New Arrrivals

The joyful times always seem fleeting, and the New Year festivities with family and friends passed by in the blink of an eye.

During the New Year period, Yuga didn't go anywhere else and only visited the temple on the third day of the new year to see his mentor, spending two days with him on the island.

Apart from his aunt and uncle, his mentor was the only elder he had. Since they couldn't celebrate the New Year together, he could only visit him afterward to spend some time together.

Although Mr. Kuni'o had said not to come, when Yuga did visit, he could tell that his mentor was very happy.

Once the holiday season ended, Yuga helped Kazuma and Shin register as Gym apprentices and applied for their starter Pokémon.

The types of starter Pokémon for Gym apprentices at Verdanturf Gym were predetermined, and they were all Eevee.

Apprentices could choose to train their Eevee according to their preferences and ideal directions.

Although Verdanturf Gym was a Grass-type Gym, Yuga didn't want to restrict the apprentices' preferences. What mattered most was what suited them. One of Eevee's evolution options is Leafeon, which is a Grass-type Pokémon, so apprentices interested in Grass-types can still go in that direction.

After sorting out their identities, Kazuma and Shin, like other apprentices, began daily training at the Gym.

The most time-consuming aspect of their daily routine was making full use of the League's network knowledge database to enrich themselves. Having this learning opportunity was quite valuable to them.

Although Gym apprentices had limited access in the League's knowledge database, it was still an incredible privilege for them.

Sometimes, Yuga would lend them his own access to the database, allowing them to access even more knowledge.

Whether as a Gym Leader or a Senior trainer, Yuga had high level permissions in the League's knowledge database.

Yuga's account was often used by Beidou, Akihito, Arata Sena, and others. Now, it was the same for Kazuma and Shin.

Akihito and Arata Sena, as soon as the New Year ended, embarked on another journey. Unlike Kazuma and Shin, they are both trainers who travel year-round, so they have plenty of travel experience. What they lack is systematic training and theoretical knowledge of trainers.

Whenever they encountered something they didn't understand, they would humbly consult Beidou, and Yuga would occasionally provide guidance as well.

Both Kazuma and Shin were locals from Verdanturf Town, and the Gym was close to their homes, making it convenient for them. So they didn't reside at the Gym.

Furthermore, the staff that had left the Day Care gradually returned, and the Day Care resumed its operations.

Shortly after the New Year, Yuga added new Pokémon on the shelves.

This time, he introduced Ghost-type Pokémon. There were two varieties: Misdreavus and Litwick. However, they weren't both available for purchase each month; they alternated, with only one of them being available in any given month.

Earlier, Ghost-type Pokéblock had already been made and available on the store. Now, with Ghost-type Pokémon in stock, it was a complementary addition.

Yuga made a slight change to how he sold these Ghost-type Pokémon.

Previously, for high potential Pokémon at YoYo Day Care, Yuga sold them directly as baby Pokémon.

However, when it came to Ghost-type Pokémon, Yuga decided to sell only unhatched Pokémon Eggs, not baby Pokémon.

The reason was straightforward.

Compared to most other types of Pokémon, many Ghost-type Pokémon have unpredictable personalities, even as babies. They tend to be mischievous, sometimes scaring or pranking others, including their trainers.

A significant portion of those who buy baby Pokémon are novice trainers. Yuga was concerned that novice trainers would struggle to handle Ghost-type Pokémon as their starter Pokémon.

However, if trainers personally hatched these Pokémon from Eggs, it would be different. The bond formed from birth would make it easier for trainers to get along with Ghost-type Pokémon.

Of course, this approach had its advantages and disadvantages.

When selling baby Pokémon, YoYo Day Care would often observe the buyers and assess their character to ensure the Pokémon would be in good hands.

However, if they sold only Pokémon Eggs, this method wouldn't be suitable anymore. They couldn't expect trainers to buy the Eggs and then leave them at the Day Care until they hatched.

That approach wouldn't be reasonable.

However, in the world, many things cannot be achieved perfectly and comprehensively; that's just the way it is.

Ghost-type Pokémon are rare, and high potential Ghost-type Pokémon are even rarer, so the newly introduced Misdreavus and Litwick at YoYo Day Care continued to be very popular.

Many trainers, even if they don't specialize in Ghost-types, recognize the undeniable strength of Ghost-type Pokémon and are willing to have one.

Moreover, YoYo Day Care had recently added Ghost-type Pokéblock like Phantom, making it much simpler to train Ghost-type Pokémon.

In fact, YoYo Day Care was currently the only private Day Care that sold Ghost-type Pokémon, besides the League's Pokémon Day Care Centers.

Ghost-type Pokémon are not only challenging to breed but also difficult to manage. Most Day Cares couldn't handle these two issues.

Ghost-type Pokémon have a unique habitat, and ordinary Ecopark not only fail to provide them with an ideal living environment but also struggle to keep them within their confines. Ghost-type Pokémon can easily disappear and leave the Ecopark unnoticed.

So, except for a few large families specializing in Ghost-type Pokémon, breeding and managing Ghost-type Pokémon was difficult for most Day Cares.

However, for Yuga, who had the Ghost Sea, it was quiet simple. The Ghost Sea could not only win over the hearts of Ghost-type Pokémon but also help them reproduce more high potential offspring.

Scarcity increases value, and as one of the few Day Cares selling Ghost-type Pokémon, YoYo Day Care could easily seize a significant market share while expanding its reputation.

The two Ghost-type Pokémon offered by YoYo Day Care, Misdreavus and Litwick, were both outstanding species, rare and powerful. Consequently, their reputation quickly spread among the trainer community.

In particular, Litwick was not just a Ghost-type Pokémon but also a Fire-type. Many Fire-type trainers were equally interested in it.

Among them was Flannery.

Flannery really wanted to buy a Litwick from YoYo Day Care, but she couldn't secure an appointment, so she called Yuga to complain.

In the end, Yuga sold her one privately.

The reason Yuga did this wasn't just because he and Flannery were friends, but also because he remembered the favor from Mr. Moore, who had given him a Green potential Vulpix for free in the past. That Vulpix had become an excellent manager in his Ecopark, and he was grateful for it.

It wasn't just the gift of the green potential Vulpix, but Mr. Moore had also helped him several times, speaking highly of him in the League and lending his support multiple times. These favors were precious to Yuga.

So, selling a Litwick privately to Mr. Moore's only granddaughter was nothing significant for Yuga.

Originally, Yuga planned to give the Litwick to Flannery directly, but when Mr. Moore learned of this, he insisted on paying, saying that they had already broken YoYo Day Care's rules and couldn't accept it for free.

In the end, Yuga compromised and gave Flannery a discount.

This could be considered a compromise on both sides, and Yuga was somewhat helpless about Mr. Moore's unexpected stubbornness.