Classmate

While Yuga was in the Ecopark, a young man who appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen walked into the YoYo Day Care.

"Welcome!" Suzuki Koen greeted.

"Hello!"

The young man glanced around the shop and nodded politely to Suzuki Koen.

"Is Shimizu here?" the young man asked in a soft voice.

"You're looking for our boss?" Suzuki Koen was somewhat surprised. Did he know the boss?

"No, no, no, I was just asking, just asking," the young man quickly waved his hand and denied.

Suzuki Koen nodded and thought, "This kid is really strange."

"Feel free to look around, let me know if you need anything," Suzuki Koen said, bending slightly.

The young man nodded and walked to the Pokéblock sales area, carefully selecting Pokéblocks.

Meanwhile, Yuga, after a long absence in the Ecopark, had just finished training with the Pokémon and came down after taking a shower upstairs. He adjusted his freshly changed clothes and greeted Suzuki Koen behind the cash register.

"Good morning, Sister Koen!"

Then he noticed Dian, who was holding strawberries, beside Suzuki Koen.

"Ah, Dian is here too! It's been a while since I've seen you!"

Yuga said as he ruffled Dian's head.

"Hello, Big Brother Yuga," Dian greeted Yuga sweetly.

"Good, good, Dian, you're such a good kid."

After that, Yuga turned to Suzuki Koen and said, "It's been quite some time since Dian started going to school, hasn't it?"

Suzuki Koen smiled and replied, "Yes, it's inevitable that he had a bit of trouble adjusting at the beginning of school, but he's doing much better now."

Yuga nodded and then suddenly noticed a boy looking at him. He had a feeling that he recognized this person.

"Is it Eisuke?" It took him a while to retrieve the name from his memory, and he cautiously called out.

"Shimizu, long time no see," the boy said, smiling.

"It's really you!" Yuga exclaimed in surprise as he walked over to him.

"Come, have a seat," Yuga said, gesturing for Eisuke to sit at a table in the center of the shop.

"It's been such a long time," Yuga sighed.

Eisuke was Yuga's classmate in middle school. They hadn't spoken much, so Yuga was surprised to see him today, especially since it had been a while since they last met.

Also, due to Yuga's reserved nature, he didn't have a close relationship with his classmates, and he didn't have any friends. After graduating from middle school, he didn't keep in touch with anyone.

"You've changed a lot now," Eisuke commented.

Yuga smiled and replied, "I had to change due to circumstances."

Upon hearing this, Eisuke remembered Yuga's parents' situation and quickly apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, I said the wrong thing."

Yuga was momentarily stunned, then realized what Eisuke meant and said with a smile, "It's okay, it's okay. It's been a long time, and there's nothing that can't be mentioned."

"Oh, by the way, why are you here?" Yuga asked, puzzled.

He remembered that Eisuke wasn't a Pokémon Trainer, so what was he doing here? Both of them had attended a regular school together, and Yuga assumed that Eisuke should be pursuing higher education in a high school by now.

Just then, Suzuki Koen came over with two cups of tea and placed them in front of Yuga and Eisuke.

"Thank you, Sister Koen," Yuga said.

"Thanks," Eisuke nodded at Suzuki Koen.

"You're welcome, continue your conversation," Suzuki Koen said as she turned and walked away.

"I came here to buy some Pokéblocks," Eisuke said with a smile.

"Buying Pokéblocks? But I remember you're not..." Yuga started to ask, looking puzzled.

Eisuke smiled and said, "I'm just like you. After graduating from middle school, I didn't continue my education. Instead, I became a Pokémon Trainer and have been traveling recently."

"I see!" Yuga suddenly understood.

It wasn't common for someone to switch careers and become a Trainer midway, which was why Yuga hadn't considered it. After all, not everyone had the unique circumstances that favored Yuga.

Switching careers halfway through came with the significant drawback of falling behind peers, which was why very few people chose this path.

"I've heard about you, though. You're quite famous now," Eisuke teased.

When he had entered the shop earlier, he had been startled by the Great Flygon perched on the roof. He had a gut feeling that none of his Pokémon would be a match for that Great Flygon.

Eisuke had been away on his travels for a while, so he wasn't aware of Yuga's achievements. It was only when he returned home and heard his parents describe and praise Yuga that he learned his former classmate had become a local celebrity.

At first, he didn't believe his parents because they had spent quite some time as classmates, and although they hadn't talked much, he knew Yuga's character well. Yuga was the type of person who couldn't even muster a loud fart, so how could he have turned into the person his parents described?

However, he quickly realized that not only his parents but also the neighbors and everyone in town were talking about Yuga. Even when he walked down the street, he could hear people discussing Yuga's achievements. That's when he had to accept the truth.

Coincidentally, he had run out of Pokéblocks for his Pokémon, which is what brought him here out of curiosity.

Yuga modestly replied, "It's nothing special; it's all just exaggeration."

Eisuke didn't believe Yuga's words for a second. It was one thing for a couple of people to exaggerate, but when everyone was saying the same thing, it couldn't all be an exaggeration. Plus, he had seen that Great Flygon outside.

"By the way, have you picked out your Pokéblocks? Would you like me to help you choose?" Yuga suddenly asked.

Eisuke happily said, "Sure, I'd appreciate that."

Yuga stood up and asked, "Which Pokémon are you buying these for?"

Eisuke answered, "I'm buying them for Starmie."

"Water-type and Psychic-type Pokémon, right? We have two types of Pokéblocks that would suit your needs."

Saying this, Yuga led Eisuke to the counter and pointed to the blue Pokéblocks, saying, "These are called 'Extender,' suitable for Water-type Pokémon."

Then, they moved to the pale purple Pokéblocks, and Yuga continued, "And these are 'Enigma,' designed for Psychic-type Pokémon."

Both types of Pokéblocks were suitable for Starmie. However, Starmie's primary type was Water, while its secondary type was Psychic.

"If you're only planning to buy one type, I suggest you go with 'Extender.' But if you want both, get more 'Extender' and just a small amount of 'Enigma.'" Yuga advised.

After hearing Yuga's explanation, Eisuke looked at the price tags and noticed that both types of Pokéblocks were priced the same. He decided, "Let's go with the second option."

"Smart choice!" Yuga said with a smile.

He then had Suzuki Koen wrap up Eisuke's Pokéblocks and escorted him to the exit. Yuga didn't offer Eisuke a discount just because they were former classmates, as their relationship hadn't reached that level.