Spring Festival

On this day, Mayor Ishida approached Yuga, expressing his desire to organize a Spring Festival as spring was drawing to a close. He asked Yuga for assistance in planning the festival.

According to Mayor Ishida, he intended for the Spring Festival to become a traditional event in Verdanturf Town, hoping it would bring blessings for the town's future prosperity.

Yuga, naturally, agreed with this plan. As an agricultural town, holding a festival at the beginning of the year's spring season could effectively boost everyone's enthusiasm for labor.

Verdanturf Town originally had two traditional festivals each year: one was the Harvest Festival in the fall, celebrating a year of bountiful harvests, and the other was the New Year Festival at the year's end, praying for a smooth and prosperous next year.

Since Yuga's arrival, he had participated in both of these festivals every year, and they were some of the liveliest times in Verdanturf Town throughout the year.

Now that the residents of Verdanturf Town were enjoying improved lives, it was a good idea to have more activities enriching their lives.

With Yuga's assistance, Mayor Ishida began preparing for the Spring Festival enthusiastically.

Upon learning about the upcoming festival, the townspeople were excited and eagerly cooperated with Mayor Ishida's efforts.

Originally, Cynthia had planned to leave Verdanturf Town and return to the Sinnoh region. However, upon hearing about the festival, she decided to stay a while longer.

This gave her the opportunity to train her newly acquired Pokémon, Litwick, during her stay in Verdanturf Town.

Preparing for the festival was a complex task, and it required not only Yuga's cooperation as the Gym Leader but also assistance from Liliana and Joyka in managing safety and medical support during the event.

Mayor Ishida intended to make this festival more grandiose than usual, aiming to attract tourists from neighboring towns, thus boosting Verdanturf Town's revenue.

The local media in the town enthusiastically supported Mayor Ishida's promotional efforts, and soon, news of the upcoming Spring Festival in Verdanturf Town spread to surrounding towns.

Originally, Verdanturf Town was just a modest agricultural town, It was not as well-known in Fangyuan Theory as it was not far from Lavaridge Town and Littleroot Town who is also agricultural towns.

It was also nestled between the bustling cities of Mauville City and Rustboro City, make it no sense of existence compared to these big cities

In fact, towns like Verdanturf Town were quite common in the Hoenn region, with many similar towns nearby facing similar situations.

However, in recent years, Verdanturf Town had been developing rapidly and thriving. It was starting to stand out among neighboring towns and had a sense of uniqueness.

Of course, they couldn't have achieved this without everyone's hard work, as well as the support from the Pokémon League.

Since the establishment of the Verdanturf Gym, the Pokémon League had provided significant support in terms of policies and funding, allowing Verdanturf Town to progress. This was a crucial reason why Mayor Ishida was confident in pursuing ambitious projects.

So, having a Gym in town versus not having one made a significant difference in development.

Of course, this was also due to the League's investment in Yuga, the Champion of their generation's Gym Challenge.

In any case, as Verdanturf Town's reputation grew, more and more people were willing to visit.

After Mayor Ishida announced the Spring Festival, Verdanturf Town experienced a surge in visitors, and the local hotels and restaurants were bustling with activity.

The more visitors, the more motivated the townspeople became.

For the long-term development of Verdanturf Town, everyone was putting in their best efforts.

During the Spring Festival, Yuga's Verdanturf Gym remained closed and did not accept any challengers.

This decision was in line with the League's regulations for Gyms.

When a Gym was located in an area with a major event, the Gym could choose not to be open for business during that time. Gym Leaders also had a responsibility to assist with significant town events.

Many challengers who had come to Verdanturf Town were disappointed that they couldn't challenge the Gym immediately. However, they were still looking forward to the spring festival in Verdanturf Town.

After days of preparations, the Spring Festival finally began amid the high expectations of Verdanturf Town's residents.

During the Spring Festival, YoYo Day Care operated only half a day each day, allowing the staff to enjoy the festival during the other half.

