That Old Man Is Really Bad

With the help of Mayor Ishida, they quickly found out the previous owner of the house.

The family hadn't left Verdanturf Town that long ago, and many of the neighbors still remembered them well.

According to the neighbors, the child in that family was very mischievous, always running from one house to another, causing trouble for the adults.

Once Yuga had confirmed the identity of the family, he immediately contacted Masato Shirai, asking him to summon that boy who are now grown up back to Verdanturf Town under the authority of the police station.

When Masato Shirai learned that Yuga had already tracked down the person responsible for the rat infestation, he felt deeply ashamed. While he was still out capturing Alolan Rattata and Raticate, Yuga had already thought three steps ahead and found the culprit.

At the same time, Masato Shirai was envious of Yuga's ability to communicate with Pokémon. If he had that ability, no major case would be too difficult to solve!

However, he could only dream. People with such special talents were one in a million; not everyone could be so fortunate.

A couple of days later, Yuga received word from Masato Shirai that the boy from back then had returned to Verdanturf Town. To be more precise, he was now a young man.

Meanwhile, the police at Verdanturf Town's station were still working hard to capturing the remaining Rattata and Raticate. Every household in the town had been notified: if anyone spotted a black Rattata and Raticate, those capable of doing so should capture them and send them to the police station. If they were unable to, they should notify the authorities to come and handle it.

After receiving Masato Shirai's notification, Yuga took the two Mutated Raticate to the police station and met the young man that the Raticate had spoken about.

The young man's father had come with him to Verdanturf Town. When they received the call from the police station, they were filled with fear, unable to understand why the police were looking for them.

From Masato Shirai, Yuga quickly learned about the young man's identity and background.

The young man's name was Yoshiyama, and he was now 24 years old now. He lived with his parents on a small farm in the countryside, where they made a living by growing and selling vegetables.

Before they left Verdanturf Town, the family's financial situation was a bit better. They had a small company that was doing well, founded by Yoshiyama's grandfather.

However, after his grandfather passed away, Yoshiyama's father, lacking business skills, led the company into bankruptcy. Afterward, the family moved out of Verdanturf Town and returned to their hometown to farm.

Now, Yoshiyama was not a Pokémon Trainer. He spent most of his time helping his parents manage the farm.

Unlike the mischievous and rebellious child the neighbors described, Yoshiyama now appeared timid and reserved, someone who had clearly experienced the harsh realities of life.

Yuga entered the interrogation room where Yoshiyama was being held and released the two Raticate. He asked them, "Take a look and see if this is the person." Although Masato Shirai had already asked all the necessary questions before Yuga arrived, and they were fairly certain that Yoshiyama was the one who had abandoned the Raticate, Yuga still wanted the Pokémon to confirm it once more.

"Squeak, squeak…"

It's him!

"Squeak, squeak, squeak…"

It's him! It's him!

Even though nearly ten years had passed, the young man's features still faintly resembled those of the boy he once was.

Seeing their former owner again, the two Raticate were extremely agitated. Of course, they didn't feel any affection for Yoshiyama; they were filled with anger. If it hadn't been for Yoshiyama, they might still be living an ordinary life with their kin in Alola, without having mutated, without the need to hide, starve, and suffer in the cold every day.

Yoshiyama was startled by the sight of these two overly large rats. Though he had already heard from Masato Shirai about the consequences of abandoning the Alolan Rattata, he was still frightened by the appearance of the two mutated Raticate.

Who could have imagined that the two tiny creatures from back then would turn into such "giants"?

Had today's events not occurred, Yoshiyama's memory of those two Alolan Rattata would have long since faded. It was only after multiple reminders from Masato Shirai that he managed to dig out a vague recollection of the two Pokémon.

"Quiet down!"

Seeing that the Raticate were baring their fangs and claws, Yuga scolded them, and they immediately became obedient. After two days of "training," the Raticate now followed Yuga's every command.

"S-sorry," Yoshiyama timidly apologized to the two Raticate. However, the Raticate didn't care at all. They bared their sharp incisors at him, causing Yoshiyama's heart to race in fear.

After the Raticate confirmed Yoshiyama's identity, Yuga recalled them into their Poké Balls and then invited Masato Shirai into the interrogation room.

"Chief Masato, what's going to happen to me? Will I go to jail?" Yoshiyama asked nervously.

