1012 Travel

Upon hearing Yuga's words, the Granny pondered for quite some time before asking, "What does Gym Leader Shimizu want?"

Even though they hadn't obtained any information about Rayquaza, the allure of Rayquaza's dragon blood was equally significant to them. Although they had worshipped Rayquaza for generations and they also craved its secrets as a "god."

Observing the Granny's unwavering gaze fixed on his hand holding the dragon blood, Yuga gained confidence: "It depends on how much you desire this vial of dragon blood. I heard the Draconid people have nurture some Bagon."

To prevent the other party from not knowing what to offer, Yuga provided a helpful hint.

The Granny wasn't foolish, quite the opposite, she was very shrewd. When she heard Yuga mention Bagon, she immediately realized that this young man's purpose, from start to finish, might have always been about the Bagon that nurtured by the Draconid people.

Within various region in the Pokémon World, there is only three major factions known for breeding dragon-type Pseudo-Legendary in large-scale: they were the Dragon Tamers, the Draconid People, and the Village of Dragons. The Dragon Tamers were renowned for their Dragonite, the Village of Dragons for Hydreigon, while the secluded Draconid People bred Salamence and remained the most mysterious one among the three.

At this point, the Granny knew that the other party was very interested in obtaining the Bagon and decided to say frankly, "I wonder how many Bagon Gym Leader Shimizu wants in exchange for this vial of dragon blood?"

The Granny was unaware of Yuga's bottom line and therefore hesitated to make an offer.

Yuga understood what the Granny was thinking and also wanted to test the other side. Hence, he hadn't made a demand yet. But since the other party was so fond of bargaining, well... I'm going all in; When I opened my mouth, please don't regret it!

"Since you're straightforward, I'll be bold too. I want three pairs of adult Salamence and thirty Bagon."

Upon hearing Yuga's demand, Zinnia immediately erupted, "You're being outrageous!"

Even though the Draconid People bred many Bagon and Salamence, providing Yuga with three pairs of adult Salamence and thirty Bagon would significantly strain their resources.

Not only did Zinnia disagree, but the Granny's expression also stiffened. However, being an elder, she forced herself to maintain a mild smile and said, "Gym Leader Shimizu, isn't this a bit excessive?"

Yuga inwardly rolled his eyes: Then why you asked me in the first place!

However, from Zinnia's expression, Yuga could tell that even though his demand for three pairs of Salamence and thirty Bagon was excessive, the Draconid People could surely afford it.

One couldn't deny that the Draconid People, ranked equally with the Dragon Tamers and the Village of Dragons, were indeed affluent.

"Granny, while the number of three pairs of Salamence and thirty Bagon may be a bit much, isn't this worth It if you exchange it with Rayquaza's dragon blood?" After said this, Yuga opened his palm again, revealing the vial of bright red dragon blood, immediately capturing the attention of the Granny and Zinnia. The faintly shimmering light on the dragon blood pricked at their hearts.

The Granny also realized that the young man in front of her must be the type to demand a pound of flesh. Today, without giving some, the dragon blood won't be obtained.

Similar to the Dragon Tamers with the Dragon Power and the Village of Dragons with their Power of True Heart , the Draconid People also had their unique abilities. The Granny and Zinnia, whenever they saw Rayquaza's dragon blood, found their thoughts thoroughly captivated.

This was also one of the reasons why they never doubted the authenticity of the dragon blood that Yuga had presented.

Looking somewhat troubled, the Granny said, "Unfortunately, we can't afford to provide three pairs of Salamence and thirty Bagon. How about we offer you fifteen Bagon?"

To be honest, the Granny thought that even offering fifteen Bagon was excessive. These were Pseudo-Legendary, not common Caterpies that can be found everywhere! The total number of Pseudo-Legendary in their Village didn't even reach a hundred, so fifteen is already too many!

Yuga was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't expected the Granny to be so skilled at bargaining; no one else was as ruthless as her, cutting down to half! So, he looked regretful and said, "Well, that's a shame. It seems I won't be able to sell this vial of dragon blood today."

