Yuga was sitting in a chair, dozing off, when suddenly a teenager of around fifteen or sixteen rushed in, shouting as he ran:
"Bad news, Second Master! Our people have spotted the military's tracks down the mountain!"
"What's with the panic? They've been here before; is there a need for such fuss?" Yuga said with some exasperation as he opened his eyes.
Yuga hadn't anticipated that he would spend two years in the past.
During these two years, Yuga's appearance had undergone significant changes. Firstly, he had grown much taller, at least 185 centimeters, given that adolescence is a period of rapid growth. It seemed like he could still grow taller.
His face was no longer as youthful. Calculating the time, he was now around twenty years old. As time passed, his once fair skin had tanned considerably, giving it a rougher texture. This transformation had added a more masculine touch to his overall appearance.
However, Yuga sometimes worried about how he would explain his sudden maturity when he returned to his time.
Two years ago, after making their plan with Shadowsong, they had left the forest guided by Celebi.
While passing through a village, they witnessed Arus's military plundering the village's food supplies. Many villagers were killed in the process.
The young boy who had just rushed in was the son of the village chief, whose parents had been the first to fall victim to the soldiers.
When he and the villagers resisted, they were about to be killed, but Yuga and Shadowsong intervened just in time, saving them.
At that time, Celebi hadn't taken them very far from the army camp, so Arus soldiers remained active in the vicinity of nearby villages.
Given the dire circumstances of the villagers and nowhere else to turn, they became the first followers of Yuga and his group.
With this initial group, Yuga and his team began to train their armed forces.
Yuga possessed the Insight ability, which allowed him to capture various high potential Pokémon, and he utilized this advantage to help his followers capture Pokémon.
Since there were no Potential Assessment Devices in this era, they couldn't assess the potential of their Pokémon. However, they believed Yuga had an exceptional eye for strong Pokémon.
In addition to capturing Pokémon, Yuga also taught them to make basic Pokémon food. Since making Pokéblocks required a specialized Berry Mixer, which was not available here due to the technological limitations, they had to settle for simpler Pokémon food.
In reality, advanced Pokémon food wasn't necessarily inferior to Pokéblocks. For instance, in modern regions like Kanto and Chengdu, Pokémon food was more popular than Pokéblocks.
However, Yuga's knowledge of Pokémon food recipes was limited, and they were all basic recipes he had learned online.
Over the following two years, Yuga and Shadowsong kept a low profile. They discreetly gathered more followers, primarily on the outskirts of Arus, where people faced the harshest conditions and were more easily swayed.
But as their group grew, so did the risk of being discovered.
Therefore, about a year ago, they had decided to leave the border regions of Arus.
After a long journey, they had settled in the current location. This area was the closest part of Arus to the ocean and had a favorable environment. It had once belonged to a small kingdom neighboring Arus but was absorbed into Arus's territory after Emperor Rode's conquest.
The people here also deeply resented Arus's military presence, making it a fertile ground for Yuga and his group's activities.
They had established their base on top of a hill and had been living here since then.
After settling down, Yuga and his group not only continued to train as Trainers but also started their own production activities, including animal husbandry and farming. Life in the community became more stable.
Gradually, this place developed into a sizable village.
With the protection and guidance of Yuga and his team, the Trainers in the village began to grow, and the quality of life improved. More people sought refuge here.
As the conflict between Arus and Vante escalated over the past two years, the lives of Arus citizens became increasingly difficult.
Unbeknownst to them, this location led by Yuga had become a haven away from the turmoil.
However, as more people found their way here, troubles also increased.
Once Arus authorities learned about Yuga and his group's presence, they set their sights on this place. Since Yuga's group did not pay taxes, they were labeled as rebels.
In essence, Yuga and his group were indeed rebels, though they hadn't done anything particularly rebellious before.
Another issue was that not long after leaving Arus's military camp, Yuga and Shadowsong had been wanted nationwide by Arus authorities. However, the lack of advanced communication technology in this era made it challenging for Arus officials to locate them in the mountainous terrain.
Now that they were categorized as rebels, they faced the threat of military suppression. However, Arus's regular army was occupied at the borders, dealing with Vante, and couldn't spare any resources.
The local militias were just a group of low-level soldiers who could handle ordinary citizens but were ill-equipped to deal with armed forces like Yuga's.
Furthermore, with Yuga present, anyone who ventured here from Arus except for Emperor Rode who personally took action, was essentially offering themselves as targets.
But could Emperor Rode personally come to deal with them? He was already preoccupied by Vante's military, which was no less powerful than Arus.
Arus had lost its guardian Pokémon, and the guardian Pokémon of the capital city had also perished, whereas Vante still had all of its guardian Pokémon. Although Emperor Rode was indeed powerful, he was kept busy dealing with Vante's guardian Pokémon.
According to information Yuga had gathered, Vante's guardian Pokémon was a Heatran. While it might not have been as strong as Arus's former guardian Pokémon, Celebi, it was more than a match for Emperor Rode in his current state.
Without Emperor Rode's interference, Yuga and his group were safe within Arus territory. Yuga believed that if they wanted to eliminate Emperor Rode, they would need to enlist the aid of the Vante Empire.
From the current situation, the Vante Empire possessed the capability to defeat Emperor Rode. However, Emperor Rode likely had some secret weapons, or else Heatran would have dealt with him a long time ago.
Over the past year, Yuga and his group had experienced frequent incursions from Arus's military, to the point that Yuga felt like they were living as bandits.
As a result, they jokingly referred to Shadowsong as the "Eldest," with Yuga himself as the "Second." This title spread among their followers.
Recognizing that many readers might not be too interested in this part of the storyline, and due to a need to maintain pacing, this section has been summarized. The plot may appear somewhat rough, so please bear with any noticeable gaps in the narrative. Your understanding is appreciated.