"Jail? Not likely," Masato Shirai replied. But before Yoshiyama could breathe a sigh of relief, he added, "But your family will probably have to pay a hefty fine."

Since Yoshiyama was still a minor when he abandoned the Alolan Rattata, jail time wasn't on the table. Generally, cases of Pokémon abandonment, unless they involved particularly egregious cruelty, were resolved with fines.

However, considering the serious consequences of this abandonment, the fine Yoshiyama's family faced would be quite substantial.

"Based on the severity of this case, I estimate your fine won't be less than 200,000," Masato Shirai said, preparing Yoshiyama mentally. While the final amount wasn't for the police to decide, his estimate was probably close.

Although the rat infestation hadn't caused a major disaster, the manpower and resources spent capturing the Raticate and Alolan Rattata, along with the costs of accommodating so many Pokémon, were significant expenses.

"200,000? That much?" Yoshiyama was stunned.

"This is just an estimate. You'll have to wait for the official notice to know the exact amount. If you're dissatisfied, you can always hire a lawyer and appeal, but I don't think you'd have much chance of success."

Masato Shirai's attitude toward Yoshiyama was still quite reasonable. He carefully explained everything, especially since Yoshiyama, after learning about the rat infestation, had not denied or tried to justify his abandonment of the Pokémon. He was being rather honest about it.

"How could we possibly come up with that much money at once?"

Upon hearing Masato Shirai's words, Yoshiyama immediately deflated.

200,000 might be pocket change to someone like Yuga, but for someone like Yoshiyama, a poor man, it wasn't easy to gather that kind of money. Yoshiyama's family might call themselves farmers, but in reality, they were simple, ordinary people who had no choice but to move to the countryside when they couldn't make a living in Verdanturf Town.

Yoshiyama's father had developed a bad habit of reckless spending when he was younger, and even now, despite their poverty, he hadn't changed. Whatever money they had, he would spend it. So coming up with 200,000 quickly was impossible.

As Yuga was leaving the police station, he saw Yoshiyama looking utterly dejected as his father berated him. In that moment, it was clear that Yoshiyama deeply regretted abandoning the two Rattata so carelessly all those years ago.

The effort to capture the Raticate and Alolan Rattata in Verdanturf Town continued for over a week. During that time, Yuga and Masato Shirai reported the situation to the Hoenn League, and the League soon made a decision on how to handle the Raticate and Rattata.

Thousands of Rattata and Raticate were to be sent in batches to various Pokémon sanctuaries across different regions. However, before being sent to the sanctuaries, they would undergo sterilization.

This was necessary because the offspring of these mutated Raticate had a much higher reproduction rate than normal Raticate and Rattata. Without sterilization, it wouldn't take long before the sanctuaries would be completely overrun by them.

The mutated Raticate couple themselves agreed to have their offspring sterilized. They had suffered greatly from rapid reproduction and, if given the choice, would have opted for sterilization themselves. Without the burden of children, their lives would be much more comfortable. Yuga assured them that sterilization would not affect their relationship as a couple.

Yuga himself agreed with the idea of sterilization. Rapid reproduction might be an advantage for other Pokémon, but for Raticate, it wasn't.

The thought of his own Ecopark being overrun by Rattata and Raticate in a few years sent chills down Yuga's spine.

If it weren't for their high potential, it would be difficult—if not impossible—to sell Pokémon like Rattata. Even the Alolan variant, with its unique form and typing, was no exception.

And if they kept reproducing, Yuga would have even bigger headaches in the future.

Even though Yuga agreed to sterilize the two Raticate, the League officials sent to handle the case didn't. They believed the Raticate's rapid reproduction was a valuable research opportunity. If they could figure out the cause of the mutation and apply it to Pokémon like Metagross or Salamence, which are notoriously difficult to breed, it would be a groundbreaking discovery in the world of Pokémon research.

While their idea was promising, Yuga didn't agree to let the two Raticate be used for research.

Since the two mutated Raticate were now part of his YoYo Day Care, he wasn't about to hand them over to others for research. Who knew what those crazy scientists might do to them?

After the Alolan Rattata and Raticate were sent away in batches, the League handed down their fine to Yoshiyama—250,000, even higher than Masato Shirai's estimate of 200,000.