The Granny nearly had a stroke.

"Gym Leader Shimizu, we genuinely can't provide that many Bagon!" The Granny said with a pained expression.

Yuga realized it wouldn't be good to press them too hard. He only intended to make a trade with the Draconid People and didn't plan to antagonize them. So he changed his approach, saying, "Alright, then I'll just take two pairs of Salamence and twenty Bagon."

"You, young man, lack integrity!" The Granny almost lost her composure after hearing at his "just take." She was genuinely thankful he had shown mercy!

Both sides bargained back and forth, and eventually, the Granny obtained Rayquaza's dragon blood from Yuga for the cost of one pair of Salamence and eighteen Bagon.

Even though his price was slashed in half, Yuga was secretly ecstatic. The initial price was a shot in the dark, a sky-high bid. But the wealth of the Draconid People surpassed his expectations by far.

One pair of Salamence and eighteen Bagon was something he had never dared to imagine before.

Even if it were the Dragon Tamers or the Village of Dragons, asking them to provide this many Pseudo-Legendary in one go would surely pose a challenge!

It seemed that the Draconid People indeed highly valued Rayquaza! Yuga thought to himself.

After reaching an agreement, the Granny, suppressing her bleeding heart, told Yuga, "We didn't bring any Pokémon with us. Please allow us some time to send them over."

Yuga smiled and waved his hand, "Sure, take your time. I'll be waiting."

Seeing Yuga's smug face, the Granny wished she could smack him in the face with her cane.

"We'll take our leave now!" the Granny said, and without looking back, she left with Zinnia.

Over the next few days, the Granny stayed in Verdanturf Town. She handed her token to Zinnia, who returned to the Village to inform the tribe of the situation and arrange the delivery of the Pokémon Yuga requested.

Seven days later, the Granny returned with Zinnia. Both parties fulfilled their ends of the deal: Yuga obtained the Pokémon he desired, and the other side received Rayquaza's dragon blood.

After obtaining Rayquaza's dragon blood from Yuga, the Granny and Zinnia didn't linger in Verdanturf Town anymore. They immediately flew off on their Salamence. Yuga, on the other hand, took the newly acquired Pokémon to the Ecopark.

Upon entering the Dragon's Den Sub-Ecopark, Yuga released twenty Pokémon from their Poké Balls. But after examining the Bagon and two Salamence with his Insight ability, his expression turned grim.

The Draconid People indeed delivered on the agreed one pair of adult Salamence and eighteen Bagon, but all the Bagon they sent were crooked melons and cracked dates.

Two adult Salamence were fine, one female and one male, and they were still a couple, but the Bagon were a bigger problem.

While the Pseudo-Legendary and their initial stage were always start at green or higher in terms of potential, there were still thebdifferences within the green category. This was evident in the brightness of the Pokémon's aura, their learning abilities, and the move their inherited.

Needless to say, most of the Bagon delivered by the Draconid People fell below the standard.

Originally, this wasn't a big issue for Yuga, considering he had many Dragon-type Pokémon, including some experienced ones. He could slowly teach the Bagon the moves they lacked. Even if they didn't get it the first time, he could train them multiple times. As long as the Pokémon grew up healthy, it was fine.

However, the problem was that five or six out of the eighteen Bagon were already in poor health, clearly born with congenital weaknesses.

This is a scam!

Initially, Yuga was willing to trust the Granny due to her seniority. But who would have though that she would use these unsavory trick to him!

"Seems like I'm still too young!" Yuga gritted his teeth secretly in his heart.

However, fortunately, the system assured Yuga that if the Bagon stayed in the Dragon's Den Sub-Ecopark for an extended period, their physical weaknesses would gradually heal. But, their growth would be slightly slower compared to healthy Bagon.

Hearing this news, Yuga relaxed. Slower growth wasn't a concern as long as the Pokémon could grow up healthy.

