983 Investigation

A day after discussing the compensation for the Forest House with Ruck, Yuga received some very unpleasant news, that is, the Audino who went out to buy groceries was attacked.

Audino managed the household's meals, and the grocery shopping fell under its responsibility. Occasionally, Wigglytuff would lend a hand, but no one expected an attack to happen to Audino even on their own territory.

At the time, Audino was on its way home from grocery shopping when two masked individuals suddenly appeared, blocking its path.

These two attackers likely underestimated Audino's strength and faced strong resistance when they tried to attack.

Although Audino usually appeared gentle and amiable, it was, in fact, a peak pseudo-Elite level Pokemon. The two assailants initially couldn't get the better of it.

However, these two individuals had a unique weapon in their hands – a device that emitted a strong electric shock. Any contact with this device led to full-body paralysis.

Audino was caught off guard and fell victim to this device. It came close to being taken away by the two attackers.

Fortunately, the commotion caused by the battle alerted the nearby Flygon on patrol. With the Flygon' assistance, Audino was spared from being kidnapped.

The Flygon, though at a similar level to Audino, were battle-oriented Pokemon. Regardless the various Fairy-type moves Audino knew, the Flygon had much higher combat abilities.

Initially, the two attackers were on the verge of being caught by the Flygon. However, midway through the confrontation, another individual in black appeared and took the two attackers away.

This mysterious figure was exceptionally powerful, defeating both Audino and the Flygon with just an Infernape.

If it weren't for the Noctowl and Chatots, which were also on patrol, arriving later, Audino and the Flygon might also have been taken away.

The individual likely feared that the situation had escalated, and after the Noctowl and Chatots arrived, he hurriedly left, taking the two attackers with him. Otherwise, even the Noctowl and Chatots might not have been his match.

Upon receiving this news, Yuga's first suspicion naturally fell on Ruck. He had the power and the motive. Yuga couldn't forget the way Ruck's eyes lingered on Audino when he came to visit.

And then there was that malevolent proposal to sell...

However, Gengar informed Yuga that the person who attacked and rescued the attackers was not Ruck.

Since he know that Ruck harbored ill intentions towards Audino, Yuga couldn't just sit idly by. So, as he left the Verdanturf Gym, Yuga quietly had Gengar to tail on Ruck.

After the discussions with Yuga, Ruck had stayed in Verdanturf Town and didn't leave his hotel room according to what Gengar reported.

However, this didn't necessarily mean that Ruck was uninvolved in the incident. He could have orchestrated the attack without getting his own hands dirty, so Yuga continued to closely monitor Ruck's actions through Gengar, paying attention to who he interacted with.

The attack on Audino left Yuga infuriated. In his determination to find the two attackers and the mysterious individual who rescued them, he intensified patrols around the Pokémon Day Care and Gym.

He even sent out all Ghost-type Pokémon from the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark. Even if it meant turning the entire Verdanturf Town upside down, Yuga was determined to locate those three individuals.

Since Dusknoir and its subordinates had joined the Haunted Mansion, the number of Ghost-type Pokémon there had exceeded a thousand. These Ghost-type Pokémon didn't require food and were easy to care for, so Yuga wasn't under too much pressure.

However, this situation served as a wake-up call for Yuga. With more and more Pokémon being brought into the Ecopark, the construction of a new Ecopark was becoming increasingly necessary. Otherwise, the existence of the Sub-Ecopark would eventually be exposed.

The area behind the YoYo Day Care had plenty of open space, and with Yuga's ample resources, he had the means to construct an Ecopark, large enough to keep prying eyes away from others.

But for now, the most important task was to find the attackers.

A thousand Ghost-type Pokémon roamed stealthily through the streets and alleys of Verdanturf Town, and residents who were unaware of the situation often felt a chilly presence nearby.

However, concealment was second nature to Ghost-type Pokémon, and as long as they wished to remain hidden, ordinary people wouldn't be able to detect them.

On the second day of deploying Ghost-type Pokémon, Yuga received news that two bloated corpses, found in a river outside of the town, had been identified by Audino. They were indeed the two attackers.

On the same day, Ruck came to say goodbye at the YoYo Day Care, mentioning that he was leaving Verdanturf Town.

Yuga wanted to keep Ruck around, but he didn't have a valid reason to do so, and he had to let Ruck leave.

However, upon returning to Yuga's side, Gengar informed Yuga that he had overheard Ruck on a strange phone call the previous night. Gengar couldn't get too close to listen clearly, but he caught keywords like "dead," "what are you doing here," "Mr. Gill," and "leaving."

From these keywords, it was reasonable to conclude that Ruck had a connection to the person who attacked Audino, and as for why the two attackers were killed after being rescued, that remained to be discussed.

Was it a matter of eliminating witnesses?

As for the mention of "Mr. Gill" in the phone call, Yuga couldn't recall anyone by that name.

Regardless, since a homicide had occurred, the Verdanturf Town Police Department had been alerted. So, the police and Yuga's team began their investigation, one in the open and one in the shadows.

The reason Yuga didn't report the attack on Audino to the police was because he feared it might tip off the attackers. Yuga believed that his Ghost-type Pokémon were more reliable than involving the police in this matter.

After deploying his Ghost-type Pokémon alongside the Verdanturf Town Police, Yuga called Steven and asked for information about Ruck. However, Steven didn't have much information about this person.

Despite Ruck being on the League's Elite list for over a decade, he seemed to maintain a low profile and didn't have any close friends.

