I'm the Owner of the Pokémon Day Care In the World of Pokémon

Chapter 1335: Little Seel, Sawyer, and Bagon

Seeing the Seel again, Smoochum immediately ran over in excitement, but the green-haired boy had already entered the shop with the Seel.

Inside the shop, Suzuki Koen was sitting behind the counter doing some accounting. When he looked up, he saw a little boy standing in front of the counter. With a friendly smile, he asked, "Hello, little one, what would you like to buy?"

The boy looked about ten years old—such customers weren't uncommon in the shop.

The boy said, "Hello, is Mr. Shimizu here? I'd like to meet him."

"You want to see our boss?" Suzuki Koen asked in surprise. "May I ask what it's about? You can tell me, and I'll help you."

"Well... uh..." The boy hesitated, stammering without giving a clear answer. It was unclear if he was shy or nervous.

Seeing this, Suzuki Koen said, "Alright then, can you wait for a moment? I'll call our boss for you."

The boy nodded quickly and said, "O-okay, thank you." He looked visibly relieved.

Suzuki Koen nodded back and turned to Ayaka, who was idling nearby. "Ayaka, head over to the new store and call the boss back. Tell him a customer wants to meet him."

"Got it!" Ayaka replied cheerfully before running out the door.

At that moment, Yuga was in Misaki's workshop, learning some techniques for making Pokeblock. When Ayaka told him a customer was asking for him, he returned to the old shop, albeit puzzled.

As soon as he entered, he saw the boy standing in front of the counter, along with two Pokémon chattering noisily at his feet. They were none other than Smoochum and Seel.

At first, Yuga thought Smoochum's old bad habits had flared up and that it was bullying the Seel, as the Seel's eyes were glistening as if it had just cried.

But the boy... he seemed familiar.

"What's going on here? Smoochum, are you bullying someone again?" Yuga asked, his expression turning stern as he approached.

The boy looked equally confused. He had been obediently waiting for Yuga as Suzuki Koen suggested, but then a Smoochum suddenly ran over, looking incredibly emotional. It had said something to his Seel, and the two Pokémon ended up hugging, crying, and laughing together.

Hearing Yuga's voice, Smoochum immediately quieted down and obediently explained the situation. Only then did Yuga remember that Smoochum had mentioned having a long-lost Seel friend.

This Seel? Yuga glanced at the Seel in astonishment. What were the odds of them meeting again like this?

...

[ Seel ]

Type: Water

Ability: Hydration

Gender: Male

Potential: Green

Level: 27

Moves: Headbutt, Growl, Signal Beam, Icy Wind, Rest, Aqua Ring, Perish Song, Water Pulse

...

Yuga hadn't expected that not only was Smoochum exceptionally talented, but even its friends were gifted. What's more, the Seel knew Perish Song, a rare and powerful move.

Yuga had encountered numerous Pokémon before, but few could learn a move like this. His Gengar could use it, though it never had, as the move was the kind that hurt both the enemy and the user equally—a no-discrimination, self-sacrificial attack.

After listening to Smoochum's explanation and seeing the puzzled expression on the boy's face, Yuga guessed the boy probably knew as little as he initially did. So, Yuga explained the situation to him.

"So that's what happened!" the boy exclaimed in realization.

The Seel had been found injured by the boy near the seaside. After checking its potential and seeing it was impressive, the boy decided to keep it, never imagining there was more to its story.

"What a coincidence!" the boy marveled.

The boy wasn't surprised that Yuga could understand Pokémon language. It wasn't a secret and was something he had heard about before.

"So, was it you who wanted to see me?" Yuga asked.

"Yes, that's right. My name is Sawyer. Mr. Steven sent me," the boy, Sawyer, replied.

"Steven sent you?" Yuga asked in surprise. At the same time, the name Sawyer struck a chord. He studied the boy carefully before suddenly recalling his identity.

In the Pokémon anime, when Ash was traveling through the Kalos region, he had a little fanboy named Sawyer—this Sawyer!

A few months ago, Ash had finished his journey in the Unova region and was likely heading to Kalos now. It was indeed time for Sawyer to make an appearance. Yuga hadn't expected Sawyer to visit him first.

The anime did mention that Sawyer was from the Hoenn region. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Come on, let's talk inside," Yuga said, leading Sawyer to the reception room. As they walked, Yuga asked, "What does Steven need you to talk to me about?"

Obediently following behind, Sawyer replied, "Mr. Steven asked me to come here and purchase a Pokémon from you."

