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

Chapter 1112: Cutiefly And Ribombee

After the Sunflora Power Plant officially began its operations, in addition to the electricians dispatched by the League, Mayor Ishida also specially invited a professional Grass-type Pokémon breeder to manage the Sunflora, ensuring that they could live a comfortable life.

After the power plant was completed, Hoenn gradually entered winter, and the temperature started to cool down, no longer as hot as before.

However, due to Hoenn's unique climate, even in winter, the temperature merely drops without much chance of freezing or snowfall. Most of the time, it doesn't get very cold. Even someone as strong and healthy as Yuga could go outside wearing just a light jacket without any problems.

One day, Yuga called Ryo, An Lin, and An Mu to his side and told them that he planned to send them to work at the ranch for a while.

The person Mayor Ishida invited to manage the Sunflora was a highly skilled Grass-type Pokémon breeder. If the three of them spent some time learning from him, it would greatly benefit their future development.

Unlike Ayashi and Arata Sena, who trained Pokémon of various types, Ayaka, An Lin, and An Mu all aspired to become Grass-type Trainers, and their starter Pokémon Eevees had all evolved into Leafeons.

Now that they had graduated from the Trainer School in Petalburg City and had no plans to pursue further studies at higher institutions, Yuga felt it was time to find something for them to do.

The reason Ayame didn't need to go with them was that she had already decided to stay with Misaki and Lain to learn how to make Pokéblocks and incense, and was now very busy, unable to free up any time.

Compared to the three boys, Ayame was much busier. Not only did she have to learn to identify and process a wide variety of ingredients every day, but she also had to understand the taste preferences of different types of Pokémon. In short, she was completely swamped.

For most, graduation from Trainer School marks the end of their education, but for Ayame, it was only the beginning.

The study of Pokéblock and incense making is quite profound. It's not like how Yuga just followed the recipe and copied it step by step. Professionals like Misaki and Lain had a lot to learn. Not only did they need to know how to make things according to the formula, but they also had to innovate on their own and truly understand the theory behind it all.

In short, Ayame was far busier than the three boys.

After hearing Yuga's words, An Lin and An Mu, the twin brothers, didn't have any objections. They hadn't yet made any concrete plans for the future, but the eldest, Ayaka, was hesitant. He had originally planned to set off on a journey soon, just like his brother. If he went to work at the ranch, his plans would have to change.

Ryo thought it over and shared his plans with Yuga.

After hearing him out, Yuga responded forcefully, "First, go to the ranch and learn from Mr. Harrison for a while. You can postpone your journey until next spring. Learning more before you set out will only help you on your travels. A slight delay won't make much of a difference!"

"Oh, I see. I'll listen to the Gym Leader, then," Ayaka replied meekly. They had always followed Yuga's advice without question.

Yuga, having spoken to the three youngsters in the morning, planned to send them straight to the ranch in the afternoon. For the foreseeable future, they would be living there with Mr. Harrison.

Mr. Harrison was the Grass-type breeder invited by Mayor Ishida. He was a senior breeder. For Mayor Ishida to invite someone of his caliber, he not only had to pull some strings but also offered a hefty salary, though the League was covering the cost.

Yuga also heard that if it weren't for Mr. Harrison's desire to retire and the fact that Verdanturf Town was a good place for retirement, Mayor Ishida wouldn't have been able to invite him.

Mr. Harrison lived in the lighthouse at the ranch, which served as a dormitory specially built for ranch staff by Mayor Ishida. The living conditions were quite good.

Due to the growing success of Verdanturf Town's tourism and agriculture, the town's revenue had become quite substantial, which explained why Mayor Ishida was now spending money so freely.

When Yuga brought Ayaka and the others to the ranch, Mr. Harrison was lounging among the Sunflora, basking in the sun with them, looking extremely relaxed.

Mr. Harrison was over seventy years old. He had previously worked in the Breeder Association of the League and was one of the veterans there.

He had no children, and his wife passed away early, so most of his life had been dedicated to the Breeder Association. When he finally expressed his wish to retire, though the association regretted it, they had no choice but to accept it with a heavy heart.

As it happened, Mr. Harrison agreeing to mentor Yaka and the others was a bit of a coincidence.

When Mr. Harrison first arrived in Verdanturf Town, Yuga had come to the ranch at Mayor Ishida's request to check on him. At that time, Mr. Harrison was standing on a hill, communicating with the Sunflora.

