It was only after talking with his grandparents that Lucas understood their thoughts.
Lucas arranged to meet them at the Breeding House in the afternoon, bringing that grandpa along, and he would introduce a suitable Pokémon to accompany him.
After hanging up the phone, Lucas looked at the Petilil standing on the counter, watching him with concern, and smiled. He patted her little head, indicating that he was fine.
Then, he called over Gengar, who was eating snacks and watching TV, and told him about the matter.
Actually, it wasn't complicated. When that grandpa was young, he and his grandma were deeply in love. His grandma had poor health and passed away after giving birth to one child. The grandpa never remarried, instead raising their child and then their grandchild. Two years ago, his grandchild went to college and rarely came home.
So, currently, only that grandpa lived alone. Now that the Breeding House was open, the seed shop grandpa and grandma thought about whether they could find a Pokémon to accompany him.
Soon after, Gary returned to the Breeding House with Shauna, riding Arcanine. After everyone finished lunch, Shauna took Chingling and the others to play in the backyard.
Gary, meanwhile, went to the backyard to observe the Pokémon there for Lucas.
Vulpix was lazily lying on Lucas's lap, letting him groom her fur.
Her tail had completely split into six fluffy tails, and she was currently dozing off contentedly.
Gengar was engrossed in watching the cartoon on TV.
"What are you two doing, going to all this trouble to find a Pokémon for me? I'm perfectly fine on my own; I've managed all these years," a hearty voice came from outside.
Lucas, holding Vulpix, stood up and walked towards the door.
Gengar also immediately turned off the TV and floated beside Lucas.
"Just consider it raising one for your grandchild. After all, hasn't your grandchild always loved Pokémon and wanted to be a Trainer?" the seed shop grandpa's voice rang out, then fell silent.
Lucas walked to the doorway and saw a bald, well-built grandpa in a suit, who had fallen silent.
Then, that grandpa looked up at the seed shop grandpa and said, "Then I'll listen to you, old brother."
The seed shop grandpa nodded.
"Oh, why are Store Manager Lucas and Shauna out here?"
Grandma saw Lucas and Shauna, who had returned from the backyard to the front at some point and were now peeking their heads out, looking at them. She exclaimed in surprise.
Then she led the two grandpas to the entrance of the Breeding House.
"Good afternoon, Grandpa and Grandma."
"Good afternoon, Store Manager Lucas. This is the grandpa we mentioned to you on the phone."
"Grandpa and Grandma, just call me Lucas. This grandpa—" Lucas looked at the bald, somewhat fierce-looking grandpa and paused.
"His name is Yask. Don't let his fierce appearance fool you; he's actually a very kind person," Grandma said with a smile, then took Shauna's small hand, flipped her palm, and two candies lay in her palm.
Shauna glanced at Lucas. After getting his approval, she took the candies, ate one herself, and peeled one for Gengar beside Lucas.
"..." Lucas looked at Shauna, who was blinking innocently, and Gengar, who was acting coy in front of him, and sighed helplessly.
Then Grandma pulled Shauna aside, leaving Lucas to discuss matters with the two grandpas.
"Hello, Grandpa Yask. Do you have a specific Pokémon in mind?" Lucas asked Grandpa Yask with a smile.
At this moment, Gary, having finished his tasks in the backyard, also returned to the front and quietly observed the scene.
"What kind of ideal Pokémon would I have? You just pick one for me," Grandpa Yask rubbed his bald head. As an old man, how would he know which Pokémon suited him? He had hardly ever raised a Pokémon.
"But I heard Brother Manny say that Pachirisu and Glameow are quite suitable for me? He's a breeder; he knows better than I do."
Pachirisu? Glameow?
Looking at Grandpa Yask in front of him, who must be over sixty, taller than his own 1.83 meters, showing no signs of age—others would think he was forty or fifty—and looking fierce.
Raising a Pachirisu or a Glameow?
Lucas imagined him holding a Pachirisu and a Glameow, a beautiful sight indeed.