It was rumored that even his relationship with his own younger brother wasn't very intimate.

His brother's business, Sowise Supermarket, became somewhat famous by leveraging Ruck's name.

What Yuga was most interested in was Ruck's social connections, but without any leads, he felt somewhat disappointed. Steven promised to investigate and provide more information, so Yuga had to wait for updates.

Thinking about gathering information, Yuga recalled a place—the White Light Intelligence Bureau. Although he wasn't a friend with the bureau's owner, Genos, he couldn't deny that the bureau had top-notch intelligence capabilities.

Genos received Yuga's call, and upon learning that Yuga was interested on Ruck information, the No. 36th substitute Elite Four on the Hoenn League's Elite list, he immediately promised to deliver the results as soon as possible, without charging for this particular service.

Genos and Yuga had a few unpleasant experiences in the past, but they didn't have significant conflicts between them.

Knowing Yuga's talent and background, in order to maintain the relationship with Yuga, Genos did not mind trying to please Yuga. Even if he knew that the person he was investigating this time was an Elite level trainer, Genos knew how to handle it.

Since their family dared to engage in the intelligence business, they wouldn't be afraid of an ordinary Elite level Trainer.

While Yuga was actively investigating Ruck, in a small inn in Verdanturf Town, an average-looking young man was feeding his Togekiss.

This man was in his early thirties, not particularly tall, and had an unremarkable appearance, the kind of person who would blend into a crowd without anyone noticing. However, he had a small scar at the corner of his right eye that added a hint of fierceness to his otherwise ordinary face.

As he fed his Togekiss, he asked, "Didn't Hans say that Shimizu Yuga took something from the Togepi Paradise? We've been in Verdanturf Town for several days now. Have you sensed the presence of that green gem?"

"Togekiss."

Togekiss, after swallowing a brownish Pokémon food pellet, shook its head and communicated: No, I should've sensed it if it was around.

The young man lowered his head in thought and muttered, "Could Hans have deceived me?"

After Togekiss had finished its meal, it affectionately nuzzled the young man's hand. Seeing this, the young man smiled, and the somewhat fierce expression on his face softened instantly. He gently stroked the crest on Togekiss's head.

He then expressed some dissatisfaction, saying, "It's all Ruck's fault. If it weren't for him stirring up trouble, I wouldn't be in such a passive situation now."

But then, he seemed to recall something, and as he continued to pet Togekiss, he muttered to himself, "Well, never mind. I don't have much to do at the moment. Spending a few more days in Verdanturf Town is fine. It's not a bad place, actually."

After spending some time in the room, the young man put away Togekiss, left the inn, and as he strolled outside, he noticed a naughty little Midreavus was sneakily watching him from a dark corner. He pretended not to notice, walked past the Midreavus casually, and continued on his way.

Midreavus watched the young man gradually walk away, and realizing there was nothing unusual with him, then left while playfully together with a Ghastly.

For several days, Verdanturf Town was bustling both publicly and privately, but no significant clues were found.

On the third day of contacting Genos, Yuga received a response and obtained the investigation results from the White Light Intelligence Bureau.

Ruck, aged 43, had become a Elite level Trainer twelve years ago and secured a spot as the 36th candidate on the Hoenn League's Elite list. His journey began with a bottom on the ranking list, but over the years, he consistently improved his standing, reaching the current 36th position.

Ruck's family background in his early years wasn't great. He was adopted by his childless aunt at a young age, as his birth parents couldn't take care of him, leading to a strained relationship with them.

When he was twenty, his biological parents passed away, and Ruck became a forest ranger. He also took his younger brother under his wing, although it appeared he wasn't particularly close to his sibling. So, their relationship was far from ideal.

When Ruck was 25 years old, his family's financial situation suddenly improved. His foster parents opened a supermarket, which would later become Sowise Supermarket. Around this time, Ruck also started making a name for himself in the Pokémon League.

After his foster parents passed away, his younger brother inherited the supermarket, and under his management, it continued to thrive. During this period, Ruck left his position as a forest ranger and took on an important role within the Pokémon League.

Ruck didn't inherit the supermarket because, by that time, he had already established a prominent position within the Pokémon League. It didn't make sense to give up his league standing for a single supermarket.

As Ruck's strength grew, and his position within the league rose, many believed that his achievements were greatly supported by the financial backing of Sowise Supermarket.

However, according to the White Light Intelligence Bureau's investigation, the reality was quite the opposite.

Ruck's younger brother was ambitious, and the reason Sowise Supermarket had been able to develop so well was due to mysterious financial support.

This mysterious backer was presented as an investor in Sowise Supermarket but was, in fact, supporting Ruck indirectly through the supermarket.

Essentially, Sowise Supermarket served as an intermediary to hide the connection between this mysterious financial power and Ruck.

Regarding where this unknown financial support originated and the nature of its relationship with Ruck, the White Light Intelligence Bureau was still conducting further investigations.

Shortly after receiving the White Light Intelligence Bureau's report, Yuga also received the results of Steven's investigation.

The content was mostly consistent with White Light's findings, but Steven hadn't uncovered the mysterious financial support.

It had to be acknowledged that White Light had significant expertise in intelligence gathering.

However, Steven subtly hinted in his letter that Ruck seemed to have taken a keen interest in collecting Pokémon in recent years.

The whereabouts of these Pokémon appeared suspicious, but upon closer investigation, nothing conclusive was found.