The theme of the first day of the festival was the "Spring Parade." The townspeople had collectively created beautiful floral floats, with the flowers carefully cultivated by Verdanturf Town's flower farmers.

In addition to the stunning flowers, each float featured a "Goddess of Spring" who symbolized the town's wish for prosperity in the coming spring.

These "Goddesses of Spring" were all young unmarried females under the age of twenty-five, and each one was elegantly dressed.

Among them was Lain, and she stood atop the first float of them all, which could be considered an additional form of special treatment for her by everyone in recognition of her role at YoYo Day Care.

Actually, Lain, Misaki, Anya, and the Paradise Hotel's Strawberry had all participated in the "Goddess of Spring" selection, but only Lain was chosen.

It wasn't that Misaki and Anya weren't beautiful, but the criteria for selection were quite mysterious, and Lain was indeed very beautiful.

In addition to the "Goddesses of Spring" and floral floats, there were many "dance helpers" accompanying the parade.

The dance performed by the helpers during the parade was a traditional and ancient ritual dance in the Pokémon world, expressing the wishes for a beautiful spring season to the deities.

All the helpers were young males because the parade lasted the entire day, and it was physically demanding, making it challenging for females.

Furthermore, the "Spring Dance" might sound gentle and beautiful, but in reality, it involved quite energetic and dynamic movements, truly a masculine dance.

Unfortunately, Yuga was among these male helpers.

Here in Verdanturf Town, Yuga was not known as the Gym Leader or the owner of YoYo Day Care but as an ordinary resident of Verdanturf Town. He was just one of the ordinary residents working hard to make the Spring Festival a success.

At the strong insistence of the townspeople, Yuga was incorporated into the helper team.

In everyone's eyes, being selected for the dance team itself is a blessing. The spring ritual dance used for the ceremony is indeed a very physically demanding dance.

In the period leading up to the Spring Festival, Yuga practiced with the dance team almost every day, sweating profusely and feeling exhausted before returning home.

Fortunately, although the spring dance is physically demanding, the movements are not difficult to learn.

The first day of the Spring Festival, the Spring Parade, was a great success.

Visitors were intrigued by the floats with both people and Pokémon parading together, and the entire Verdanturf Town was lively during the event.

The final activity of the first day of the Spring Parade was the prayer ceremony of the "Goddess of Spring," held at the oldest shrine in Verdanturf Town.

This shrine, though small, had been around for many years and served as the venue for all major events in Verdanturf Town.

The deity originally worshipped at the shrine was long forgotten, and it now functioned merely as a "place."

The prayer ceremony of the "Goddess of Spring" had nothing to do with Yuga and the dance team.

Yuga watched as the goddesses and Grass-type Pokémon descended from the floats and entered the shrine, taking a break from the festivities.

During the parade, Yuga had been both exhausted and hungry. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his back and turned around to find Flannery, whom he hadn't seen in a while.

"Flannery! You're here too! Why didn't you let me know in advance?" Yuga was surprised to see Flannery.

However, since Lavaridge Town was not far from Verdanturf Town, it was normal for Flannery to come for a visit.

"Surprises wouldn't be surprises if I told you in advance! I actually arrived early. I saw how you danced earlier; it was pretty good," Flannery said with a smile.

Yuga chuckled and replied, "I can't really say it was 'pretty good,' but I barely pass it. Did you come alone?"

Flannery replied indignantly, "Why can't I come alone?"

"That's not what I meant!"

Flannery was, after all, a Trainer, so it was perfectly fine for her to visit a nearby town.

"Never mind that; let's go inside and see your prayer ceremony. I heard it's quite spectacular!" Flannery suggested.

After saying that, Flannery pulled Yuga into the crowd and squeezed to the front of the shrine.

The prayer ceremony had already begun.

In the center of the shrine, a wooden altar had been set up, and all the "Goddess of Springs" were dressed in identical costumes and makeup, neatly arranged around the altar. Grass-type Pokémon stood or hovered beside them.

