Relaxing Seaside Vacation

After the trip to the volcano, Charizard's strength had significantly increased, leaving Yuga in a good mood. Cheerfully, he continued on his way to Veilstone City. By the time he arrived, it was just getting dark.

Yuga knew where Reggie's house was, so he led Audino and Shoryu straight to the doorstep.

When he reached the front gate, he saw Reggie in the yard, moving something into the house. Yuga called out, "Reggie!"

Reggie froze at the sound of the voice, thinking he might have been hearing things. When he turned around and saw it was truly Yuga standing at the gate, he immediately dropped what he was holding and exclaimed in surprise and delight, "Yuga?!"

He ran over to the gate and gave Yuga a big hug. Yuga who is equally happy, patted his old friend on the back.

When they parted, Reggie gave Yuga a light punch and complained, "Why didn't you tell me in advance that you were coming to Veilstone City?"

"It wouldn't have been as much of a surprise that way," Yuga replied with a grin. Then he pulled Shoryu, who was standing to the side, forward and introduced him. "By the way, this is Shoryu. I came to Sinnoh this time specifically to get him treated. Shoryu, this is Reggie, my good friend."

"Hello, Brother Reggie," Shoryu greeted timidly. He wasn't used to interacting with people and still seemed a little shy.

"Hello, Shoryu," Reggie said warmly, patting the boy on the head. Then he turned to greet Audino. "Audino, you're here too! It's been such a long time!"

Though curious about the treatment Yuga mentioned for Shoryu, Reggie refrained from prying and didn't ask further.

"Audino~"

Audino waved happily at Reggie, smiling brightly.

"Alright, everyone, come on in," Reggie said after finishing the greetings. He eagerly pulled Yuga toward the house, calling out as he went, "Grandpa, come see who's here!"

As they reached the doorway, Reggie picked up the items he had been moving earlier. Yuga finally noticed they were plates for feeding Pokémon, and there were quite a few of them. They were bundled together in bags, and seeing that Reggie was struggling a bit, Yuga hurried forward to help carry some.

Reggie's grandfather, hearing his grandson's voice inside the house, thought something was wrong and came to the door to check. When he saw Yuga, he was just as surprised and delighted.

"Yuga! What a surprise! Come in, come in!"

Although they hadn't seen each other in a long time, Reggie's grandfather was still in excellent health, moving with energy and vigor. Over the years, Yuga had kept in touch with Reggie through video calls, so the grandfather was very familiar with Yuga. Moreover, this wasn't Yuga's first visit to Reggie's home.

"Hello, Grandpa, it's been so long! You're as strong as ever," Yuga said cheerfully as he walked up to greet him.

The grandfather chuckled. "Thanks to you, of course."

Thanks to Yuga's support, their Blue Sky Day Care business had improved significantly. Yuga had even sold them a Vespiquen, which had since produced many Combee. The sweet honey they harvested from these Combee brought in considerable profit.

With the financial pressures of running the day care eased, the grandfather's mindset improved, and naturally, so did his health.

Additionally, another reason for his excellent health was his long-term consumption of sweet honey. Sweet honey was highly nutritious, and regular consumption helped maintain his well-being. Without such benefits, it wouldn't fetch such a high price simply for its taste.

In the past, the Blue Sky Day Care was only slightly better off than other small Pokémon Day Care. Now, while not yet at the level of medium-sized Pokémon Day Care, they weren't far behind.

Once they were inside, the grandfather warmly hosted Yuga and his companions, while Reggie quickly tidied up rooms for them.

During their conversation, the grandfather asked about Shoryu. While he knew most things about Yuga's Pokémon Day Care, he didn't recall ever hearing about this child. Yuga then briefly explained Shoryu's story to him.

After listening, the grandfather felt deeply sympathetic toward Shoryu. At dinner, he was particularly kind and attentive to the boy. Initially, Shoryu had been a little frightened in this unfamiliar household, but the grandfather's enthusiasm quickly put him at ease, making him feel much more relaxed and comfortable.

Since Yuga's visit was so sudden, the household wasn't prepared, so Reggie kept dinner simple. Audino wanted to help with the cooking, but Reggie insisted it rest indoors, saying that guests shouldn't have to work and adamantly refusing to let it into the kitchen.

Reggie was a skilled cook. Though the meal was simple, it still ensured a delightful evening for everyone.

During dinner, Yuga asked about Paul. Reggie mentioned that he was still traveling and hadn't returned yet.