So that's what it was about. Yuga immediately understood. Sawyer had just started his journey, so he probably didn't have many Pokémon yet. That must be why Steven sent him here.

Steven was a member of the YoYo Day Care's exclusive membership program. Even without a prior reservation, he was entitled to purchase one high-potential Pokémon from his Day Care this year. It seemed he intended to use his slot for this boy.

There was no way Steven would send Sawyer all the way to Verdanturf Town to buy a low-potential Pokémon.

Still, what was the relationship between Steven and Sawyer that warranted this level of care? Yuga recalled that in the anime, Steven had even given Sawyer a Sceptilite Mega Evolution Stone. If they had no connection, would Steven casually gift something so valuable?

As expected, from his conversation with Sawyer, Yuga soon learned about their relationship.

It turned out Sawyer also bore the last name Stone, making him part of Steven's extended family. Although their blood relation was distant, they were still relatives. Moreover, Steven had a fondness for Sawyer, which explained his preferential treatment.

Of course, Yuga wasn't about to blindly trust Sawyer's words. Taking an opportunity, he called Steven to confirm the boy's story.

Everything Sawyer had said was true.

After chatting a bit more, Yuga asked, "What kind of Pokémon are you looking to buy?"

Sawyer hesitated slightly before replying, "Mr. Steven told me you have Bagon here. He said I should buy one." As he finished speaking, he sneaked a glance at Yuga, worried that his request might sound presumptuous.

Bagon was an extremely rare Pokémon, practically impossible to find for sale anywhere else. That made Sawyer feel a little self-conscious as he made the request. Still, Mr. Steven had instructed him to be upfront with Mr. Shimizu, assuring him there'd be no issue.

Yuga hadn't expected Steven to disclose to Sawyer that Bagons were available for purchase at the daycare. Clearly, Steven held Sawyer in high regard.

But looking at Sawyer's nervous and cautious demeanor, Yuga couldn't help but find it amusing. He could roughly guess what Sawyer was thinking, though Yuga himself didn't think it was a big deal. After all, purchasing a Pokémon was a straightforward transaction—money in exchange for Pokémon. It wasn't as if the boy were asking for it for free. There was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Juvenile pseudo-legendary Pokémon are indeed rare, but they come with a high price. Yuga didn't mind selling a Bagon; although pseudo-legendary Pokémon weren't readily available on the store shelves, selling one occasionally was perfectly acceptable. Besides Bagon, he could also sell Larvitar and Jangmo-o.

Of course, this privilege was reserved exclusively for YoYo Daycare members. Ordinary customers weren't given such preferential treatment.

"A Bagon? No problem, wait a moment," Yuga said with a smile.

There really is one! Sawyer froze, then sighed in relief. He was, of course, thrilled to acquire a juvenile pseudo-legendary.

Although Sawyer was a member of the Stone family, he was just from a distant branch of the family, far removed from the main lineage. Without Steven's support, Sawyer wouldn't have been able to obtain a pseudo-legendary Pokémon.

The Stone family did breed Metagross, but as a member of a distant branch, Sawyer had no access to them. Fortunately, most members of the Stone family were wealthy, so purchasing Pokémon from Yuga wasn't an issue; the challenge was securing the right to buy one.

"All right, sorry for troubling you, Mr. Shimizu," Sawyer said, suppressing his excitement.

Yuga summoned an Audino and instructed it to fetch Dou Dou. Before long, Dou Dou arrived with a Bagon in tow, leading it into the reception room.

"See if you're satisfied with this one. If not, I can swap it for another," Yuga said, placing the Bagon on the table in front of Sawyer.

You can even exchange it? That's incredible! Sawyer thought in amazement.

The Bagon stood on the table, curiously observing Sawyer. Dou Dou had already explained the situation, so the Bagon understood that the boy in front of it might become its Trainer.

This Bagon was of green potential Bagon, making it one of the more outstanding individuals among the Bagons in the Ecopark. Its vitality and spirit were evident at a glance.

As a proper graduate of a Trainer school, Sawyer was well-versed in evaluating a Pokémon's condition. With just one look, he found himself liking the Bagon.

"Bagon, would you like to travel with me?" Sawyer asked sincerely, extending his right hand to the Bagon.

Both Bagon and Yuga were surprised by the question, not expecting Sawyer to consider the Pokémon's feelings. Yuga thought to himself: This kid's not bad—no wonder Steven favors him.

