Tetsuya had acquired a cheap Pokémon Daycare just like that. Of course, for the time being, there was no way such a daycare on the outskirts could turn a profit. It simply made it convenient for him to, eh, realize certain activities…
At the very least, property like this would appreciate in value.
About six years later, urban property prices would reach their peak. The following year, because of Professor Oak's large-scale plan to improve wilde habitats across every region, many of the extremely dangerous wild Pokémon would be captured by the League, greatly improving the safety of the wilderness.
At the same time, the Jenny Family would reinforce the protection over rural areas and the outskirts of cities, causing city residents to gradually relocate to the suburbs and countryside. As a result, urban property prices would begin to decline while property prices in the suburbs would begin to rise.
What he needed was a place to raise Pokémon, so it would remain useful no matter what happened.
After arriving in town, Tetsuya found a contractor who specialized in renovating Pokémon Daycares, and a small renovation project soon got underway. A weed-cutting machine cleared all the overgrown weeds from the activity field. There was also a faint crack in the ground, which was most likely a result of the mining accident.
Once the weeds had been removed, the ground was compacted once more, leaving the field level at last. Two of the rooms also received simple renovations. One became his bedroom, furnished with nothing more than a bed, a wardrobe, a table, and a few chairs. The bathroom fixtures were also completely replaced.
The original kitchen was cleaned up as well. Since there was no natural gas supply in a place like this, it could only use liquefied gas. Fortunately, the kitchen utensils were still there. They simply needed to be disinfected and washed.
After that, in what had originally been one of the Pokémon training rooms, Tetsuya specifically purchased a sealed container made of corrosion-resistant special rubber, measuring five meters in length, width, and height.
He then sealed off that room. For the time being, he intended to "raise" Skorupi there.
Living here alone would allow him to concentrate on certain tasks, and his Pokémon would also have plenty of space to train.
Tetsuya planned to spend the remaining months of the year here. If he could successfully raise a [Badly Poisonous Skorupi] variant, that would naturally be ideal. If not, the matter would likely be delayed once again.
By the end of this year, Pryce would certainly have gained a general understanding of the Shadow Team, and next year he would inevitably begin putting certain plans into motion. As for Tetsuya, his own plan was naturally to go to Viridian City in Kanto to find Giovanni.
If Team Rocket wanted to expand its power and extend its influence into Johto, it would have to eliminate the Shadow Team. Moreover, Giovanni could do so under the banner of the League as a righteous force. Naturally, he would not pass up such an opportunity.
There was still hope of raising the Skorupi this year, but raising Spinarak required another full cycle, so there simply was not enough time for it at the moment.
This method of nurturing was simply too ruthless!
Ever since Catherine had returned to Sinnoh, there was no one he truly trusted anymore. Fortunately, he still had plenty of capable Pokémon under his command, so it would not matter if he raised it a little later.
After taking care of everything, Tetsuya prepared to visit Mr. Shellby.
He got on his bicycle, locked the gate to the place, and headed straight for Mr. Shellby's Pokémon Daycare.
It had been more than four years since he had last seen this old friend. He wondered what thoughts today's reunion would bring.
When he arrived at the entrance to Mr. Shellby's Pokémon Daycare, the old man was still operating business as honestly as ever, with fair prices, which had earned him many loyal customers. There were still quite a few customers in front of the Daycare.
Tetsuya quietly walked forward…
Mr. Shellby and his wife were busy serving customers when Tetsuya quietly appeared on a bench in the main hall.
Mr. Shellby glanced at Tetsuya but did not recognize him. He asked one of his assistants to pour Tetsuya a cup of Moomoo Tea before continuing to attend to his customers.
'…Hmm?
The more he looked at Tetsuya, the more familiar he seemed. Mr. Shellby could not help stealing another glance at him. Although he had his suspicions, he could not bring himself to believe them. He kept thinking about how this young man looked so much like Tetsuya. Even while serving customers, his mind was already elsewhere.
"Old man, what are you thinking about?" Seeing that Mr. Shellby had become so distracted that it was beginning to affect business, his wife reminded him.
"Oh… eh, you take over for now. I need to confirm something."
At last, Mr. Shellby decided to go over and ask.
As Mr. Shellby approached, Tetsuya spoke first. "Mr. Shellby, it's been four years. Have you been well?"
Mr. Shellby froze for a moment before his eyes widened in shock. "Y-You… You're really Tetsuya!?"
"Of course." Tetsuya stood up.
"But weren't you…? I specifically went to Ecruteak Gym to ask Matsuba about your whereabouts. Even Matsuba said back then that you had most likely been, well, you know… killed. I simply couldn't believe it! How could someone as young as you just disappear like that!? Let me have a look and see if you've been injured over these past few years."
Mr. Shellby excitedly patted Tetsuya on the chest.
"I'm fine now. I just went through some unusual experiences, but it's all in the past," Tetsuya said.
"Hmm, then let the past stay in the past. As long as you're healthy, that's all that matters. Come to the back room and tell me properly what happened over these past few years." Mr. Shellby pulled Tetsuya toward the back room, leaving his wife to deal with all the customers by herself.
Tetsuya gave a general account of what he had experienced over the past few years. The fact that he had managed to survive left Mr. Shellby sighing repeatedly in amazement, unable to stop praising Tetsuya's capacities.
Once Mr. Shellby's wife had finished attending to the customers, she had been about to complain. But after learning that it was Tetsuya, her eyes immediately lit up. Someone they had believed to be dead had suddenly appeared before them, leaving her just as excited.
After lunch, Mr. Shellby took Tetsuya on a tour of his daycare. Mr. Shellby's Pokémon Daycare was much larger than the one Tetsuya had purchased. Young Pokémon could be seen everywhere, and the egg room was filled with all kinds of Pokémon Eggs. The temperature and humidity inside were perfectly maintained for hatching eggs.
This was indeed what a normal Pokémon Daycare looked like. However, Tetsuya's own method of hatching Eggs was completely different, as it involved creating extremely harsh environments.
When they entered the Pokémon activity grounds, the first thing they saw was ten Skorupi.
"Look, these are the Skorupi you asked me to raise. There are already ten of them. Not a single Skorupi from this generation has been sold. Skorupi that know so many moves are something many people are eager to buy," Mr. Shellby said.
"…You've only bred ten?" Tetsuya asked. More than four years had already passed, nearly five. If he had been breeding them himself, there would have been at least fifty by now.
Tetsuya did not even need to ask. He already knew that this old man had simply waited for the Pokémon to reach their breeding season and mate naturally. Such efficiency was painfully slow. He was not even cut out to be a profiteer.
No wonder all he had ever managed was running a Pokémon Daycare his entire life!
"Mhm, that's right. This pace is already pretty good! Of course, the third generation of Skorupi has already conceived successfully. They'll lay eggs in about a week. This batch will also have ten eggs, and with my skills, I'm certain I'll hatch them successfully, shahaha!" Mr. Shellby said proudly.
"When those eggs are laid… hand them over to me to hatch!" Tetsuya said firmly.