Thinking about the first five trainers he easily defeated, Yuga shook his head in disappointment. The trainers near Verdanturf Town, and even those who came from other places, didn't seem to pose much of a challenge.
However, the sixth challenger surprised Yuga greatly.
"Suzuye, you haven't left Verdanturf Town yet?" Yuga exclaimed in surprise.
Suzuye, wearing a smile, responded, "If I left, I wouldn't have the chance to witness the interesting appointment of new Gym Leader, Mr. Shimizu."
Despite her smiling demeanor, Yuga couldn't help but feel that her attitude wasn't very friendly, giving off an insincere vibe.
Could it be because Robert rejected her challenge? But that had nothing to do with Yuga! Was she implementing collective punishment for some reason? Yuga couldn't fathom why a coordinator trainer like her would attend an event meant for challengers, not coordinators.
Unable to comprehend her motives, Yuga reluctantly withdrew Venusaur and sent out Bellossom.
On Suzuye's side was a Clefable.
If it had been the previous Bellossom against the current Clefable, Yuga might have been concerned. However, that was no longer the case.
Moves: Absorb, Mega Drain, Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Sweet Scent, Magical Leaf, Leaf Storm, Leaf Blade, Sunny Day, Solar Beam, Strength Sap, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Grassy Terrain.
Bellossom's move set hadn't changed much, but its level had seen a significant increase, now matching the strength of Yuga's previous main team.
Moves: Spotlight, Sing, Singing, Double Slap, Wake-Up Slap, Metronome, Moonlight, Moonblast, Comet Punch, Ice Beam, Light Screen, Dazzling Gleam, Misty Terrain, Safeguard.
Seeing Clefable, Yuga thought, finally, here's someone with strength.
Judging from Clefable's strength, Suzuye's abilities didn't seem far off from Robert's. However, the requirements for victory between coordinator trainers weren't as demanding in terms of Pokémon strength as those of traditional trainers.
With Beidou's command, Yuga and Suzuye simultaneously issued orders to their Pokémon.
Yuga and Bellossom had perfect synergy. Bellossom immediately used Sunny Day while performing a Quiver Dance, boosting her speed. This made Bellossom even more agile on the battlefield.
On Suzuye's side, Clefable used the offensive move Ice Beam, but Bellossom gracefully danced around it, avoiding the attack.
Perhaps because Suzuye was a coordinator, Clefable's Ice Beam had a dazzling, visually pleasing effect.
After dodging Clefable's Ice Beam, Bellossom concluded her first round of Quiver Dance and then launched clusters of Sludge Bombs.
The Poison-type Sludge Bomb was effective against the Fairy-type Clefable, causing Clefable to panic and evade frantically.
However, with the combined effects of Sunny Day and Chlorophyll, Bellossom's Sludge Bomb attacked at a high frequency. Clefable suddenly found itself in hurry.
Seeing that her Clefable couldn't keep up with Bellossom's rhythm, Suzuye clenched her teeth in frustration. She wasn't a traditional trainer, after all.
Coordinator trainers indeed excel in skill control, but ordinary coordinators often fall short in terms of battle prowess compared to traditional trainers. Not everyone is a seasoned trainer like Wallace, after all.
As Bellossom was about to trap Clefable, Suzuye quickly had Clefable use Ice Beam to turn the battlefield into an icy terrain, attempting to limit Bellossom's speed.
However, Bellossom easily countered the Ice Terrain with Grassy Terrain, which allowed her to move freely by covering the icy ground with grass.
Despite Clefable's lower level and battle skills compared to Bellossom, the only advantage Clefable possessed in technique usage was effectively neutralized by Bellossom. In the end, Clefable was defeated.
Suzuye retrieved her incapacitated Clefable with an irritated expression, then hastily left the stage, leaving Yuga to shake his head helplessly.
This girl was truly unreasonable.
After Suzuye, Yuga effortlessly defeated three more trainers. The challenge phase was nearing its end, and suddenly, a pseudo-Elite level Trainer stepped onto the stage.
This seasoned challenger didn't seem to be around Yuga's age; he was a middle-aged man, almost as old as Yuga's father.
The challenger appeared rugged, didn't say a word when he came on stage, and didn't even introduce himself. He immediately released his Pokémon, a pseudo-Elite level Crawdaunt, with green potential and impressive strength.
However, Yuga's Absol eventually defeated the Crawdaunt, thanks to his Absol breaking into a pseudo-Elite level during this special training. Absol's Seed of Unknown also played a crucial role in securing the victory. If that Crawdaunt had held on just a bit longer, it would have defeated Yuga's Absol.
After being defeated, the Crawdaunt's trainer didn't utter a single word. He silently recalled his incapacitated Crawdaunt and left the stage, disappearing into the crowd.
No one paid much attention to this peculiar trainer, and neither did Yuga. However, Aunt Aoba in the audience seemed excited and chased after the trainer. Regrettably, the unnamed trainer was too fast for her to catch up to. Since then, Aunt Aoba often seemed absentminded, and no one knew what was on her mind.
After defeating the final challenger, Yuga heaved a sigh of relief. He had come dangerously close to losing, and if he had, it would have been an embarrassing ordeal.
The opening ceremony of the Verdanturf Gym continued until evening, and the spectators gradually dispersed.
Once the ceremony concluded, Mr. Moore, along with Flannery, returned to Lavaridge Town. Wallace and Steven also departed, leaving Reggie, Flint, and Volkner to temporarily reside in the gym.
The inauguration ceremony marked Yuga's official status as a Gym Leader. From this day onward, he was not just the owner of YoYo's Day Care but also a Gym Leader at the Verdanturf Gym.
In the evening, Yuga warmly hosted Flint and the others at the gym, thanking them for making the long journey to witness this special occasion.