As a senior breeder, Mr. Harrison had a very high affinity with Grass-type Pokémon. Even though he had only just started interacting with the Sunflora, he had already bonded with them.

When he saw Yuga, his first question was, "I heard you trained these Sunflora for a while?"

Of course, Yuga responded with, "Yes."

And just like that, Yuga, somewhat bewildered, gained Mr. Harrison's friendship.

The two of them became more and more chatty, and when Yuga suggested that Ayaka and the others study under Mr. Harrison for a while, Mr. Harrison readily agreed.

However, although Mr. Harrison agreed to mentor Ayaka and the others for a period, he was unwilling to formally take them as apprentices. Senior breeders, though not as prestigious as top-tier breeders, still did not casually accept disciples.

But Yuga had already made up his mind. Once Ayaka and the others finished their studies, he planned to send Ayame over next. It didn't matter whether Mr. Harrison officially took them on as apprentices; what mattered was that the kids could learn valuable knowledge.

As a Trainer, one doesn't need to have the highest level of breeding skills, but basic breeding knowledge is a must.

The first to notice Yuga's arrival was a Venusaur, Mr. Harrison's only companion.

Mr. Harrison had once mentioned that Venusaur had been with him since he was very young, but now, as he had grown old and Venusaur was still in its prime, it was undeniably a sad reality.

Most Grass-type Pokémon live long lives, and there were far too many Grass-types that outlive their Trainers. Even for someone like Yuga, who had been blessed by Celebi, this problem was inevitable.

Venusaur extended its vines and poked Mr. Harrison, who was basking in the sunlight with his eyes closed. Only then did Mr. Harrison notice Yuga and the others.

"You've arrived!" Mr. Harrison was very pleased and struggled to sit up. Perhaps due to his age and lying down for too long, it was only with Venusaur's help that he managed to stand up steadily.

"Sigh, I'm getting old... getting old..." Mr. Harrison sighed as he brushed the grass off his clothes.

Yuga chuckled and said, "Old? You look full of energy to me!"

"You always know how to talk!" Mr. Harrison gave Yuga a light slap on the arm and laughed heartily. Then he looked at the three kids behind Yuga. "So, these are the three little ones you want me to take care of?"

"Yes, these are the ones!" Yuga quickly motioned for the three of them to step forward. "This is the Mr. Harrison I told you about."

The three immediately bowed deeply. "Hello, Mr. Harrison. Please take care of us starting today."

Mr. Harrison was quite pleased with their politeness and stroked his mustache. "Alright, you'll help me out with some tasks from time to time. How much you learn will depend on your own understanding!"

"Yes, sir!" the three kids responded in unison.

After chatting with Mr. Harrison for a while at the ranch, Yuga left Ayaka and the others and returned to the YoYo Day Care by himself.

However, as soon as he walked in, Suzuki Koen said, "You're back. A call just came in from Ayashi. He asked you to return his call."

"Got it," Yuga responded, feeling curious as he headed upstairs. He dialed Ayashi's number, but it wasn't Ayashi who answered—it was Sena Arata.

"Sena Arata, is that you? What's up?" Yuga immediately recognized the voice on the other end.

"Gym Leader, Ayashi and I accidentally caught a poacher over here. We seized a bunch of Cutiefly and Ribombee from him. We can't check their potential over here, so how about we send them over to you?" Sena Arata explained the reason for the call.

"Cutiefly and Ribombee? How many are there?" Yuga asked in surprise.

"About a hundred or so in total."

"Alright, send them to the gym. I'll go there to receive them."

After hanging up, Yuga hurried to the gym and dialed Ryoji's number again.

"Alright, you can start the transfer!"

Nearly a hundred Pokémon took over an hour for Yuga to transfer.

"All done. I've received all the Poké Balls," Yuga said after counting the 98 Poké Balls.

"Okay, then, boss, I'll hang up now?"

"Wait, don't hang up yet!" Yuga quickly stopped him. "You and Ayashi have been in Alola for quite some time now. When are you planning to come back?"

"Well... um, boss, Ayashi and I aren't coming back this year!" Sena Arata hesitated, his voice a bit unsure.

"What? Not coming back again?" Yuga's voice immediately rose a pitch. "Your Aunt has been looking forward to you coming home! It's barely two months until the New Year, and you're still not coming back? You unfilial child!"

