Chapter 153: The Team Aqua’s Purpose
Chapter 153: The Team Aqua's Purpose
Nonetheless, these details were inconsequential. What mattered was that Yuga, with his individual efforts, had managed to suppress numerous members of the Team Aqua, preventing them from interfering in the showdown between Shelly and Norman.
"I never expected the kid by your side to be this strong!" Shelly commanded Walrein while addressing Norman.
Although Norman was also surprised by Yuga's strength, he wouldn't openly admit it. Instead, he smiled and replied, "I told you, you might not have it all your way!"
Following this, Walrein engaged in an intense battle against Kangaskhan.
Despite the slight level difference between the two Pokémon, Walrein was slightly inferior in strength to Kangaskhan. Each Ice Ball shot by Walrein was mercilessly shattered by Kangaskhan's Mega Punch.
While Walrein's Ice Ball move has the added effects of becoming more powerful with each consecutive hit and increasing in power with each turn, Kangaskhan adopts a "survival of the fittest" mentality, facing Walrein's attacks head-on with an unwavering stance, not dodging or evading. Kangaskhan takes the approach of meeting Walrein's attacks head-to-head, breaking through them with sheer force.
At this point, as Walrein's Trainer, Shelly finally recognized that the renowned Gym Trainer from the Hoenn Region was not easily dealt with.
On the other side, Yuga was locked in intense combat with other members of the Team Aqua. Both Linoone and Greninja possessed remarkable speed. They surged into the crowd like assassins, swiftly knocking out the weaker members. With Audino's support, they had an almost unstoppable advantage, creating a one-sided battle situation.
Shelly watched the current scenario with growing concern. As she waited for backup that seemed delayed, she found it increasingly difficult to fend off Norman's attacks.
The hostages in the vicinity were beyond her concern now. Unable to capture Norman and Yuga, the other Team Aqua members had lost their purpose. In the midst of the battle's chaos, the hostages had retreated to a safe corner.
To make matters worse, the final straw came when Grabby, along with Officer Jenny and the police force, finally arrived at the scene, encircling the television station.
As Officer Jenny and her team stormed in, they witnessed Kangaskhan, under Norman's command, delivering a punch that sent Shelly and her Walrein crashing to the ground.
Frustrated, Shelly recalled her Walrein with a scowl. She realized that she couldn't continue the battle any longer. While the main objective had been achieved, other considerations were trivial.
Shelly swiftly threw a smoke bomb and leaped out of the window. By the time the smoke cleared, there was no trace of her in the hall.
Norman and Yuga had initially believed that the police force outside would apprehend her. Yet, Shelly had employed a flying device developed by the Team Aqua, which allowed her to escape through the sky.
With the Team Aqua's core member on the run, the remaining members, who were less skilled, were mere disorganized soldiers. They were quickly arrested by Officer Jenny and her team.
With the Team Aqua subdued, the hostages were finally safe. Grabby, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, rushed to a man in the crowd, sobbing uncontrollably. It was clear that this man was her partner, Ty.
Afterward, Grabby and Ty came to express their gratitude to Yuga.
"We're truly grateful to you. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't know what might have happened to us at the hands of those people!" Tearfully, Grabby thanked Yuga earnestly.
Ty, standing beside her, was equally emotional. "Indeed, indeed! Your performance just now was incredibly heroic. You single-handedly defeated so many people!"
Yuga waved his hand modestly, responding humbly, "No, no, the real credit goes to Mr. Norman. If he hadn't held off their leader, I wouldn't have been of much help."
From Ty's account, Yuga then learned about the Team Aqua's purpose for this mission.
It turned out that during an excursion for source materials, Grabby and Ty unintentionally stumbled upon information about the ancient Pokémon Groudon and Kyogre. This data was taken back to the television station. The Team Aqua attacked them both to retrieve this information.
Regarding the occupation of the television station, Ty explained that it was an impromptu decision by Shelly. She intended to establish it as a base for collecting information after obtaining the data. Hence, they didn't leave once they found the information but instead captured the station's staff.
Although most of the Team Aqua's members had been apprehended, Shelly, the central figure, managed to escape and took with her the crucial data about Groudon and Kyogre.
As there was still some cooperation required with the police for recording statements, after thanking Yuga, Grabby and Ty accompanied the police to the station.
Before leaving, they made it clear that if Yuga ever needed their assistance, they would be ready to help without hesitation.
After Grabby and Ty departed, Mr. Norman, who had finished his tasks, approached. He smiled and said to Yuga, "I must really thank you this time. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been able to rescue the television station and the hostages so quickly."
Facing the more experienced Trainer, Yuga remained modest, saying, "I just happened to meet Ms. Grabby. That's why I accidentally got involved. I almost ruined everything, so it's not much of an accomplishment." If Yuga had known that Mr. Norman was already investigating the matter, he likely wouldn't have interfered.
Norman smiled and said, "If there's credit to be given, then credit should be given. Why be so modest? I'll report this matter to higher-ups, and your contribution won't go unnoticed."
Though Yuga maintained his humility, if Norman was willing to acknowledge his contribution, he certainly wouldn't decline.
"However, I never expected that someone of your young age would have such outstanding strength," Norman exclaimed. He had initially thought that people as exceptional as Robert were already considered geniuses, but Yuga seemed to surpass Robert's excellence.
Yuga was reluctant to admit his exceptional strength, so he kept humbling himself in front of Norman. Ironically, this made Norman perceive Yuga as a modest and composed individual, elevating Norman's appreciation for him.
With the matters at the television station resolved, Yuga recalled Greninja and continued on with Linoone and Audino to purchase Pokéblocks.
On the way, Yuga noticed that Linoone appeared somewhat downcast. He looked at Linoone and asked, "What's wrong, Linoone?"
"Linoone..."
Linoone lifted its head and emitted a soft call towards Yuga, then lowered its head in dejection.
"Audino, Audino!" Audino, standing by, started calling out and gesturing, attempting to explain to Yuga. But how could Yuga understand it?
However, a thought seemed to occur to Yuga suddenly. He turned to Linoone and asked, "Are you feeling guilty because the Team Aqua discovered us because of you?"
At Yuga's words, Linoone's body froze momentarily before it slowly nodded.
Sensing that he was right, Yuga squatted down, patted Linoone's head, and said, "That was an accident. Nobody wanted it to happen, right?"
Although Linoone still appeared somewhat disheartened, Yuga continued, "If today's incident was because of me, would you blame me?"
Linoone shook its head.
"Just like you, I wouldn't blame you either! Moreover, you performed really well today, defeating so many Team Aqua members. I'm more grateful to you than I can express. How could I blame you?"
Upon hearing Yuga's words, Linoone's expression improved somewhat. Together, the Trainer and his two Pokémon resumed their journey to purchase Pokéblocks.