The ceremony was not led by a human but by a Pokémon, a graceful and beautiful one—Yuga's Florges. Having a Pokémon preside over such a grand prayer ceremony was a first for everyone, and it was quite astonishing.

"Is that your Florges?"

The scene was very quiet at this time, and Flannery asked Yuga in a low voice.

Yuga nodded and made a quiet gesture to Flannery. Flannery knew that the atmosphere was not right and quickly made a shut-up gesture.

The Florges on the altar released an inexplicable series of cries. At her command, two green rings of light appeared—one in the sky and one on the ground—expanding continuously.

The moment the rings of light appeared, the Grass-type Pokémon beneath the shrine seemed to receive a signal. Flying Pokémon like Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff all took flight, forming a circle in the sky under Florges moves.

While Pokémon like Oddish, Gloom, Bellossom, and Vileplume took their positions on the ground also use Grassy Terrain.

With numerous Grass-type Pokémon simultaneously using their moves, and the shining green light gave the entire shrine a layer of brilliance, like a miracle. The sight was nothing short of breathtaking.

The combination of Grassy Terrains in the sky and on the ground converged on the Florges, causing her own ring of light to suddenly expand, enveloping all the spectators within the shrine.

Those enveloped by the light felt as though they were soaking in a warm spring bath during the dead of winter, an extremely comfortable and soothing sensation. All the fatigue from a day of sightseeing seemed to disappear instantly.

It's so amazing! Everyone thinking the same thing.

After the Grass-type Pokémon had continued to use their moves on the field for about five minutes, the spectators regained their senses. The Grass-type Pokémon and the Florges had ceased using their abilities.

"Was that the Grassy Terrain? It felt incredibly comfortable!"

Some people were left longing, wishing they could have remained in that blissful state forever.

"Whose Pokémon is that Florges?"

Someone had identified the core of the matter.

"It must belong to that legendary Verdanturf Gym Leader, right?"

...

In any case, the first day of the Spring Festival in Verdanturf Town ended successfully, leaving a deep impression on all the tourists.

The Grassy Terrain in Verdanturf Town are amazing!

After the prayer ceremony, visitors were free to participate in various activities in Verdanturf Town, including food stalls, games, and more. Even during the night, Verdanturf Town remained lively, ensuring that visitors would never feel bored.

"Your Pokémon keeps getting stronger!" Flannery commented on their way back to the Pokémon Center.

Thinking back to when they first met, Flannery's Quilava and Yuga's Floette used to have intense battles.

Now, her Typhlosion couldn't even catch up to Yuga's Floette.

Yuga simply smiled and didn't respond.

As they walked along the way, Yuga suddenly noticed Cynthia, Misaki, and Anya standing in front of an ice cream stall. Cynthia seemed puzzled, while Misaki and Anya appeared exasperated.

"Hey! What are you all doing here?" Yuga asked as he approached the trio.

Anya and Misaki hadn't spoken yet, but Cynthia immediately looked up and said, "I can't decide which flavor to choose. I want to try chocolate, but the vanilla looks good too, and there's also coffee, strawberry... The shop owner recommends them all..."

Yuga couldn't help but sweatdrop at Cynthia's indecisiveness.

"How long have you been here?"

"Over twenty minutes."

Misaki replied helplessly. The shop owner opposite also hesitated to speak.

"Hey, Cynthia, we might be inconveniencing the vendor like this. How about we each get one of every flavor?" Yuga suggested.

Cynthia immediately felt embarrassed and apologized to the vendor. Following Yuga's suggestion, they ordered one of each flavor, knowing that if they couldn't finish them, they could share with Misaki, Anya, and the others.

After all, they were all adults, and there was no need to make choices when you could have them all.

Of course, Yuga footed the bill. After all, it wasn't easy for her to visit Verdanturf Town, and he could afford a few ice creams.

As it was getting late, and after a full day of outdoor activities, Cynthia and the others didn't have the desire to continue exploring. They decided to return with Yuga.

When they got back to the Store, Yuga unexpectedly found someone waiting for him.

"Ryuichi! What brings you here?" Yuga exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Ryuichi sitting in the lobby.

