers are exceedingly rare. Each one is considered one of the most significant assets for their respective regional Leagues. However, they don't exist in every region."
Currently, there are only four Trainers in the world who hold the title of Master: the Elder of the Johto Dragon Clan, Mr. Kuni'o from the Hoenn region, the Elder of the Meteor Village, and The Elder from the Village of Dragons in Unova region.
These four individuals are akin to guardian deities in their respective regions.
"What about Professor Oak from the Kanto region?" Yuga inquired. As far as he knew, Professor Oak was also a Champion-level Trainer, and he had a deep impression of the Professor from his childhood.
Ryuichi explained, "Indeed, Professor Oak is a Champion-level Trainer, and he's known as the most exceptional talent among Trainers in nearly fifty years. However, he hasn't obtained the title of Master. Nevertheless, he's acknowledged as one of the Trainers closest to achieving the status of a Master."
Professor Oak, in his early fifties, was considered a junior compared to the four Masters. He had not yet reached the level of a true Master. The other four Masters were already around a hundred years old, with Mr. Kuni'o and the Elder of Meteor Village being the oldest, both surpassing a hundred years of age.
However, due to certain unique circumstances, they appeared younger than their actual age.
Although Kanto and Johto were considered the origins of the Pokémon League, in recent decades, Kanto had declined somewhat and lagged behind other regions in terms of development. As a result, true Master-level Trainers had been scarce, and Professor Oak was seen as their hope.
Rumors had it that the Jenny and Joy families also had Master-level Trainers among them, although this was not publicly known. Whether these rumors were true or not, only they themselves knew.
This world was vast, and there might be hidden Master-level Trainers who remained unknown to the public. After all, people generally liked to keep their trump cards hidden, and who knew who might be secretly holding one.
After hearing Ryuichi's explanation, Yuga gained a deeper understanding of Mr. Kuni'o's significance. He couldn't help but marvel at how Mr. Kuni'o, who was already over a hundred years old, didn't look his age at all.
"But what does Mr. Kuni'o being a Master-level Trainer have to do with me? And why does he want to see me?" Yuga asked, puzzled.
"Because Mr. Kuni'o wants to take you as his apprentice," Ryuichi dropped the bombshell, nearly causing Yuga to fall off his chair in shock.
"Take me as his apprentice?" Yuga exclaimed.
"Yes," Ryuichi affirmed with a nod.
"As you may have noticed, the other three Masters all have families and followers, but Mr. Kuni'o is alone. Now that he's getting older, it's only natural for him to seek a successor."
Indeed, it was normal to want a successor, but why had he chosen Yuga of all people?
"But why me? What could possibly make a Master-level Trainer see potential in me and want to take me as an apprentice?" Yuga questioned.
Yuga considered himself an ordinary Pokémon Breeder with no significant background or connections. His parents had passed away not too long ago. He wondered what qualities had drawn Mr. Kuni'o's attention.
If it came to Trainer talent, Yuga considered himself slightly above average, though his current strength wasn't on par with the likes of the powerful Trainers he knew, such as Steven and Wallace. He acknowledged his limitations and felt that there were many Trainers with greater potential than himself.
"I don't know either," Ryuichi shook his head. "But since Mr. Kuni'o has chosen you, he must have his reasons. He won't be mistaken."
Yuga rolled his eyes in exasperation. Ryuichi sure had a lot of confidence in his Master. I don't even believe in myself, Yuga thought, let alone someone like Mr. Kuni'o seeing potential in me!