Upon hearing Yuga's response, Steven thought for a moment and said, "I can't make that decision myself. I'll ask about it for you, and if it's possible, I'll let you know."
Yuga replied casually, "Go ahead and ask; I'll be waiting for your reply."
In the following days, Yuga's life returned to its usual routine, but he had added two new tasks to his daily schedule: one was to continue practicing playing the Moon Flute, and the other was to regularly help Misaki with making Pokéblock.
Yuga's sudden diligence made Misaki wonder if something was wrong. She had only seen such a hardworking boss when she first started working at the Pokémon Day Care. Back then, there weren't enough hands in the shop, and Yuga frequently helped make Pokéblock.
Once the Pokémon Day Care's operations stabilized, Yuga became more of a hands-off manager.
Improving his skills in making Pokéblock wasn't something that could be achieved overnight; it required a lot of practice to build up. Misaki had reached a high level because thousands of Pokéblock had been created under her care.
Yuga still had a long way to go.
Fortunately, Yuga wasn't the type of person who couldn't be relied upon; he had decent talent when it came to making Pokéblock.
Four days later, Yuga received another call from Steven, who informed him that his request for tax exemption had been approved.
In the Pokémon world, having a tax-exempt status is not uncommon for businesses, but it usually comes as a result of significant contributions to the League. Additionally, there are limits on the scale of businesses that can achieve this status. For example, a company like Devon Corporation, regardless of how much it contributes to the League, would never qualify for tax exemption.
Although the YoYo Day Care had seen impressive profits over the years, it was still just a single entity, unlike larger Pokémon Day Care that have multiple branches. Without that scale, no matter how good the business was, its profits remained limited.
Thus, the League could afford to lose the small amount of tax revenue from YoYo Day Care each year.
Having a tax exemption is a considerable honor for any business because it signifies that the company has made a substantial contribution to the League.
While YoYo Day Care hadn't made any groundbreaking contributions to the League, Yuga, as the owner, had done quite a bit for the League over the years, making the tax exemption for YoYo Day Care not unreasonable.
Moreover, the tax exemption for YoYo Day Care was a reward from the Hoenn League to Yuga, and the League Headquarters was also preparing a reward.
The autonomy of the League's branches is quite high, with independent tax authority. Since YoYo Day Care is a business in the Hoenn region, its taxes fall under the jurisdiction of the Hoenn League branch.
However, because the Hoenn League branch granted Yuga this major prize of a tax exemption, the reward from Headquarters was somewhat diminished; they only sent him a Goodra as a gift.
The Goodra was sent from the Kalos League to Professor Oak's laboratory for research purposes, and after the study was completed, it was transferred to Yuga by the League Headquarters.
Without the Hoenn League's tax exemption policy, it would indeed be inappropriate for the Headquarters to reward Yuga, who had made such significant contributions, with just a single Goodra, but now it seemed perfectly fitting.
Yuga himself was very satisfied with the Headquarters' reward; the Goodra was a pleasant surprise for him. Even if the Headquarters had given him nothing else, he would still have been content with the tax exemption policy, as the League had never failed to treat him well over the years, consistently providing generous rewards.
After finishing the call with Steven, Yuga quickly received the Poké Ball containing the Goodra that he had sent over.
...
[ Goodra ]
Type: Dragon
Ability: Hydration
Gender: Female
Potential: Blue
Level: 50
Move: Bubble, Bide, Dragon Breath, Rain Dance, Dragon Pulse, Muddy Water, Aqua Tail, Outrage, Power Whip, Counter, Endure, Draco Meteor, Water Pulse, Iron Tail, Substitute, Dragon Tail, Sludge Wave, Sludge Bomb, Earthquake, Thunderbolt, Thunder.
...
After looking over the data for Goodra, Yuga was quite surprised. He had expected the Headquarters to send him an ordinary green potential Goodra, but it turned out to be a blue potential one.
Moreover, this Goodra seemed to have recently evolved and appeared very youthful, resembling a "graceful young lady."
As a Pokémon that had spent time at Professor Oak's laboratory, this Goodra was also exceptional in skill acquisition; even at level 50, it had already learned a considerable number of skills.
