36 Rand

As for the other poster, it announced the upcoming Grand Contest.

Verdanturf Town was one of the fixed locations for the Grand Contest, held regularly at this time every year.

The Verdanturf Ribbon Medal was also part of the entrance ticket to the grand festival of the annual Grand Contest.

However, Yuga wasn't particularly interested in the Grand Contest, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

Speaking of which, the Grand Contest originated in Hoenn Region, but it was Sinnoh Region that truly made it flourish.

From what Yuga knew, in recent years, the development of the Grand Contest in Hoenn Region hadn't been as strong as in Sinnoh Region. Therefore, Hoenn Alliance was making efforts to catch up, actively supporting the development of the Grand Contest.

But these were things Yuga had come across while browsing the internet to learn more about this world. Since he didn't pay much attention, he wasn't well-informed.

After looking at the two posters, Yuga returned to the waiting area to continue waiting for his Pokémon check-up.

Nurse Joy efficiency was impressive. Yuga didn't have to wait long before he heard his name being called over the Pokémon Center broadcast.

Retrieving his Pokémon, Yuga headed home.

Since he had decided to participate in the Verdanturf Town Youth Pokémon Battle Tournament, Yuga planned to use this time to continue training his Pokémon. Though the tournament was approaching, a little extra effort couldn't hurt.

Moreover, being a novice Pokémon Trainer at sixteen years old, Yuga realized he had no advantage compared to those who had been training from a young age.

With Ms. Suzuki now helping at the shop, Yuga thought it might be a good idea to hire an assistant. Juggling shopkeeping and Pokémon training could be challenging, and having someone to assist during emergencies would be beneficial.

Yet, Yuga wasn't in a hurry to make a decision. The shop was still under construction, and he was operating in a semi-open state these days.

Back at home, Yuga released all his Pokémon into the backyard and gave them training assignments one by one.

The competition was only four days away, leaving little time. Yuga understood the importance of preparing properly.

Since he needed to attend to the shop, he left the supervision of the training to Absol.

While he wasn't overly concerned about the other Pokémon, Floette had a mischievous streak and would likely find ways to slack off when not supervised.

After assigning the training tasks, Yuga returned to the shop. But as soon as he sat down, he noticed a little head peeking in through the door. He wondered what was going on.

Seeing this little head, Yuga chuckled and stood up, calling out, "Rand, why don't you come in? Why are you just standing by the door?"

Seemingly startled by Yuga sudden voice, the little head near the door quickly retreated.

Seeing Rand head disappear, Yuga was puzzled. He wondered if his appearance was so frightening that a simple call scared someone away.

Unknowingly touching his own face, Yuga thought he looked rather decent. While he might not be astonishingly handsome, he was satisfied with his appearance and didn't think he was scary enough to frighten someone away.

Shaking his head, Yuga was about to sit down again when he saw Rand head popping back out, looking around inside the shop. It seemed Rand was searching for something.

This time, Yuga realized what Rand was doing at the door.

"Floette and the others aren't here today."

Upon hearing Yuga words, Rand seemed visibly disappointed before finally stepping inside the shop.

"Where are Floette and the others? I came to play with them."

Approaching the counter, Rand asked Yuga.

"They're training in the backyard. They can't play with you today."

Hearing Yuga response, Rand mood grew even more downcast.

Rand was the son of Mr. Kate, their next-door neighbor. He was six years old and bore a striking resemblance to his father.

Uncle Kate's family and the Shimizu family have been neighbors for decades, reportedly living together since the generation of Grandfather Yuga. The relationship between the two families can be described as very good.

Furthermore, the Shimizu family doesn't have any other relatives in Verdanturf Town. In this generation, only because of marrying off their daughter, Aunt Hisako, did they gain the Kurosaki family as relatives. Therefore, the relationship between the Shimizu family and Uncle Kate's family has always been strong.

The Shimizu family prosperity came from running a Day Care. Although they weren't incredibly wealthy, compared to the average household, they were better off.

In contrast, the Kates were traditional farmers and weren't as financially well-off as the Shimizu family. Verdanturf Town was mainly sustained by agriculture, given its status as a small, tourism-oriented town. Consequently, most of its residents were farmers, making Mr. Kate family one of the typical farming families.

Compared to other professions, farming didn't provide a high income, which made Mr. Kate family relatively less well-off, a situation similar to the Kates'.

