Sorrow

After bidding farewell to Wallace, who left in a hurry, Yuga felt the need to contact Director Mond of the Day Care Center. He had previously informed Director Mond about the problematic Pokémon eggs he had taken from Lavaridge Town, stating that he should be notified in the future if more such eggs arrived.

Upon calling Director Mond, Yuga learned that eggs like these were not frequently sent to the Day Care Center. The Pokémon hatched from such eggs often had significant issues, making them difficult to sell. The League distributed these eggs to various city Day Care Centers to share the burden.

However, there were many Day Care Centers in the Hoenn Region, resulting in long intervals between each batch they received. Director Mond also mentioned that most of these eggs remained unsold and were hatched directly at the Day Care Centers due to prolonged storage.

The League had a plan for the Pokémon hatched in these circumstances. They had established several Trainer schools to cultivate new Trainers, and these Pokémon were sent to the schools as practice companions for young students who couldn't yet own their own Pokémon.

Reflecting on this, Yuga couldn't help but be amazed at how the League's intricate system operated like a well-oiled machine, with each part playing its role to maintain stability.

Although the League wasn't perfect, it did ensure peace and stability in the Pokémon world. Yuga had seen his fair share of abandoned Pokémon in towns, even in serene places like Verdanturf Town. Some were once battle companions, some were former pets, and others were descendants of long-forgotten Pokémon.

These domesticated Pokémon, having lost their ability to survive in the wild after generations of captivity, struggled to find their place in towns devoid of fruit-bearing trees and natural prey. They relied on the kindness of some humans, scraping by on meager scraps. Unfortunately, hunger and scarcity had become their norm.

While some might argue that sending problematic Pokémon to Trainer schools was unfair or disrespectful to them, it was a chance for these abandoned and struggling Pokémon to find some happiness. For them, even living as practice companions for young Trainers was better than starving on the streets, battling for survival.

Yuga knew that while the League had established clear laws against abandoning Pokémon, some people still resorted to it. Over time, the population of stray Pokémon in towns had grown steadily. The League had established Pokémon rehabilitation centers for these abandoned Pokémon, but the sheer number of them, including their offspring, made it a challenging issue to address effectively.

Yuga empathized with these Pokémon, but he also recognized his limitations as an individual. In ancient times, humans domesticated, tamed, and utilized Pokémon. In the modern era, most people considered Pokémon friends, partners, and even family. The relationship between humans and Pokémon was evolving, but it was a gradual process. The struggle and adaptation of these abandoned Pokémon were a result of that ongoing evolution.

Just like the industrial revolution in Yuga's previous world had brought progress but also pollution, these changes in the Pokémon world had their own challenges. Yuga's conversation with Director Mond about the upcoming batch of problematic eggs reminded him of how intricately connected humans and Pokémon were, and how their interactions shaped the world around them.

On the other end of the line, Director Mond's familiar rough voice greeted Yuga, "Hey, Yuga. Have you returned from Lilycove City?"

Yuga chuckled, responding, "Yes, I just got back not long ago. I wanted to give you a call right away."

The conversation continued as they discussed the new batch of eggs that had arrived, and Yuga made plans to visit the Day Care Center and examine the eggs. Despite the challenges and complexities of the Pokémon world, Yuga remained determined to contribute positively to the lives of these Pokémon, no matter how small his efforts might be.

Yuga proposed, "When do you have some time? I can come over to your place."

Director Mond chuckled on the other end, "I'm available anytime. Just come to the center, and you'll find me."

"Alright, I'll come to Lavaridge Town tomorrow."

"You're always welcome!"

Yuga sincerely thanked Director Mond, saying, "I appreciate your help, Director Mond."

Director Mond replied, "Oh, it's no trouble at all. If anything, I should thank you. These problem eggs were tough to get rid of, and you doing us this favor is a big help."

Although the Lavaridge Town Day Care Center was a subsidiary of the League, they were still required to meet certain performance goals. Yuga's willingness to help dispose of problematic eggs was a significant assistance to them.

The Day Care Center in Lavaridge Town was relatively small and primarily served private Day Cares, much like the previous YoYo Day Care. Each transaction held importance for them.

After ending the call, Yuga returned to working on Pokéblocks alongside Audino and the other Pokémon.

Recently, the sales of "Heavies" had been on the rise. Besides catering to Gligars and Trapinch's needs, they also needed to maintain sufficient inventory for the store. Even with Audino and the others helping, Yuga found the workload overwhelming.

Should I consider hiring a dedicated breeder? Yuga contemplated.

Typically, Day Care came equipped with dedicated breeders, even the smaller ones. The only exception seemed to be YoYo Day Care, which lacked dedicated breeders.

Understandably, when YoYo Day Care was established, it focused solely on selling Pokémon eggs. There wasn't much need for breeders back then.

After Yuga took over the Day Care and expanded its offerings to include young Pokémon, he handled everything himself. With the addition of Audino and other Pokémon to help, the idea of hiring a breeder seemed less pressing.

As the business flourished and the number of Pokémon in the Ecopark increased, Yuga realized that relying solely on himself and Audino would eventually become insufficient.

However, he decided that this was something to consider down the line. For now, they could manage the workload.