However, upon reflection, Yuga understood that since this Goodra was chosen as a research subject by Professor Oak, it must be an outstanding individual, making such impressive stats quite normal.
"Goodra, from now on, this will be your home. I hope we get along well!" Yuga said with a smile directed at Goodra.
"Goodra!"
Not only was this Goodra gentle in nature, but it was also very affectionate towards people. Upon hearing Yuga's greeting, it beamed with joy and then hugged Yuga tightly.
Goodra's skin was incredibly smooth, covered with a layer of special mucus. It felt very much like the skin of a Lapras, but even slicker.
Lapras's skin is wet and slippery, while Goodra's skin is sticky and slippery, which makes some people find the mucus on Goodra's skin off-putting.
Goodra, being a herbivorous type, had relatively less mucus on its body and drier skin. However, for Goodra with the Hydration ability and slimy characteristics, their skin secretes more mucus, which can indeed be unpleasant for those who dislike it.
Nonetheless, Yuga felt that he could still accept it.
After spending some time bonding with Goodra, Yuga spoke up, "Alright, let me show you your new home."
Under Yuga's guidance, Goodra arrived at the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, where it saw many dragon-type Pokémon companions.
With its gentle personality and friendly demeanor, Goodra was well-received by everyone in the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, especially by the younger ones. It didn't take long before it became friends with a group of Jangmo-o and Swablu.
Dratini also quickly grew fond of the new older sister, especially since its little buddy, Sneasel, had been spending so much time with that Alolan Persian lately and hadn't come to play with it for a long time. So, Dratini decided to find a new friend too.
Goodra was very satisfied with its new home; not only did it have many companions, but the environment was also excellent. Its favorite spot was the Dragon Lake, where the Horsea lived, and they were very friendly towards it.
Goodra loves moist conditions and usually inhabits humid marshlands or tropical rainforests, which is also why most Goodra excel in water-type skills.
Seeing that Goodra had quickly become the star of the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, Yuga felt relieved and left.
Two days later, the YoYo Day Care received the license and certificate sent by the League, all pertaining to the tax exemption policy.
Yuga displayed the license at the entrance of the Pokémon Day Care and placed the certificate at the reception desk so that customers could see them as soon as they entered. This also served as a form of promotion.
On the official website of the YoYo Day Care, the tax exemption logo was added by Windy, and indeed, the business of the Pokémon Day Care improved significantly in the following days, gaining even greater recognition.
The benefits of the tax exemption policy extended beyond just the YoYo Day Care itself; the small Pokémon Day Care that collaborated with YoYo Day Care also saw better business. They catered to ordinary people, and in many people's eyes, the tax exemption at YoYo Day Care was equivalent to an authoritative certification from the League.
One day, after finishing his Pokeblock-making practice with Misaki, Yuga returned to find Aria chatting with Ayaka in the store.
The official promotional plan for the Hoenn Pokémon Contest, jointly organized by the Hoenn and Sinnoh Pokemon Contest authorities, was set to last for a month. Since the event was still ongoing, Aria and the others participating had not yet left.
When Aria saw Yuga come back, her eyes lit up, and she immediately got up from her chair and walked over.
"I told you, without an appointment or a membership card, we can't sell you any Pokémon," Yuga said helplessly, thinking Aria had finally given up, but here she was again today.
As soon as Yuga finished speaking, Aria slapped a membership card on the table: "This should be enough, right?"
Yuga was astonished as he looked at the membership card: she really managed to get one! Whose is it?
Yuga's membership cards were limited in number, so he was curious where Aria got hers.
Yuga handed the membership card to Suzuki Koen, who checked the number on the card in the computer and quickly found the result—it belonged to Robert.
How did Robert give her the membership card? Yuga wondered. Could it be that they were in a relationship?
Seeing Yuga looking at her with a strange expression, Aria said awkwardly, "Now that I have a membership card, hurry up and arrange for my Pokémon!"
Actually, Yuga had misunderstood Robert. The reason Robert gave Aria his membership spot this year was simply because he was in dire need of money after buying a Larvesta.
Robert was currently working as a teacher in the Pokémon Contest Promotional Project, so he had many opportunities to interact with Aria. After Aria learned that Robert had a membership card from YoYo Day Care, she offered to buy his spot for this year's purchase of Pokémon from the Pokémon Day Care.