How Yoshiyama was going to scrape together the 250,000 was no longer Yuga's concern. Two days earlier, he had already sent Dawn and Johanna on their way after they finished their work in Verdanturf Town, and now he had someone else pestering him.

The elderly man pestering Yuga was named Kanda, and this was already his fourth visit to YoYo Day Care.

"Gym Leader Shimizu, please, for the sake of the League, allow us to borrow those two Raticate for research," Kanda pleaded, his face filled with earnestness.

This Kanda was a senior scientist from the League and also a top-tier Pokémon breeder. When he learned that Yuga had two Raticate capable of rapid reproduction, he rushed to Verdanturf Town with his team two days ago, arriving in the middle of the night.

It was the doctors sent by the League to perform sterilization on the Alolan Rattata and Raticate that had told him about the situation.

To be honest, Yuga found the old man quite annoying, so he busied himself with his work, completely ignoring him. When Kanda first came to YoYo Day Care, Yuga had treated him with great respect since top-tier breeders were rare. But after multiple visits, Yuga began to feel that Kanda was overstepping, acting entitled and playing the seniority card.

Seeing that Yuga was ignoring him and refusing to budge, Kanda's tone turned accusatory. "Doesn't Gym Leader Shimizu care about the League's future? Do you not have any loyalty to the League at all?"

Yuga, irritated by his words, threw the cloth he was holding onto the counter and retorted, "I don't care about the League? Who are you to accuse me? I'm a Hall of Fame Trainer who has done more for the League than you ever have!"

Although top-tier breeders were valuable, they were nothing compared to a Hall of Fame Trainer.

"You... you're arrogant!" Kanda pointed a trembling finger at Yuga, his voice shaking. "Is this how you speak to your elders?"

Kanda was in his seventies and, unlike Yuga's mentor, Mr. Kuni'o, he wasn't in the best health. After being angered by Yuga, his eyes rolled back as if he might faint at any moment.

But Yuga didn't care. Rolling his eyes, he said, "What kind of elder do you think you are? My mentor is Mr. Kuni'o, and you think you can call yourself my elder? You've got a lot of nerve!"

"You are unbelievably insolent! Just because you've done a few things for the League, you think you're invincible. You'll regret this!" Kanda fumed.

"Well, that's still better than someone who only uses their age to manipulate others with moral high ground." Yuga threw out this last remark before walking away.

Their argument hadn't been quiet, and soon, it attracted the attention of the customers in the shop. These were all regulars at YoYo Day Care, and they were quite familiar with Yuga. Seeing what happened, they started whispering and pointing at Kanda, making his face flush with embarrassment.

In the end, Kanda had to rely on his apprentice to help him leave YoYo Day Care, grumbling the whole time.

Leaving Kanda behind, Yuga took the two Raticate straight to the Pokémon Center.

"Joyka, do you know how to perform sterilization on Pokémon?" Yuga asked Joyka, who was busy with her work.

"Sterilization?" Joyka looked up in surprise. "You, a breeder, want to sterilize Pokémon?"

Joyka had heard a little about the Rattata and Raticate disaster but wasn't aware of the rapid reproduction issue with the mutated Raticate. So, Yuga explained the whole story to her.

"So, when no one else will help, you come to me, huh? You really only show up when you need something from me!" Joyka said in a mockingly irritated tone.

"Just tell me if you can do it here or not."

"Well, we definitely can't do it here," Joyka shook her head.

It was very rare for people to request sterilization for their Pokémon, so most Nurse Joy at Pokémon Centers didn't perform such procedures. Sterilizing a Pokémon wasn't as simple as it sounded.

"You can't do it? Alright, forget it then! I'll find someone else," Yuga said, a bit disappointed. He had hoped to get the procedure done right away, just to spite that annoying old man, Kanda.

"Wait, don't be so quick to give up. Give me the Pokémon, and I'll find someone who can do it for you!"

After all, Joyka was part of the Joy family, and it wouldn't be hard for her to find a Pokémon doctor who could perform sterilizations.

"But let's be clear—your Pokémon must agree to it themselves before I can arrange for the procedure," Joyka added.

Yuga nodded and said, "Of course, you can ask them yourself if you like."

"Alright, that's settled then. Leave it to me!" Joyka patted her chest, assuring him.

After handing the Poké Balls containing the two Raticate to Joyka, Yuga noticed that the Pokémon Center was fairly empty at the time, so he stayed to chat with her for a bit before leaving.