Dispute

While the children were eating, Beidou approached Yuga and pulled him aside near the door, explaining the background of these children.

It turned out that these children were all orphans, specifically the children of the former workers at this paper mill.

Back when the factory was shut down, there had been a conflict between the factory workers and the factory owner. The reason was that the factory owner, faced with mounting losses, refused to pay the workers their agreed-upon wages.

As tensions escalated, the factory owner resorted to violence and hired trainers to intimidate the workers. However, the workers were uncompromising, leading to a further escalation of the conflict, eventually resulting in a tragic bloodshed.

The trainers, who considered themselves superior, felt insulted and disrespected. Consequently, they ordered their Pokémon to attack the workers. This reckless action left over a hundred workers injured, with over thirty fatalities, including some married couples.

Although the trainers and the factory owner were eventually arrested, the deceased could not be brought back to life.

The children left behind by these murdered couples were the ones Yuga and Beidou were now visiting, a total of six children from two families. Anya and her two twin brothers formed one family, while Akihiro and his younger brother and sister constituted the other.

The Pokémon League did have orphanages for children without parents, but there was a strict age limit of ten years to qualify, as that was the age deemed capable of working.

Both Anya and Akihiro had surpassed this age limit.

Their younger siblings adamantly refused to be separated from their older brothers and sisters, and the League staff handling the situation had no choice but to allow Anya and Akihiro to live on their own.

Thus, two children who had just crossed the age of ten were burdened with the responsibility of raising their younger siblings. At that time, Anya was only ten years old, and Akihiro was just eleven.

With no one to rely on, they chose to become a family and lived together, supporting each other.

The factory owner, despite losing his fortune due to the massive compensation claims, couldn't pay much to the injured workers due to the large number of victims.

Although the compensation they received was not substantial, Anya and Akihiro's families received slightly more than others because two people from each of their families had died.

With this compensation money, they managed to get by, although their lives weren't luxurious by any means.

However, there were unscrupulous individuals in the world who took advantage of the children's innocence and, through deceit, swindled away all their money.

Back then, Anya and Akihiro were both very naive, completely unaware of the dangers and treachery that existed in society, and they fell victim to these schemes.

With their compensation money gone, they struggled to make ends meet for over two years, relying on the meager wages from their work and the minimal support provided by the Pokémon League.

Now, both Anya and Akihiro were a bit older, and their lives had improved somewhat, but they still often went without meals, making them appear quite frail.

Yuga had initially assumed that the petite Anya was still under ten years old, but to his surprise, she was already twelve, her small stature a result of long-term malnutrition.

Among the six children, Akihiro was the oldest, at thirteen, and he served as the family's primary breadwinner.

After hearing about Anya and Akihiro's experiences, Yuga felt a sense of admiration for their resilience. However, he couldn't help but wonder why Beidou had shared this story with him.

"So, you told me all of this because...?" Yuga inquired curiously.

"Because you wanted to train some people, right? I hope you'll take them under your wing!"

Beidou stated firmly.

These children reminded him of his own past.

He too had been an orphan, never even meeting his parents. He had grown up in an orphanage, and his name had been given to him by the orphanage's director.

If it hadn't been for a fortunate stroke of luck that led him to receive a fairly talented Skitty as his initial Pokémon, setting him on the path to becoming a Pokémon Trainer, he couldn't fathom where he'd be right now or what kind of life he'd be living.

That's why he hoped Yuga would give these children a chance as well, allowing them to embark on the journey of becoming Trainers and altering their own destinies.

Yuga contemplated for a moment before saying, "Taking them in isn't a big issue, but can you guarantee that they will all grow to the level I desire? I am a businessman, and I don't engage in ventures that are bound to incur losses."

While this might sound somewhat heartless, it was the harsh reality. Yuga wasn't a Philantropist, and he didn't have an abundance of wealth to spend recklessly. Therefore, those he selected had to go through a rigorous screening process.

Beidou quickly assured him, "I promise you, I will educate them well, and they won't disappoint you."

Yuga countered, "A promise? What do you have to guarantee that? The future is uncertain, and how can you ensure that they will definitely grow to meet my expectations?"

"But you can't guarantee the same with anyone else."

"I can select individuals who have already embarked on the path of trainers and have shown promise," Yuga said.

Yuga's words silenced Beidou.

Indeed, there were countless Pokémon Trainers in the world, and as long as he was willing to invest, he could easily find capable individuals. There was no need to invest his time and effort in uncertain children.

Watching Beidou's diminishing enthusiasm, Yuga felt a pang of sympathy, but he had spoken the truth.

"Why do you want to help them? They have no relation to you whatsoever."

Beidou raised his head, glanced at the children who were happily eating, and revealed a smile.

"Seeing them reminds me of my own past. Back then, I left the orphanage at just ten years old, and our lives were so similar. Our greatest wish every day was to have enough to eat."

Yuga listened to Beidou's words and couldn't help but furrow his brow. While he knew that Beidou had grown up alone, he hadn't imagined he had experienced such a life.

"But have you ever considered whether they willingly want to become Pokémon Trainers? Have you asked for their input when making decisions for them? Have you obtained their consent?"

Yuga posed a series of questions that gradually darkened Beidou's expression.

Indeed, these were all his own assumptions, and he hadn't asked these children for their opinions.

Being a Pokémon Trainer was undeniably one of the easiest ways to change one's destiny, but it was also one of the most perilous occupations. Not everyone was willing to forsake a comfortable life to embark on this path.

Beidou sighed and admitted, "You're right; I've been too presumptuous. I never actually asked for their opinions."

"I'm willing to do it. I want to become a Pokémon Trainer!"

At that moment, the door to the wooden house was suddenly pushed open, and a lean, dark-haired boy barged in.