Rand and Yuga cousin, Luna, were the same age and attended the same Trainer School. The school specialized in nurturing future Trainers, including traditional Trainers, Coordinators, and Breeders, among others.

Such schools were prevalent in both large cities and small towns.

Since becoming a Trainer required a considerable financial backing, whether it was obtaining initial Pokémon or the resources needed to raise them, having enough money was crucial.

Families like the Shimizus could manage, but Mr. Kate family economic situation was quite strained.

Yuga previous self had watched Rand grow up. Even though he never considered becoming a Trainer himself, he knew that Rand was truly fond of Pokémon and aspired to be a Trainer.

Rand mother had passed away early, which made him mature beyond his years. Unlike Luna, who was a mischievous troublemaker, Rand had always been responsible.

At the tender age of six, he was already aware of how hard it was for his father to provide for him. Not only did he help with household chores, but he also excelled in school.

Ever since Yuga had Floette, Rand had been envious and would often come to play with her.

Previously, Rand felt that Yuga, possessing such an excellent Pokémon as Floette, was squandering her potential by lacking ambition.

"Why come if you're not entering? Why stand by the door instead?"

Rand frequently visited the shop before, so he was familiar with the layout. He wasn't sure why he was acting this way today.

"My dad said your house has many visitors."

Upon hearing this, Yuga had a sudden realization.

Rand was an exceptional child: filial, polite, responsible, and determined. However, he was somewhat timid and afraid of strangers. He hardly spoke and rarely played with other children.

Those "people" he mentioned were most likely the people from Dark Swamp helping to build the Ecological Park. Rand must have been hesitant to run into them, which was why he seemed so hesitant near the entrance.

"Don't worry about them. They're in the backyard of my house and won't come to the front."

"Oh, Yuga, then I'll leave. I'll come back when Floette and the others have time to play."

Hearing Yuga words, Rand turned around, ready to leave.

"Hey, come back. Since you're here, why hurry off?"

Yuga stood up and grabbed Rand collar, pulling him back just as he had taken a few steps.

With his face red from the collar, Rand panted, looking at Yuga with curiosity as he wondered why Yuga had stopped him.

Seeing Rand red-faced and panting, Yuga chuckled awkwardly, "Sorry, Rand. I didn't notice. Are you alright?"

Rand looked at Yuga, bewildered, and shook his head, indicating that he was fine.

He thought Yuga had been acting strange lately. They used to hardly speak to each other.

Rand himself was reserved, and Yuga used to be equally disinterested in speaking with him. But lately, Yuga always seemed to strike up a conversation whenever he saw Rand.

However, Rand understood that Yuga parents had recently passed away. He probably felt lonely and sought companionship through conversation.

With this in mind, Rand decided he would come visit Yuga more often.

Observing Rand before him, Yuga didn't realize that Rand had already projected him as a lonely individual who had lost his parents and was afraid of being alone.

"Rand, do you know our cousin Luna?"

Rand nodded, indicating that he knew her. Luna was a notable figure at his school—she had decent grades but was also known for being mischievous, loved and loathed by her teachers.

"Know her, huh? Are you in the same class?"

Rand shook his head, indicating that they weren't. Not only were they not in the same class, but they also hadn't spoken to each other.

While Rand had good grades, he was reserved at school, didn't interact much, and had few friends. He considered himself semi-invisible and certainly didn't talk to someone like Luna, who was "well-known" at school.

"Not in the same class, huh." Yuga stroked his chin, then continued, "So, do you know how she behaves at school?"

At this question, Rand was momentarily unsure how to answer. If he said she wasn't good, she did have good grades. But if he said she was good, she played pranks, climbed trees, and fooled around with classmates and teachers.

Seeing Rand struggle to answer, Yuga assumed that Luna might not have been doing well at school. That would explain Rand dilemma.

Yuga had been asking Rand about Luna school behavior because her birthday was coming up, and he needed to prepare a gift. He wanted to decide on a gift based on how she behaved at school.

Little did Yuga know that Luna, who had yet to discover the truth, had already lowered the bar for the gift her cousin would give her.

Understanding the situation, Yuga didn't press for more details and said to Rand, "Alright, I understand now. You can go back. Come find Floette and the others when they have time."

Rand was still trying to come up with an answer to Yuga question when he heard Yuga words. Without thinking too much, Rand turned and left.