Manny must be the seed shop grandpa, right?
At this point, Grandpa Manny shared his thoughts with Lucas.
Lucas nodded. Grandpa Manny was right.
These types of Pokémon were indeed the most suitable for companionship, but that was for ordinary people.
For Grandpa Yask, a Pokémon with similar interests would probably be more appropriate.
After discussing with Grandpa Manny and Grandpa Yask, Lucas decided to respect their opinions.
Then he looked at Grandpa Yask and asked, "Shall we go pick a pokémon egg for you now?"
Grandpa Yask was stunned, then exclaimed loudly, "I have to hatch it myself?!"
"Why are you shouting so loudly?"
"If you scare Lucas, do you believe I'll smack you?"
Facing the combined scolding of Grandpa Manny and Grandma, Grandpa Yask shrank his neck.
Then he rubbed the back of his head and burst into laughter.
"Don't mind him."
Seeing this, Lucas also smiled, indicating it was fine.
It seemed this grandpa was a passionate person.
Lucas nodded to himself, then continued to look at him, frowning, and said, "Grandpa Yask doesn't want to hatch a pokémon egg? We only have pokémon eggs here."
Hearing this, Grandpa Manny and Grandma gasped in surprise, then remembered that Lucas's Breeding House only sold pokémon eggs.
Subsequently, they fell into a state of regret.
Grandpa Yask saw the scene fall silent and let out a hearty laugh.
"What's the big deal? If there aren't any, then there aren't any. Don't I have Brother Manny and you, sister-in-law, to look after me as neighbors?"
Hearing this, Grandpa Manny and Grandma also smiled.
Indeed, if there wasn't a suitable Pokémon, then so be it. They would take good care of their younger brother Yask.
Having been neighbors for forty or fifty years, they had long become like family.
Lucas loved seeing such heartwarming scenes, but he still kept apologizing.
Just as they were about to leave, Shauna suddenly spoke.
"Uncle, aren't there many Pokémon in the backyard?"
Seeing the hopeful look in Grandpa Manny and Grandma's eyes, Lucas fell into a dilemma.
Lucas had thought of it initially, but those were not the property of the Breeding House, and he hadn't asked them beforehand.
He had assumed they would buy a pokémon egg as usual.
Seeing Lucas in a dilemma, Grandpa Manny softly said, "Actually, Yask is a trustworthy person. This is something we can vouch for after being neighbors for decades."
Lucas was silent for a moment, then made a decision.
"How about we go to the backyard first and take a look? If Grandpa Yask fancies a certain Pokémon, I will ask for its opinion. If it agrees, it can go with Grandpa Yask. If it doesn't agree, we'll look for another one and see if we can find one that's willing."
"If none are willing, then I can't do anything either, as they are not the property of the Breeding House. They are free, and I need to respect their opinions."
The others quickly patted their chests, guaranteeing they wouldn't force the Pokémon.
Lucas then nodded, put down Vulpix, and led them to the backyard.
As soon as Grandpa Manny and Grandma entered the backyard, their attention was drawn to the Pokémon there.
After all, they had met and fallen in love because of Pokémon in their youth, leading to a lifetime of companionship.
Lucas was introducing the Pokémon belonging to the Breeding House and Gary in the backyard to Grandpa Yask, but he noticed Grandpa Yask kept staring at one spot.
Lucas followed his gaze.
A Teddiursa was secretly hiding behind the swing's tree, peeking out its small bear head, cautiously watching them.
The distance was far; if Lucas hadn't followed Grandpa Yask's gaze, he might not have noticed it.
As soon as Grandpa Yask entered the backyard, he casually glanced into the distance, then saw the Teddiursa hiding behind the tree, and couldn't take his eyes off it.
Seeing this, Lucas couldn't help but rub his forehead, feeling a bit of a headache.
This was precisely the Teddiursa rescued from the Pokémon Hunter and brought back from Professor Rowan's research lab.
A Teddiursa that had suffered emotional trauma.
....
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