Later, Yuga optimistically thought that although he had been at a disadvantage, it might be a good thing for these weakened Bagon. The healthy ones would be well-treated in the Draconid People's village, but the weak ones might not be as fortunate.

At the YoYo Day Care, at least, he could guarantee their safe and healthy growth, preventing them from dying prematurely.

Of course, Yuga's sympathy was only for the Bagon. He had taken note of the grudge he held against the Draconid People for this trick.

A few days have passed, and one day, Yuga received a call from Mr. Norman. It turned out that it was May's birthday in a couple of days, and Caroline planned to bring her to Verdanturf Town for a vacation.

However, Mr. Norman was too busy to accompany Caroline and May. Thus, he phoned Yuga, asking for his help in hosting them.

With Verdanturf Town's unique tourism gaining traction, more people were visiting the town. Yuga hadn't expected Caroline to come to town for May's birthday.

Of course, Yuga wouldn't refuse Mr. Norman's request. Mr. Norman had helped him a lot, so doing this little favor was something Yuga was more than happy to do.

Two days later, Yuga waited at the Verdanturf Town station and saw Caroline and May getting off the train. However, behind them, there was a little child tailing, and it was Max.

Seeing Max was a bit surprising to Yuga because Mr. Norman hadn't mentioned that Max would be coming.

"Aunt Caroline, over here!"

The station was bustling, and Yuga waved to catch Caroline and May's attention.

Hearing Yuga's voice from afar, Caroline's face lit up with joy. She quickly grabbed Max's hand, called out to May, and walked toward Yuga.

Seeing Caroline carrying quite a few bags, Yuga hurriedly approached and took the items from her.

Caroline had quite a few bags, and she didn't want to trouble him at first. However, upon seeing Yuga release Breloom from its Poké Ball, she didn't insist further.

As soon as Breloom appeared, Max stared at it intently, making Breloom feel a bit awkward.

"Max, long time no see!"

Yuga gently patted Max's head and then turned to May, saying, "Long time no see."

"Yup, yup! Big brother Yuga, long time no see! Is this the Breloom you've been talking about on the phone?" Max's eyes sparkled as he asked Yuga.

Although Yuga hadn't met Mr. Norman for a while, they had regular do phone conversations, and sometimes he exchanged a few words with Max.

However, Yuga had grown somewhat unfamiliar with May. When Yuga had greeted her earlier, she had shyly responded without saying much.

"Yes, let's head back to the Verdanturf Gym first. Once we're there, you can take your time to see the Pokémon. There are many other Pokémon at the Gym," Yuga said with a smile to Max.

Even though Max was young, he was heavily influenced by Mr. Norman from a young age, admiring him greatly and loving Pokémon.

"Really? That's awesome!" Max responded, excitedly nodding.

"By the way, Aunt Caroline, how long do you plan to stay here with May and Max?" Yuga asked Caroline as they walked.

"Your Uncle Norman is always too busy to come home, and I don't have much to do at home, so I plan to stay here for a while. We'll leave whenever we feel like it!" Caroline complained, mentioning Mr. Norman.

Yuga chuckled, "Then I'll have to entertain you properly!"

"Oh, speaking of which, didn't Mr. Norman say that Max wasn't coming?" Yuga curiously asked again.

Upon hearing this, Max blushed bashfully, and May added, "He secretly followed us and got on the train by himself. We only found out halfway."

Hearing May's words, Max grumbled, "It's because you all left me at home alone! I knew Big Brother Yuga had many Pokémon, and it's cunning that you guys didn't invite me!"

"Still daring to talk back? I'll deal with you when we get back!" Caroline scolded, pointing at Max's forehead. Max quickly giggled and acted cute to his mother.

The group soon arrived back at the Verdanturf Gym, and Yuga settled them in the guest rooms.

Caroline felt tired after a few hours in the car and, after settling her luggage, made a call to Mr. Norman and decided to rest in her room without moving.

However, being of a young age, Max was full of energy and immediately dragged Yuga to see the Pokémon Yuga had.