"Young Master! You're back!"

Ryuichi greeted him with a smile.

"I heard you were holding a festival, so I took the opportunity to come and see you and Lain. How have you been, Young Master?"

"I've been doing well, and Lain is fine too. She should be back soon. It's getting late today, and the festival will be even livelier tomorrow. You should enjoy yourself tomorrow," Yuga said, feeling delighted that Ryuichi had come to visit. He intended to host him well the next day.

Ryuichi happily replied, "I'm relieved to hear that you and Lain are doing well. I'll make sure to enjoy the festival you're hosting tomorrow. By the way, I brought a gift for you this time."

With that, he handed a Poké Ball to Yuga.

"What's this?" Yuga took the Poké Ball, curious about what kind of Pokémon Ryuichi had brought him.

Upon opening the Poké Ball, a red light emerged, revealing a round, chubby bird-like Pokémon in front of Yuga.

It was this Pokémon! Yuga was surprised and activated his Insight ability.

...

Type: Grass/Flying

Ability: Overgrow

Gender: Female

Potential: Blue

Level: 13

Moves: Tackle, Leafage, Peck, Omnious Wind

...

This Rowlet had a rare blue potential, and its ability was also a rare hidden ability.

It couldn't be denied that Ryuichi's gift was perfectly chosen. Yuga had two special abilities, one related to Grass-type and one related to Ghost-type Pokémon, and Rowlet's final evolution, Decidueye, was both a Grass-type and a Ghost-type Pokémon.

In terms of compatibility, there couldn't be a better match for Yuga than this Pokémon.

"This Rowlet is the offspring of my Decidueye, and it has excellent potential. I no longer need to train Pokémon myself, and Lain isn't a conventional Trainer either. It seemed most suitable to entrust her training to you, Young Master," Ryuichi explained.

Yuga nodded and said, "Thank you, Ryuichi."

He remember that Ryuichi indeed have an Elite level Decidueye. It's not surprising that its offspring also has such outstanding potential.

"Rowlet, I look forward to working with you in the future," Yuga crouched down, gently patting Rowlet's round head. The feeling of her leaf-like feathers in his hand was quite extraordinary.

Rowlet was often male, but this one was a rare female.

"Row...let..."

Rowlet nuzzled Yuga's palm and suddenly fluttered her wings, landing on Yuga's shoulder. She affectionately rubbed her head against Yuga's cheek, showing a very friendly and sociable demeanor.

She was a Pokémon that wasn't shy around strangers.

As Yuga interacted with Rowlet, he continued to chat with Ryuichi, and Lain came back not long after.

It had been a long time since they had seen each other, and Yuga didn't want to interrupt the father and daughter reunion.

Yuga had also been tired from a day of activities, so after returning home, he found some food to fill his stomach, took a shower, and went to bed early.

The next morning, the streets of Verdanturf Town were bustling again. The main theme of today's Spring Festival was a special agricultural product exhibition.

The town's marketplaces were all open, showcasing beautiful flowers, delicious berrys, fresh vegetables, and more. In addition to these, there were various gourmet dishes, handicrafts, and competitions related to agricultural products.

Compared to agricultural products from other regions, those grown by Grass-type Pokémon on the specially cultivated Grassy Terrain in Verdanturf Town were more delicious and had a unique taste.

However, this didn't concern Yuga and the others. They ran the Day Care and weren't involved in agriculture.

Due to the exceptional performance of the Grass-type Pokémon at the festival the previous day, many tourists became interested in Yuga's Day Care. Business at the Day Care had boomed more than usual.

However, during the Spring Festival, Yuga's Day Care only operated for half a day, working in the morning and closing in the afternoon.

Besides, although there was no limit to the number of low level Pokémon they could produce, they couldn't suddenly produce a large quantity in a short time. Many visitors left empty-handed.

Still, items such as Pokéblocks and incense sold exceptionally well, reaching several times the usual sales volume.

