I’m the Owner of the Pokémon Day Care In the World of Pokémon

Yuga had been gone for over a month, but to the customers of YoYo Day Care, it felt like an entire year since they last saw him. So, when he appeared at the shop again, they were utterly surprised.

Upon his return, Yuga stepped back into Lain's workshop and felt that his skills in making incense had grown rusty. During his month in the Guli Mountains, he had hardly found time to practice crafting Pokéblocks or incense.

Of course, this sensation of being "rusty" was just Yuga's imagination. His skills were honed through years of diligent practice, and it wasn't possible for a single month's lapse to cause such a noticeable decline.

According to Lain, the reason Yuga felt that way was that his technique was transitioning to a higher level. This phase of improvement left his abilities feeling temporarily unsteady, but a bit more practice would resolve it.

Sure enough, after practicing for half a day under Lain's guidance, the sense of rustiness vanished. Yuga even felt that his skills had advanced further.

Yuga also received some good news after his return. Thanks to the instructional videos he had provided, Misaki officially became a top-tier Pokéblock maker.

Misaki was eager to show Yuga her work as a top-tier maker. The Pokéblock she presented was no larger than a fingernail, perfectly square, and flawlessly symmetrical. It was so translucent and crystalline that it resembled a beautiful piece of gem-like art, even refracting colorful light—truly mesmerizing.

However, Misaki had only just reached this level, and her expertise was still somewhat inconsistent. Only about half of the Pokéblocks she produced were of this top-tier quality.

Even so, this was an incredible achievement. Misaki was only in her twenties, and people who could reach the level of a top-tier Pokéblock maker at her age were exceedingly rare. With more practice, her skills would undoubtedly improve even further.

To celebrate Misaki's accomplishment, Yuga had Dou Dou prepare a lavish feast the very next day. He invited all the employees of YoYo Day Care to the dinner.

During the meal, everyone congratulated Misaki—not only because she had become a top-tier Pokéblock maker but also because she had become YoYo Day Care's first employee with an annual salary exceeding a million.

The value of a top-tier Pokéblock maker extended far beyond simply crafting Pokéblocks. They could also mentor and cultivate other talented makers.

Misaki regularly taught classes to the trainees at Everlasting Workshop. Additionally, she recorded her crafting process and provided the footage to the institute's instructors as teaching material.

Misaki's contributions made her more than deserving of her generous salary.

Everlasting Workshop was undergoing a resurgence and rapid development, and talents like Misaki were indispensable during this period of growth.

During the feast, Lain expressed her envy of Misaki—not for her million-yen salary, but for her achievement in becoming a top-tier Pokéblock maker.

Lain's own annual income wasn't low. Aromatherapists generally earned more than Pokéblock makers, and with her additional commissions for developing new types of incense, her salary, while shy of a million, was quite substantial.

However, becoming a top-tier Incense Maker without external help was far from simple.

Lain had already achieved what many Incense Maker could only dream of by creating new types of incense. But her aspirations didn't stop there.

Currently, Misaki produces only a limited number of top-tier Pokéblocks, and Yuga decided to release them as limited-edition items, making a portion available only at intervals.

After all, the best things are meant to be used for oneself first.

In fact, outside of YoYo Day Care, top-tier Pokéblocks are rarely available on the market because almost all of them are controlled by certain factions. The Pokéblocks made by their top-tier makers are typically consumed internally.

For example, the top-tier Pokéblock makers employed by the League exclusively supply Pokéblocks to Elite Four members, Champions, and people of similar standing.

Speaking of which, Yuga also has a personal allocation of top-tier Pokéblocks from the League, but the quantity is minimal and insufficient to meet the needs of all his Pokémon.

Despite his strength, he is only a Gym Leader. Gym Leaders are not qualified to receive a substantial share of the League's top-tier Pokéblocks.

The only reason he has any share at all is thanks to his honorary title as a Hall of Fame Trainer.

Unfortunately, this is merely an honorary title. Unlike Cynthia and others, who not only hold the honorary title of Hall of Fame Trainer but also occupy real positions of power as Champions, they receive significantly more resources due to their combined statuses.

Yuga also decided to send some top-tier Pokéblocks to his Master and to Ryuichi. While his Master certainly wouldn't lack access to top-tier Pokéblocks, as a disciple, Yuga felt it was only right to show his filial piety.

