Chapter 657: Gaining Fame
Chapter 657: Gaining Fame
This group of people was known as the Villainous Gang, and they lived up to their name, each one being a notorious criminal with a history of taking lives.
The leader of the gang was the imposing man known as Boss Bear, who had been captured by Yuga.
Boss Bear, real name Bearnard, had been on the League's wanted list for many years, and his name was known in various League institutions. Many League trainers were aware of his existence.
However, Bearnard was an Elite level trainer, sly and elusive, making it difficult to locate him, let alone capture him.
The League had even sent Elite level trainers to pursue him, but he had always managed to escape.
Ironically, he had originally come from a small town under the jurisdiction of Fortree City. He joined a local gang, and it was through this gang that Bearnard became a trainer.
However, this gang was eventually wiped out by local law enforcement due to their criminal activities.
Through a stroke of luck, Bearnard evaded capture and began a life on the run.
After several years of living on the outside, Bearnard's strength grew, and he formed his own team.
Initially, this team operated discreetly, handling tasks that some individuals found inconvenient to handle themselves, often engaging in various shady dealings.
Gradually, Bearnard's ambitions grew, and he and his team transitioned from the shadows to the spotlight, taking on tasks such as assassination, arson, robbery, and more, as long as it paid well.
As they committed more crimes, their reputation grew, attracting more clients, and the League had a headache dealing with them.
Originally, their team was not called the Villainous Gang, but Bearnard probably felt that after committing so many crimes, the name suited them.
However, as they committed more crimes, they also made more enemies.
Since others couldn't get to Bearnard, they found his hometown.
Bearnard wasn't an orphan; he had parents and an older brother. When he disappeared, his family suffered greatly.
In one night, his parents and brother were killed by vengeful enemies, but his nephew, who was away for studies, managed to survive.
Bearnard had never intended to harm his own family, and when he learned that they had been killed because of him, he took his nephew under his wing.
The League didn't know much about Bearnard's nephew because he was taken away by Bearnard and rarely appeared in public.
Bearnard's nephew was named Deryn, and most of the information the League had about him was from when he was still in school, so there wasn't much available.
However, could Deryn and Bearnard truly get along?
Yuga had his doubts.
From Deryn's perspective, the reason he became homeless and a fugitive was because of his uncle.
Did he not hold any resentment in his heart?
Yuga found it unlikely.
If it were him, he probably would have harbored deep hatred for Bearnard, even if he was his uncle.
Regarding Deryn's escape, Yuga wasn't too concerned. As long as he didn't come looking for trouble, Yuga had no intention of seeking him out either.
If he truly comes seeking revenge, Yuga isn't afraid. He's confident that he can handle even someone as insignificant as Deryn.
Now that he has grown in strength, he needs to have the confidence to match.
Regarding the capture of Bearnard, Yuga received accolades from the Pokémon League once again.
Along with the previous incident involving the elimination of the Team Aqua Branch, Yuga's achievements were showcased on the League's official website and served as an example for all League trainers.
Of course, the matter concerning Bridges was not disclosed by the League; it was a scandalous affair not meant for public knowledge.
Having captured two Elite level trainers in succession, most people now considered Yuga to be at the Elite level, and his fame soared.
Even though a few skeptics remained, their voices were drowned out by the majority.
People admire strength, and Yuga became a star trainer as a result.
Some even started comparing him to the widely renowned Wallace in recent years. (Although Steven, who was in the Prosecutor Bureau, was powerful and held a high position, he still lacked fame.)
This newfound fame significantly boosted business at the YoYo Day Care. Almost everyone in Verdanturf Town now knew about the existence of this Day Care run by an Elite level trainer.
Some speculated that a Pokémon Day Care run by an Elite level trainer might hold the secret to becoming an Elite.
Many held this kind of belief, to varying degrees.
However, the products and services at YoYo Day Care were genuinely excellent. Even those with special reasons for purchasing their goods had no complaints after using them.
But with fame comes its downsides. An increasing number of challengers flocked to the Verdanturf Gym, and Yuga found himself overwhelmed at times.
To address this, Yuga imposed certain conditions for Gym challenges.
First, challengers had to make appointments in advance; walk-in challengers were not accepted.
Second, a maximum of five challengers would be accepted per day, and any remaining slots would not roll over to the next day.
Third, challengers needed to possess three Gym Badges or more to challenge the Verdanturf Gym.
These three rules eased the pressure on Yuga considerably.
While some individuals were discontented with these rules, no one dared to protest; after all, Yuga was a formidable figure.
If trainers could challenge the Elite level Gym Leader at will, it would diminish the value of becoming an Elite.
Those trainers who had already earned Gym Badges felt fortunate. If these conditions were in place earlier, they might not have had the chance to challenge the Verdanturf Gym.
However, regardless of how popular something becomes, with time, its popularity naturally wanes.
About a week later, the number of challengers seeking the Verdanturf Gym gradually decreased. Yuga even raised the difficulty of Gym challenges, causing many to return empty-handed.
Gym Badges were not easily earned, and fewer people sought challenges.
Meanwhile, the interrogations and trial results for Edward and Bearnard were finally announced.
First and foremost, the notorious criminal Bearnard faced the death penalty.
Given the crimes he had committed over the years, even if he had ten lives, the League would still have to exact his punishment tenfold.
Edward's fate was also grim.
Firstly, his Pokémon Day Care was confiscated by the League.
It had been passed down to him from his father, and it had now met its demise under his stewardship.
Secondly, although his crimes didn't warrant the death penalty, he faced decades of imprisonment with no chance of escape.