No wonder Mayor Ishida was so enthusiastic in promoting the festival. These tourists certainly had substantial spending power, and over the past few days, everyone in Verdanturf Town seemed to have profited.

In the morning, Yuga gave Lain the day off to spend time with Ryuichi and enjoy the festival.

During lunchtime, Yuga had Audino prepare a sumptuous meal for Ryuichi, almost leaving him speechless with delight. Audino's cooking skills had become increasingly exquisite.

In the afternoon, Yuga, the staff from his center, and the kids from the gym all went to the festival together and had a great time.

The children at the gym were still quite young, and their daily lives were usually quite mundane. Yuga didn't hold them back during the festival and let them enjoy themselves fully. Opportunities like these were rare.

Suzuki Koen's son, Dian, was now over five years old and had recently joined the Trainer School in Verdanturf Town. He could be considered the younger brother of the four kids from the gym.

These children got along well and held hands while exploring the festival together.

Speaking of Dian, when he joined the Trainer School and had to choose a starter Pokémon, he chose Strawberry, the Skitty that his mother had purchased from Yuga's Day Care.

Strawberry was a Skitty with yellow potential, and given Suzuki Koen's status at YoYo Day Care, Yuga could have easily offered Dian a green potential starter Pokémon at a discounted price.

Suzuki Koen had the means to provide Dian with a green potential Pokémon, but Strawberry had always been with Dian, and the bond between them was deep. Dian insisted on having Strawberry as his starter Pokémon, and Suzuki had no choice but to agree.

Interestingly, Dian's Skitty and Strawberry in Yuga's Pokémon Paradise Hotel still shared the same name, which was quite a coincidence.

Once, Strawberry had wandered into the paradise and played with the stray Pokémon. When Dian waent looking for her, he kept calling her name, and it just happened that the employee Strawberry heard him, thinking Dian was calling her. Only later did she realize it was a coincidence.

On the third day of the Spring Festival, which was also the last and liveliest day, the theme event was the Grass-Type Pokémon Farming Contest.

This was an event in which both tourists and locals from Verdanturf Town could participate.

Participants were required to have a Grass-Type Pokémon as their partner and were given a specific plant provided by Verdanturf Town. Together with their Grass-Type Pokémon, they had to take care of this plant.

Each participant had six hours from the moment they received the plant. In these six hours, the goal was to take the best care of the plant. The one who did it best would be crowned the champion.

The plants provided to participants were all seedlings from local farmers' fields in Verdanturf Town, and they were not in the best condition. It was easy to accidentally harm them.

So, the contestants and their Grass-Type Pokémon had to figure out how to care for the plants, making it a real test for them.

Of course, this contest favored the locals of Verdanturf Town, as most of them were skilled farmers and knew a lot about crops.

However, fairness didn't exist in the world, and this event was originally organized for the local residents of Verdanturf Town as part of their festival. So, it was understandable that the locals would have some advantages.

There were rewards for the competition. The top three winners not only received cash prizes but also Vitality Pokéblocks provided by Yuga's Day Care.

It's worth noting that Vitality Pokéblocks from YoYo Day Care were not sold separately to the public, except at League Stores and Aroma Day Care.

The champion received six months' worth of Vitality Pokéblocks, the runner-up got three months' worth, and the third-place winner received one month's worth.

The most important part is that the champion not only receives cash and Pokéblocks as rewards but also gets a Green potential Pokémon as a prize.

Even the lowest tier Green potential Pokémon, like a Wurmple, is worth tens of thousands. If it's a Pokémon that the champion doesn't particularly like, they can still sell it for a significant profit.

Of course, the cost of the Green potential Pokémon prize, even though provided by YoYo Day Care, is covered by Mayor Ishida's public budget, considering he is the primary organizer of the festival.

As a Gym Leader, Yuga already made a diligent effort by providing so many Pokéblocks as rewards.

However, the specific species of Green potential Pokémon awarded to the champion was not disclosed by Yuga or Mayor Ishida in advance.

Many people registered for the competition, primarily because the prize of a Green potential Pokémon for the champion was indeed very tempting.