Due to Yuga's influence as a "butterfly effect," Paul's personality differed from the original story, and his relationship with his older brother Reggie was no longer strained. However, he still lost to Ash in the Sinnoh League tournament. As a result, Paul was now traveling in search of a breakthrough.

After dinner, Yuga chatted with Reggie and his grandfather for a while before heading to bed. The journey from Pastoria City to Veilstone City had been quite exhausting for him. The physically weaker Shoryu had gone to bed even earlier.

Since Yuga went to bed early, he also woke up early the next day, only to find that Reggie and his grandfather had risen even earlier.

Unlike YoYo Day Care, Blue Sky Day Care had fewer Pokémon helpers. While there were some, it wasn't as extensive as YoYo Day Care. Thus, Reggie and his grandfather had to personally handle almost everything, keeping them busy all day long.

Seeing them hard at work early in the morning, Yuga joined in to help, with Audino even taking the initiative to prepare breakfast for everyone.

As they worked, Reggie enthusiastically gave Yuga a tour of Blue Sky Day Care's Ecopark.

The Ecopark had originally been constructed under Reggie's grandfather's management. Back then, it was modest in scale. In recent years, with the Pokémon Day Care earning more income, Reggie had expanded it.

Compared to its earlier days, the Ecopark at Blue Sky Day Care had significantly improved in terms of the number, variety, and quality of Pokémon residing there.

In the Ecopark, Yuga spotted the Altaria that Reggie was meticulously nurturing.

These Altaria had originally been obtained when Reggie traded a Drapion with YoYo Day Care. They were now a key focus for Blue Sky Day Care, and many Swablu had already been bred.

Additionally, Yuga was shown a greenhouse that Reggie had built specifically for Vespiquen.

The cost of the greenhouse was far lower than the Ecopark. It was filled with flowers that Reggie had collected from various regions, some even grown from seeds Yuga had sent him—flowers originating from Yuga's Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.

Since most of the plants in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark came from the Pokémon world, sending seeds to Reggie wasn't an issue.

The greenhouse was exclusively home to Vespiquen and her Combee. The Combee diligently gathered nectar among the flowers, while Vespiquen lounged idly in her hive.

Reggie's Vespiquen hive was not as grand as the two in Yuga's Ecopark. While Yuga's could be called Amber Castle, Reggie's was merely a hive.

Nevertheless, the Sweet Honey produced by the Combee provided Blue Sky Day Care with significant profits.

Thanks to Yuga's assistance, Reggie and his grandfather finished their morning chores earlier than usual.

During breakfast, Reggie's grandfather said gratefully, "Thank you, Yuga, and Audino, for your hard work today."

Yuga replied with a smile, "It's no trouble at all. These are the kinds of tasks Audino and I handle all the time back home. Don't treat me like a guest—I see this place as my home too."

Hearing this, Reggie's grandfather laughed heartily and said, "Good, good! Treat it like your own home. Let's eat breakfast."

The breakfast prepared by Audino was praised by everyone. Reggie had tasted Audino's cooking before, but this was a first for his grandfather, who nearly sang its praises to the skies.

After breakfast, Reggie asked Yuga how long he planned to stay in Veilstone City. He wanted to invite Yuga to stay a few more days, but Yuga replied that he wouldn't be staying long and planned to return to Hoenn in a couple of days.

Feeling reluctant to part, Reggie decided to make the most of the next two days by taking Yuga, Shoryu, and Audino out to explore Veilstone City and show his hospitality.

In truth, Veilstone City didn't have many attractions. Neighboring cities like Pastoria City and Sunyshore City were bustling metropolises with large crowds, which made Veilstone City seem rather unremarkable in comparison.

However, one thing the three cities had in common was their proximity to the sea.

These three cities were located on a triangular landmass extending from the Sinnoh mainland into the ocean, with Sunyshore City at the tip of the triangle and Veilstone City and Pastoria City situated on the two sides of the triangle's base.

At the center of this triangular formation was Lake Valor, which Yuga had passed through on his way to Veilstone City.

Incidentally, two of Yuga's other friends, Volkner and Flint, were also nearby.

Volkner was the Gym Leader in Sunyshore City, just next door to Veilstone City. Flint, as one of Sinnoh's Elite Four, was likely at the Sinnoh League headquarters, which also wasn't far from Veilstone City.

However, since Yuga didn't plan to stay in Sinnoh for long, he had no intention of visiting them or even letting them know he was in the region.