Robert thought that keeping the Larvesta was already financially straining, and he had no plans to train new Pokémon for the time being, so he might as well sell this spot to get some "milk money" for his kid. He agreed to Aria's proposal.
Thus, the two of them quickly reached an agreement.
Once Suzuki Koen finished registering the information on the membership card, Yuga returned it to Aria and said, "Follow me." He then led her into the guest room.
"These are the Pokémon currently available for purchase with the membership card. Take a look and see what you want," Yuga said as he handed Aria a list filled with Pokémon names and their prices.
As Aria glanced over the list of various Pokémon, she was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected there to be so many options for buying Pokémon at YoYo Day Care. It truly lived up to its reputation, and she felt her money was well spent.
After scanning through the names on the list, Aria almost got overwhelmed with choices. After much hesitation, she finally chose Flabébé. Although Flabébé's price was higher compared to other Pokémon of the same quality, she simply adored it and could afford the expense.
After acquiring Flabébé, Aria left the YoYo Day Care, fully satisfied.
Once she was gone, Yuga thought of Aunt Johanna, who, like Robert, was still serving as a teacher In the Pokémon Contest Promotional Project in Verdantuf Town.
He silently decided: I should invite Aunt Johanna over for dinner tonight!
After all, she's family, and since she's in Verdantuf Town, it's only right to take care of her. He had been back for several days but had yet to think of inviting Aunt Johanna to his home for a visit.
That evening, Yuga not only invited Aunt Johanna but also called his aunt and uncle over, and they all enjoyed a cheerful meal together.
From that day on, Yuga frequently invited Aunt Johanna over for dinner, occasionally including Robert, until the promotional project for the Pokémon Contest concluded and both of them left Verdantuf Town.
Today, Yuga was helping Misaki make Pokeblock as usual when suddenly, Clefairy and Mime Jr. rushed into the studio, both of them looking flustered.
"Clefairy, Clefairy, Clefairy!" Clefairy flailed its arms, and Mime Jr. chimed in energetically.
"Are you saying that the Great Flygon is outside fighting with someone?"
Before the two little guys could respond, Yuga had already stepped out of the studio.
As he exited the new store, he immediately spotted two Pokémon battling in the air. One was the Great Flygon, which often patrolled Verdantuf Town, and the other was a strange Braviary.
Bang, bang, bang...
The sound of collisions filled the air as the two Pokémon crashed into each other with their powerful bodies, neither able to gain the upper hand.
It's important to note that the Great Flygon was a pseudo-Elite level Pokémon. For it to be evenly matched against the Braviary was a testament to the latter's impressive strength.
Neither Pokémon was using energy attacks; it was purely a battle of strength, so the fight in the air did not affect the ground below. However, that didn't stop a crowd from gathering to watch the spectacle.
Everyone recognized the Great Flygon; it was known as the aerial guardian of the YoYo Day Care, or rather, Verdantuf Town. The unfamiliar Braviary, however, was a mystery to them.
Seeing that the battle wasn't causing any trouble, Yuga didn't rush to intervene; he trusted the Great Flygon to know its limits.
At that moment, a mature-looking young man rushed over, his gaze fixed on the Braviary in the air. It was easy to guess he was the Pokémon's trainer.
This young man was not only dressed unusually in rare ethnic clothing but also had striking features, with hair that was half black and half white.
Seeing him in such a hurry, Yuga speculated that he might be a traveler who had just arrived in Verdantuf Town.
The Great Flygon was consistently holding back its strength to avoid harming the residents below.
After using Dragon Claw to push the Braviary back once more, Flygon flapped its wings and flew above the Braviary before beginning to perform Dragon Dance, intending to finish the Braviary in one go.
As it successfully completed round after round of Dragon Dance, the Great Flygon's momentum continually increased. After reaching a critical point, it gritted its teeth and strengthened itself once more.
In the past, the Great Flygon was unable to reach its final stage of enhancement, but this time, it suddenly seemed to have broken through some barrier, and its momentum surged even higher.
Yuga, watching from below, noticed this too: Is it breaking through to the Elite level?
He was well aware that the increase in the Great Flygon's momentum wasn't solely due to the enhancements; it also stemmed from the power gained upon breaking through.