Invitation

"Mr. Shimizu, I truly appreciate what you did back then," Steven sincerely thanked Yuga.

"Let's skip the 'Mr. Shimizu.' It sounds a bit awkward after being called that. Just call me Yuga," Yuga suggested.

Yuga's friends referred to him as Yuga, while relatives and elders called him "Little Yuga." It felt strange to be addressed as Mr. Shimizu.

"Then I'll call you Yuga without hesitation," Steven said somewhat shyly.

Yuga noticed that the current Steven was a bit different from the mature and composed one he remembered. Presently, Steven's way of speaking and handling things still had a touch of youthfulness.

"No need to be formal, given your age, it's perfectly reasonable to use my name," Yuga chuckled.

Yuga and Robert were the same age, while Wallace and Steven were notably older than Yuga and Robert.

"Let's not stand around here. Let's sit down and chat over there," Yuga gestured toward the central table and chairs in the shop.

Steven nodded and sat down beside Yuga at the table.

"Do you have something important to discuss today?" Yuga inquired.

Shaking his head, Steven explained, "Nothing major, I just wanted to see you. After all, without you, I might have perished in the desert."

Yuga wanted to inwardly tease him with, "Serves you right. Who told you to be so engrossed in stones?"

"Actually, it wasn't much trouble for me to save you. There's no need for you to make a special trip just to thank me," Yuga humbly stated.

"No, it might have been effortless for you, but for me, it was a lifesaving favor. So, I must express my gratitude," Steven insisted.

Seeing Steven so determined to thank him, Yuga jokingly asked, "So, how do you plan to thank me?"

Caught off guard by Yuga's question, Steven struggled to come up with an answer. He hadn't really thought about how to express his gratitude to Yuga.

"Well, uh..."

Seeing Steven's awkward hesitation, Yuga chuckled and reassured him, "Never mind. You don't need to think about it. I didn't save you expecting something in return. Don't worry about it."

"Alright," Steven deflated a bit, "If you ever need help with anything in the future, I'll be more than willing to assist."

"Alright, I'll look forward to your repayment."

Thinking for a moment, Yuga decided not to reject Steven outright. It might be handy to have a favor from a future Champion at some point. Yuga never know when such things might come in handy.

"By the way, aside from meeting me, did you have any other business in Verdanturf Town?" Yuga inquired.

After pondering for a moment, Steven said, "No, nothing else. But I do want to stay here for a while. I really like it here."

Since arriving in Verdanturf Town, Steven had been drawn to the peaceful and serene atmosphere. The beautiful environment and fresh air made it an ideal place for a vacation.

Steven wasn't one to sit idle. He often traveled around the world, and his formidable skills were honed through years of adventure. It was quite a novel experience for him to settle down in one place like this, and he suddenly felt that occasional rest like this wasn't bad at all.

Yuga smiled and said, "Indeed, although Verdanturf Town is small, the environment is quite pleasant."

"Oh, and have you found a place to stay? If you don't mind, you could make do with staying here at our place."

With the intention of strengthening their relationship with Steven, Yuga extended an invitation for him to stay at the Day Care. Since the new shop had plenty of rooms, they might as well use them to accommodate guests.

"Really? That's wonderful!" Steven said with excitement. He had been planning to look for a place to stay after leaving Yuga's Day Care. Now he didn't have to worry about that anymore.

"Of course, no problem! Come on, I'll show you where you'll be staying," Yuga stood up and gestured for Steven to follow him.

Yuga brought Steven to the second floor of the new shop and said to him, "These rooms are meant for the staff to stay in. Currently, only one room is occupied, so you can choose any of the remaining ones."

Suddenly, Yuga remembered that Steven was still the young master of the Devon Corporation, so he added, "The conditions here are quite basic, I hope you don't mind."

Upon hearing this, Steven quickly waved his hand and said, "No, not at all. I often spend nights in the wilderness; conditions there are much tougher than this. This place is already very nice, I don't mind at all."

Yuga realized he was right. Steven was an adventure enthusiast, and spending nights in the wild was probably a common occurrence for him. While his rooms weren't on par with mansions or hotels, they were definitely a step up from Pokémon Centers.

After Steven selected a room, Yuga told him, "Just relax and stay here. Whenever you decide to leave, just let me know."

Steven nodded and said, "I appreciate your help."

"No trouble at all. These rooms were empty to begin with. Your presence will add a bit of atmosphere," Yuga said with a smile. "Rest well. I'm sure you're tired after arriving in Verdanturf Town."

Before leaving, Yuga turned back to Steven and said, "By the way, when it's time to eat, someone will come to fetch you. If you don't mind, you can join us for meals."

Steven hesitated and said, "I really can't impose."

Yuga waved it off with a smile, "There's no need to feel awkward about it. We usually eat as a big family. One more won't make a difference, and one less won't matter either."

"Alright then, thank you."

Steven's arrival didn't have a significant impact on Yuga's life, aside from adding another mouth to feed.

The day after Steven's arrival at the Day Care, Misaki secretly retrieved the contact information the middle-aged man had left her and dialed his number.

"Hello, Miss Misaki. You finally decided to contact me," the familiar voice of the middle-aged man came through the phone.

"Yes, can you really fulfill the promise you made to me?" Misaki's voice trembled slightly due to nervousness.

"Miss Misaki, have you made up your mind?" The middle-aged man's voice sounded a bit excited upon hearing Misaki's words.

"As long as you can fulfill your end of the deal exactly, I'll agree," Misaki's voice seemed to lose its strength as she said this, trembling slightly.

"Very good." The middle-aged man's tone was filled with excitement due to Misaki's response. "Miss Misaki, rest assured. Once the task is completed, I will ensure that your request is taken care of properly. Get ready to welcome a bright future."

"Alright then, we'll meet at the café where we first met. I'll have the things you requested prepared."

"Sounds good. I'll be eagerly awaiting Miss Misaki's arrival."