After hosting Misaki's celebration banquet, Yuga made a trip to the Pokémon Center.

Joyka was as busy as ever. When Yuga arrived, she and her Blissey were so occupied that they barely had a moment to breathe. Seeing this, Yuga decided to lend a hand. While he couldn't help with the more critical tasks, he could at least assist with smaller errands.

When the peak period of activity at the Pokémon Center subsided, Joyka finally had a chance to ask, "What have you been up to lately? I haven't seen you in ages."

She knew that Yuga hadn't been in Verdanturf Town for the past month, but she had no idea where he had gone.

Yuga leaned in and whispered mischievously, "I went to the Guli Mountain Range and brought back something good for you."

"The Guli Mountain Range?"

As a member of the Joy family, Joyka naturally knew about the Guli Mountains. Her family even regularly organized medical aid missions to the area.

"Did you really find something good?" Joyka instinctively lowered her voice too.

"Would I lie to you?"

"Come on, let's talk inside." With that, Joyka grabbed Yuga and led him into the back. She didn't forget to turn back and instruct her Blissey, "Blissey, make sure to keep an eye on things out here."

"Blissey~"

Understood!

Blissey waved in response. It was nearly mealtime, and the Pokémon Center's dining area was starting to fill up with people.

Once they were inside Joyka's pharmaceutical room, Yuga took out a few items from his spatial backpack: some mushrooms from Parasect and a glass bottle filled with Parasect spores.

The mushrooms had been neatly cut by Yuga, their shapes quite uniform. Their vibrant colors were an indicator of how well-preserved they were.

The damaged portions of the mushrooms were sold by Yuga to the medics of the Pioneer Corps, while the pristine, high-quality parts were saved for her.

"This… is this Parasect's mushroom?" Joyka immediately recognized the material, even though it had been cut into smaller pieces and no longer retained its original form.

"Correct! Great eye!" Yuga gave Joyka a thumbs-up in approval.

"But…" Joyka held up the mushroom, examining it closely. "This has been cut, hasn't it? I can't imagine how large the original mushroom must have been."

"Are you sure there's no issue with how you obtained this?" she asked cautiously.

Certain materials, especially those from key parts of Pokémon, are strictly regulated and prohibited from private trading by many regional leagues. Parasect mushrooms fall under this category. Despite their insect-like bodies, Parasects are essentially controlled by the mushrooms on their backs. Once the mushroom is removed, the Pokémon perishes.

"Don't worry," Yuga replied confidently, giving her a reassuring look. He recounted how he had acquired the Parasect mushrooms.

"You're telling me this mushroom belonged to a Master level Pokémon?" Joyka latched onto the key point of Yuga's explanation, her disbelief evident.

"That's exactly right," Yuga confirmed with a nod.

Upon hearing his confirmation, Joyka carefully picked up a small knife and cut a fingernail-sized piece from the mushroom. She placed it into a device for testing.

Yuga recognized the device as an energy analyzer, designed to measure the energy levels contained in various materials. Pharmacists rely on such instruments because their work demands precise energy manipulation without room for error.

After a series of operations, the energy bar on the analyzer began to climb steadily. It maxed out, with the colors progressing from green to blue, purple, orange, and finally to a striking red.

Staring at the glaring red light on the energy meter, Joyka murmured, "It's real…"

Yuga, overhearing her words, frowned. "Do you think I'd lie to you?"

"Hehe… I was just saying that because I'm too shocked and too happy," Joyka said with a sheepish smile. This kind of top-tier material was incredibly hard to come by, even for the Joy family. It was her first time seeing it in person.

"That's nothing. I have more where that came from," Yuga said, pulling out several more pieces of the same size. However, he was out of the spores for now, as he had already taken out the single small bottle earlier.

"Are you saying… all of this is for me?" Joyka asked in disbelief.

"For you? Dream on! I'm charging you for it!" Yuga rapped her on the forehead lightly, pretending to be annoyed.

"Hmph, the richer you are, the stingier you become!" Joyka grumbled, rubbing her forehead and glaring at him. She hadn't actually expected Yuga to give it to her for free. Despite their friendship, the material was far too valuable for her to accept without payment.

"Fine, fine. Don't say I'm not generous," Yuga said, pulling out a pouch of medicinal herbs from his spatial backpack. These herbs had been gifts from the Pokémon of the Guli Mountains when he and Florges restored the forest. While not as precious as the Parasect mushrooms, they were still rare and unavailable on the market.