Is Alola that fun? Everyone who goes there doesn't want to return!

"We've still got things to do here!" Sena Arata weakly defended himself. "Anyway, we can't come back, so please take good care of my mom for me."

"Ayashi isn't coming back either?" Yuga asked helplessly.

Sena Arata, trying to please, replied, "Yeah, neither of us are coming back. We're counting on you to look after things at home!"

"I must've owed you both in a past life!" Yuga grumbled in frustration. "Make sure to call your mom regularly to let her know you're safe. Tell Ayashi to check in with his younger siblings more often too!"

After repeatedly reminding Sena Arata, Yuga hung up the phone and then took the 98 Poké Balls to the new Ecopark. He released all the Cutiefly and Ribombee in one go.

"Cutiefly!"

"Cutiefly!"

"Ribombee!"

...

Perhaps it was due to the unfamiliar environment, or maybe because they had been held captive by the poacher for too long, but the moment the Cutiefly and Ribombee were released, they flew around wildly like headless flies. The buzzing of their wings made Yuga frown.

Thankfully, Vivillon was there. As the "Butterfly King," the moment it appeared, all the Cutiefly and Ribombee immediately calmed down. This was the unique commanding presence of the "Butterfly King."

Yuga used his Insight ability to scan the now obedient Cutiefly and Ribombee and discovered that out of the 98 Pokémon, 12 of the Cutiefly had green potential, and 15 of the Ribombee had green potential, while the rest had yellow potential.

Yuga had to admit that the poacher was quite skilled to have captured so many high-potential Pokémon.

Although Cutiefly and Ribombee were common in Alola and similar to Wurmple and Beautifly in Hoenn, capturing so many high-potential ones at once was no small feat.

Yuga guessed that the poacher might have been planning to smuggle these Cutiefly and Ribombee to other regions.

While these Pokémon were common in Alola, they were very popular in other regions, and their price sometimes surged to match that of Pinsir. In this regard, Beautifly, Vivillon, and Butterfree couldn't compete with Ribombee, because Cutiefly and Ribombee were simply too cute.

Moreover, Ribombee and Cutiefly could collect nectar and produce honey, which Beautifly, Vivillon, and Butterfree couldn't do.

The pollen puffs made by Ribombee from pollen and nectar were as delicious and nutritious as Combee's honey, especially for Cutiefly and Ribombee with the Honey Gather ability. They were experts at making highly nutritious pollen puffs.

Looking at nearly 100 Cutiefly and Ribombee, Yuga thought to himself, "It seems that the ingredients that Audino can use to make meals will soon have a new addition."

Many of the ingredients used in Aunt Aoba's paradise restaurant came from Yuga's Ecopark, such as various berries, Moomoo Milk, and honey. Thanks to the high quality of the ingredients and Aunt Aoba's exceptional culinary skills, the restaurant's business had always been booming.

After Vivillon fully calmed the Cutiefly and Ribombee, Yuga, along with it, took the green-potential ones to the insect paradise Sub-Ecopark.

If anyone in the insect paradise sub-ecopark was most excited about the arrival of these new Cutiefly and Ribombee, it was the Ribombee Yuga brought back when he participated in the gym challenge years ago.

For years, it had lived a lonely life among the Combee colony, constantly being harvested by Vespiquen No. 2. It felt like it was being drained dry. It even believed that the growing power gap between it and Vespiquen No. 2 was because it was being overworked.

Can you believe it? The entire Combee colony under Vespiquen No. 2 was made up of its and Vespiquen's offspring.

Sometimes, Ribombee wished Vespiquen No. 2 could learn from Vespiquen No. 1, who changed partners frequently. One day it might be Beautifly, the next day Beedrill, then Scyther, and the day after that Pinsir.

Look at that! What a colorful life!

Sometimes Ribombee wanted to tell Vespiquen No. 2, "What exactly do you like about me? I'll change, okay?"

In any case, the arrival of the new Cutiefly and Ribombee was warmly welcomed by the first Ribombee. Its enthusiastic attitude also helped calm the new arrivals to some extent.

As for whether its inner desires could come true, that would be left to fate!

After settling the new Cutiefly and Ribombee near Vespiquen No. 2's Amber City, Yuga was about to leave the insect paradise with Vivillon.

However, just as he took a few steps, a passing Combee caught his attention.