Yuga had no choice but to agree. He then asked May, "Would you like to join us and see the Pokémon?"

May was not as interested in Pokémon as Max, but after thingking for a while she then nodded. So Yuga took the two of them to the new Ecopark.

The new Ecopark was filled with a rich variety of Pokémon, almost mirroring the ones in the Sub-Ecopark.

Upon entering, Max immediately noticed the Druddigon lying near the entrance and dashed over in excitement.

Although the Druddigon didn't have a good reputation among Dragon-type Pokémon, up close, it was quite intimidating, especially since the one in Yuga's Ecopark was an Elite level Pokémon.

Seeing the fierce appearance of the Druddigon, May was momentarily afraid. She wanted to stop Max from approaching, but upon noticing Yuga's reassuring look, she held back.

"It's okay. The Druddigon has a very gentle nature and won't harm Max," Yuga reassured them.

In truth, the Druddigon was a true salted fish. A few days ago, it had boasted about training diligently in order to return to the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, but once it adapted to its new life here, all those promises were abandoned.

Sensing someone approaching, the Druddigon opened its eyes briefly, after spotted Yuga with the two kids, it promptly closed its eyes again, back to nap.

Given its rough skin ability, the Druddigon's scales didn't feel pleasant to the touch. Coupled with its indifference to Max, he soon lost interest in it.

After crossing a moderately short corridor, the trio finally entered the New Ecopark, the first thing they saw was a field of flowers. Hovering above the flower field were Beautifly, Vivillon, and Dustox.

"Wow, it's so beautiful!" May couldn't help but exclaim.

Meanwhile, Max had already dashed into the garden, enthusiastically rattling off the names of various Pokémon.

Although Max was young, he had a solid grasp of basic Pokémon knowledge but lacked practical application.

Yuga stayed with May and Max in the New Ecopark until sunset.

The next day, on May's birthday, she woke up to find a red and white Poké Ball by her pillow. Curious, she opened it and was greeted by a bird-like Pokémon with beautifully white and fluffy wings, staring at her with large, round eyes.

Caroline was busy fixing her hair when she heard May's excited scream coming from the adjacent room. Almost instantly, the door was pushed open.

"Mom, Mom, look, look…"

May was overwhelmed, raising her hands and speaking with a stutter.

Smiling, Caroline looked at May holding the Swablu and said, "You're turning ten next year. This is a birthday present from your brother Yuga. Later, make sure you thank him properly!"

Before Yuga gifted the Swablu, he had consulted with Caroline first. She had initially intended to refuse, considering how rare the green potential Pokémon is and its worth lot of money.

However, Yuga insisted again and again. After consulting with her husband, she decided not to oppose it.

Knowing how much Mr. Norman had helped him. If Caroline rejected Yuga's gift, it would weigh heavily on Yuga's conscience. Besides, for the current Yuga, a green potential Pokémon is nothing.

The reason Yuga thought of gifting a Swablu to May for her birthday was influenced by the original anime storyline. May had once encountered a Swablu on her travels but had to part ways due to the Swablu's migratory pattern, which had saddened her for a considerable time.

With the Swablu now, May wouldn't have to experience such heartache in the future.

Happily, May nodded upon hearing her mother's words.

Although she hadn't been very interested in Pokémon before, after visiting the New Ecopark with Max yesterday and seeing many adorable Pokémon, she discovered how enjoyable interacting with them could be.

Previously, she hadn't felt much for her dad's Pokémon, probably because his father's Slaking didn't fit with her aesthetic (Mr. Norman: Ouch, that hurt, daughter!).

As a young girl, she naturally preferred Swablu more over Slaking. Now, look how cute and adorable Swablu is, no one could resist to like it..

Knowing May's previous lack of interest in Pokémon, Yuga chose a Swablu with a calm and composed personality, fearing that a too lively Pokémon might further deter her interest. Now, it seemed that this Swablu was indeed suitable to May's taste.