"Now that's more like it!" Joyka's face lit up with joy at the sight of the herbs. As a pharmacist, rare and exotic medicinal materials were the ultimate treasures in her eyes.

"When I use these materials to create something amazing, I'll earn that money back from you," she teased while carefully weighing the Parasect mushrooms. The price of such top-tier materials is calculated by the gram. If Yuga hadn't recently arranged a job for her making vitality cubes, she wouldn't have been able to afford these items.

"Then I'll be waiting. If you come up with something good, you better call me. Money's not an issue," Yuga said confidently.

He knew that the Joy family likely had many treasures hidden away, and if Joyka used these precious materials, she might actually create something useful for him.

"Not bad for someone with money. You really know how to throw it around!" Joyka said with a playful expression of "jealousy."

After calculating the total cost, Joyka reluctantly transferred the money to Yuga, her face filled with pain. She had only recently received this sum, and now it was all gone in an instant.

She had originally planned to use this money to purchase a new set of state level medical equipment. Now she'd have to wait a while longer. After all, Master level materials were rare opportunities. If she missed this chance, there wouldn't be another anytime soon.

Seeing her reluctant expression, Yuga found it amusing and said, "If money's tight, you can owe me for now. No need to rush to pay."

"Humph! Who do you think you're looking down on? You think I can't pay this amount?" Joyka retorted stubbornly. "Besides, this money is just temporarily parked with you. Once I use these materials to develop some excellent medicine, you'll have to obediently hand it back!"

"Alright, then. I'll be waiting for your medicine," Yuga replied. He didn't press the matter further. With their relationship, if Joyka were truly strapped for cash, she wouldn't hesitate to ask him for help.

"Alright, alright! Now get going. I don't have time to entertain you right now," Joyka said as she pushed Yuga out of the pharmacy. She needed to focus on researching the newly acquired materials and didn't want to waste time chatting.

"Humph, using me and then throwing me away!" Yuga muttered as he left the pharmacy and exited the Pokémon Center.

When Yuga returned to his shop, he saw Ninetales sitting elegantly at the entrance with a scarf tied around its waist. At that moment, he suddenly remembered he might have forgotten something. Pretending not to notice Ninetales, he continued walking into the shop.

During the battle with Registeel, Ninetales had lost some fur around its waist. This left it feeling so self-conscious that it had stayed in its Pokéball for days while they were in the Guli Mountains. Only after returning and tying a scarf around the bald spot did Ninetales finally feel comfortable going out in public.

As soon as Yuga stepped inside, Ninetales quickly followed.

"Hey, where's the medicine you promised me? I can't keep going out like this!" Ninetales complained. It had aspirations of becoming a movie star one day. How could it afford to have bald spots? If anyone saw, it would be an eternal blemish on its image.

"Ah, medicine! I'll ask Joyka about it later. She's bound to have some hair-regrowth medicine," Yuga said, trying to brush it off.

"Didn't Dou dou just say you went to the Pokémon Center? Did you forget about my issue?" Ninetales asked suspiciously.

"How could I forget? Dou Dou must be mistaken. I just went out for a stroll, you know, to take a breath since it's been a while since we returned," Yuga said nervously. In truth, he had completely forgotten. "I'll have Shuuya check on it in a bit."

Just then, Yuga spotted Shuuya approaching and immediately called out, "Shuuya, over here!"

"Boss, what's up?" Shuuya jogged over to him.

"Go to the Pokémon Center and ask Nurse Joy if they have any hair-regrowth medicine for Pokémon."

"Hair-regrowth medicine?" Shuuya asked, confused. "Who's it for?"

"Don't ask so many questions! Just go!" Yuga replied hastily.

"Alright, alright." Without further questions, Shuuya dashed off.

Turning back to Ninetales, Yuga said, "See? I didn't forget. I had it all planned out."

Ninetales stared at Yuga for a good ten seconds, as if trying to decide whether to believe him. Finally, it walked away gracefully, though its true feelings remained unclear.

After Ninetales left, Yuga wiped the sweat from his brow.

Ninetales had risked its life battling Registeel to thwart Marshadow's schemes, and its bald spot was a result of that intense fight. Yuga felt ashamed for having forgotten something so important. It was truly inexcusable.