Cynthia, Lain, and Anya all signed up, but Misaki didn't have a Grass-Type Pokémon, so she could only watch with envy.

Overall, the residents of Verdanturf Town had a significant advantage as they all had access to Grassy Terrains, making their Grass-Type Pokémon more proficient than those of other participants.

Cynthia's Roserade was powerful, but it neither understood farming nor could use Grassy Terrains. So after bringing back a seedling, Cynthia and Roserade were at a loss for what to do.

Lain's Whimsicott and Lilligant, on the other hand, had been crafting incense for years, giving them exposure to many plants. While they also couldn't use Grassy Terrains, their knowledge helped them perform better than Cynthia and Roserade.

After Anya brought back her plant seedling, her four younger siblings gathered around, offering all sorts of advice. However, her siblings also wanted to participate, but their Eevee hadn't evolved yet, and they didn't have any Grass-Type Pokémon, so they couldn't qualify.

To prevent cheating, each participant was assigned a supervisor. These supervisors were the stray Pokémon sheltered in Yuga's Pokémon Paradise and some of Yuga's patrolling Pokémon.

If any participant was caught cheating, the supervisors would report it to Yuga.

In reality, many participants were like Cynthia and found themselves clueless when they looked at the seemingly withered plants. They just didn't know where to start.

Some participants, in their desperation, resorted to pouring water, loosening the soil, and even singing love songs directly to their plants.

Comparatively, the residents of Verdanturf Town performed much better, as this was their area of expertise. After all, farming was their livelihood.

Around 5 or 6 in the afternoon, the competition officially ended, and participants began returning with their plants, some accompanied by Pokémon. Anyone returning after this time, no matter how well they cared for their plants, would have their qualifications canceled.

The competition's judges were experienced elderly farmers from Verdanturf Town, numbering over twenty, to ensure that the judging process was meticulous.

Yuga wasn't a participant or a judge; he was merely the host of the competition. He followed the judges to inspect each participant's efforts. As he expected, many participants' plants had already died, including the talented Trainer Cynthia.

As Yuga passed by her, he couldn't help but smile wryly when he saw her empty flowerpot. She and Roserade looked disheartened.

It was evident that while Cynthia was a training prodigy, she was completely out of her element when it came to farming.

Lain's situation was much better than Cynthia's. Although her plant didn't appear entirely healthy, at least its stem was still standing, and it was intact, not a lifeless husk.

She glanced at Cynthia nearby, then at Anya on the other side, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

Interestingly, the youngest of the three, Anya, was performing the best. Her potted plant was lush and looked incredibly healthy, clearly showing great care and dedication.

However, based on Yuga's observations, while Anya did well, she was only above average compared to all the participants and far from winning a prize.

After the evaluation by over twenty judges, the results of the competition were announced shortly.

The third place went to Arata Sena's father, Arata Hayato. Yuga wasn't surprised by this, given that Hayato was the owner of a large vegetable farming base. His abilities in this area were commendable.

The second place was awarded to a florist from Verdanturf Town. This middle-aged woman, usually unassuming, unexpectedly stood out in the competition.

To Yuga's surprise, the first place winner was neither an outsider nor a local resident of Verdanturf Town but a researcher from the Ancient Plant Research Institute on the outskirts of the town.

This researcher showed up in his white lab coat, with large black-framed glasses, and was still lost in thought when Yuga called his name.

In Yuga's eyes, he couldn't distinguish any significant difference between the winners. However, the experienced judges, having spent a lifetime farming and working closely with crops, could easily discern the superior performances.

The prize that Yuga awarded to the first-place winner was an Oddish capable of learning the move "Grassy Terrain." Given that the winner was from the Ancient Plant Research Institute, having an Oddish skilled in Grassy Terrain would undoubtedly be beneficial to him.

Yuga's arrangement was indeed considerate.

With the conclusion of this competition, the Verdanturf Town Spring Festival came to a successful end. The only event left was the evening's grand finale – the fireworks display.