Most people buying Pokémon from the daycare wouldn't even think to ask for the Pokémon's opinion.

With just this question, Sawyer won over the Bagon's favor.

"Bagon~"

The Bagon cried out softly and placed its small claw on Sawyer's outstretched hand, binding their destinies together.

"Bagon, I'll be counting on you from now on," Sawyer said, elated, as he hugged the Bagon tightly.

"Since you're both happy with each other, that's all that matters," Yuga said with a smile.

Meanwhile, at the boundary between the outer and inner zones of the Guli Mountain Range, a middle-aged man standing atop a Metagross was locked in a standoff with a Cacturne.

"Cacturne, are you going to return the hostages or not? If you don't release them now, I won't hold back!" The man who is standing on Metagross's back, spoke with a stern expression.

This man was Kaya, the highest-ranking officer of the Guli Mountain Range Pioneer Corps and a Champion level Trainer. However, as a member of the Pioneer Corps, his name wasn't widely known in the outside world.

Kaya's opponent, the Cacturne, was one of the trusted subordinates of the Sceptile, one of the ruler of the Guli Mountain Range. It was also a Champion level Pokémon.

Faced with Kaya's threats, the Cacturne showed no intention of backing down. Instead, it launched an attack. Countless sharp spikes rained down like bullets toward Kaya and his Metagross.

However, Kaya remained unfazed. The Metagross beneath him gleamed with a brilliant light in its eyes, stopping all the flying spikes mid-air.

Unwilling to admit defeat, the Cacturne retaliated by unleashing waves of dark, ring-shaped energy. This was Dark Pulse, a Dark-type move particularly effective against Psychic-type Pokémon.

Yet, Kaya and his Metagross still didn't waver. The Metagross suddenly emitted a metallic sheen, followed by a silver beam shooting out. In an instant, it shattered the Cacturne's Dark Pulse and continued hurtling toward it with unstoppable force.

The Cacturne, knowing it couldn't take the hit head-on, leaped swiftly to one side, narrowly avoiding the Flash Cannon.

Seeing this, Kaya shouted angrily, "If you refuse the easy way, then don't blame me for being merciless!"

He jumped down from Metagross's back and pulled out a pendant hanging around his neck. The pendant contained a Key Stone.

As a rainbow light flashed, Metagross underwent a dramatic transformation. Its aura that was already at the peak of the Champion level, surged to touch the boundaries of the Master level.

"Metagross, use Meteor Mash!"

The Cacturne's expression changed drastically at the sight of Mega Metagross. It tried to dodge, but it was too late. Taking a direct hit from this Mega Metagross's Meteor Mash would undoubtedly leave it gravely injured.

Having faced Kaya many times during the Frontier Corps' years of stationing at the foot of the Guli Mountain Range, the Cacturne had never gained the upper hand in a fight.

At the critical moment, a green-and-white figure suddenly appeared beside the Cacturne. With a single Teleport, it whisked the Cacturne away to safety.

"Gallade!"

Kaya shouted when he saw the figure. This Gallade was another one of Sceptile's subordinates, far stronger than the Cacturne.

The Gallade ignored Kaya and cast a reprimanding glance at the Cacturne, scolding it for sneaking off to meet Kaya.

Once Metagross Mega Evolves, no Pokémon in the area could match it in strength, except for Sceptile. However, Sceptile was not present.

After glaring at the Cacturne, Gallade began moving its arms swiftly. White blades of energy appeared out of nowhere, forcing Metagross to counterattack.

By the time Metagross destroyed Gallade's Psycho Cut attacks, both Pokémon had disappeared without a trace.

Kaya wanted to give chase but hesitated, recalling the agreement between the rulers of the Guli Mountain Range and the Pioneer Corps. He had no choice but to restrain himself.

"Sceptile, I advise you to return our people. If not, don't blame the Pioneer Corps for being unkind!"

Left with no other choice, Kaya shouted toward the surrounding forest, hoping Sceptile would hear him. Little did he know, Sceptile was not home at that moment.

Several days passed quickly. Five days had gone by since Sawyer came to purchase a Bagon. By now, Sawyer had already left Verdanturf Town with his new Pokémon.

Customers with membership privileges didn't need to stay in Verdanturf Town to bond with their Pokémon like regular customers. After all, the members of the YoYo Day Care were trusted individuals, and any issues could be easily resolved.

On this day, Yuga had just finished a Gym battle and returned to his store. To his surprise, he saw someone unexpected standing at the entrance of YoYo Day Care.