After spending a day in Veilstone City, everyone found it a bit dull. Reggie then suggested going to the seaside, a proposal that was unanimously approved.

Fortunately, the area encompassing Veilstone City, Sunyshore City, and Pastoria City was the warmest region in Sinnoh. Even though autumn had arrived, it was still very warm, making a trip to the beach perfectly enjoyable.

Thus, on Yuga's third day in Veilstone City, the group set off for the seaside.

Once they arrived, Yuga and the others changed into swimwear and had a blast by the shore.

For this outing, Reggie brought along his main Pokémon team. Over the years, he had been so busy running Blue Sky Day Care that he rarely had the chance to bring them out. This trip was a rare opportunity, thanks to Yuga's visit.

Reggie had indeed made significant sacrifices to keep Blue Sky Day Care running.

The beach near Veilstone City wasn't very large; much of the coastline consisted of rocky shores and cliffs. However, this made it even more appealing to the group, as a purely sandy beach wouldn't have been as exciting.

After swimming for a while, Yuga proposed exploring the rocky shores nearby.

Since Verdanturf Town was located inland in Hoenn, Yuga seldom had the chance to experience the ocean. As a result, he was particularly enthusiastic about the outing. While he did have a shallow tidal flat subsidiary garden, which was spacious enough, its system-monitored environment was entirely visible and lacked any sense of adventure, failing to spark Yuga's interest in playing there.

Playing is always more enjoyable at a seaside location that offers a sense of adventure.

Shoryu, who had never played by the sea before, was even more excited than Yuga, splashing around in the water with unrestrained enthusiasm.

However, since Shoryu was still very young, Yuga didn't let him play too recklessly and assigned Vivillon to keep a close watch on him.

As a butterfly Pokémon, Vivillon didn't enjoy water and certainly had no interest in swimming, so it was quite happy to hover in the air and keep an eye on Shoryu.

Moreover, Vivillon could use Psychic-type moves, ensuring it could respond swiftly to any trouble Shoryu might encounter in the water.

Yuga also released Palossand, which was in its element by the seaside.

On reaching the sandy shore, Palossand absorbed plenty of water and sand, transforming into a modestly-sized castle that stood quietly soaking up the sun, thoroughly at ease.

Unlike Grass-type Pokémon like Decidueye, most Ghost-type Pokémon dislike sunlight. However, Palossand, which originated from Alola's tropical environment, thoroughly enjoyed it.

Before heading off to explore, Yuga sternly warned Palossand not to let wild Pokémon crawl into its body. If it disobeyed, it would face serious consequences upon their return.

The beach had its share of wild Pokémon, including ones like Krabby. If one accidentally wandered into Palossand's body, it could lead to utter chaos.

Palossand made a solemn promise to Yuga. Ever since it moved into Yuga's shadow space and had a taste of the Ghost World Origin Stone, the meager life energy of the outside world no longer held any appeal to it.

Mimikyu and Cosmoem were also released to join in the fun. Cosmoem enjoyed playing with Shoryu and Audino, while Mimikyu wasn't very interested.

Without its beloved Wigglytuff around, Mimikyu found no joy in playing alone. Instead, it quietly curled up in the shaded area on Palossand's rooftop and napped.

Except for Charizard, the other Pokémon, including the Grass-types, Lapras, and Florges, all had a great time.

The shallow tidal area where Yuga and the group were playing extended westward into a vast rocky shore. Scattered across this area were countless rocks of varying sizes, polished smooth and round by the ceaseless washing of the waves.

This rocky shore was where Yuga and Reggie planned to explore.

While Yuga's other Pokémon continued enjoying themselves on the beach, Chimecho remained glued to Yuga's side. Hearing about Yuga's plan to explore the rocky shore, it immediately volunteered to accompany him.

Yuga figured it was a good idea to bring Chimecho along; its presence would provide extra reassurance in case of danger, so he agreed.

Delighted to have the chance for some one-on-one time with Yuga, Chimecho twirled happily in the air.

Seeing that Yuga was bringing Chimecho, Reggie decided to bring along his Bibarel.

Although Reggie had been preoccupied with running the daycare in recent years, he hadn't neglected his Pokémon's training. In fact, their strength had improved significantly.

Barefoot, Yuga and Reggie ventured into the rocky area. The smooth stones underfoot were surprisingly comfortable to walk on.

Yuga quickly discovered that the rocky shore was home to many Shellder. After taking only a few steps, he felt a Shellder lick his toes.

Shellder: Hmm~ Tastes pretty good.