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

Chapter 1197: Pidgeot’s attempt to court a mate ended up backfiring...

The League finally decided to split the larger of the two giant meteoroid fragments into equal parts and distribute them among the Order-aligned Legendary Pokémon that have allied with the League. The smaller fragment will continue to be studied by the various professors, with the hope of discovering more results.

Once the decision was made, the distribution list of the giant meteoroid fragments was confirmed. Ho-Oh, the Original Three Legendary Beasts, Lugia, the three Legendary Birds of the Orange Archipelago, Mew, Celebi from various regions, and the Sinnoh Creation Trio... each received a share.

After the fragments were allocated, they needed to be delivered personally to each of the Legendary Pokémon. This was an important task, so only the top-ranked experts in the League were assigned to it.

For example, Professor Oak was assigned to deliver a fragment to Ho-Oh, Elite Four Bruno to the Original Three Legendary Beasts, Elite Four Lorelei to Lugia and the three Legendary Birds, the regional candidate Elites attending the exhibition to the various Celebi, and Gardenia to Regigigas...

The League has a special method for contacting the Order-aligned Legendary Pokémon, so the deliverers just need to follow the League's instructions and deliver the fragments to the specified locations.

In theory, Rayquaza could have also received a piece, but it had already taken a large fragment for itself, so it wasn't interested in the smaller piece the League was offering.

Rayquaza didn't want to go out of its way for an extra piece, which left Yuga's original delivery assignment without a destination.

However, Professor Oak eventually arranged for Yuga to deliver a fragment to Mew, even though Yuga wasn't particularly eager to accept the task.

"It's not like I'm getting a bonus or anything, so why go out of my way for this?" Yuga thought.

"This task is something I specifically arranged for you," Professor Oak explained. "We've been researching this fragment for days with no breakthrough. Since you'll be meeting Mew, why not take the item and ask it directly? No one is more suitable for this task than you."

In the end, Yuga agreed. After all, he was now working under the League, so he had to do the job he was paid for.

Professor Oak also assigned Gary to accompany him as an assistant. Getting a rare chance to meet Mew, Professor Oak wouldn't miss out on an opportunity to study it. Since he couldn't go himself, sending Gary to record his observations was the next best thing. This way, Gary could also gain valuable experience.

If Professor Oak hadn't been assigned a task himself, he would have gone to meet Mew with Yuga instead of sending Gary.

To be honest, bringing Gary along was less efficient than working alone, but Professor Oak had begged him for half a day, and Gary had looked at him with such hopeful eyes that Yuga reluctantly agreed.

Perhaps influenced by Professor Oak, Gary was now fully embracing his role as a budding researcher. He was thrilled about the chance to meet Mew, especially on the day before their departure when he was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night.

The next day, when they set off, Yuga noticed that Gary had dark circles under his eyes, looking exhausted.

"What's wrong? Didn't sleep well last night?" Yuga asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, a bit of insomnia," Gary replied vaguely, too embarrassed to admit he hadn't slept because he was too excited.

Yuga didn't press further and released Dragonite, saying, "Then let's get going."

Gary murmured an "okay" and released his own flying partner, Pidgeot.

Once they were both seated on their mounts, Dragonite and Pidgeot took off with a flap of their wings.

Yuga had left Windy at Professor Oak's lab, as he'd been getting along well with the lab assistants. Leaving him there for a few days didn't worry Yuga.

Their destination was the Tree of Beginning, Mew's residence, located in the mountains north of Pewter City and Mt. Moon.

The closest city to the Tree of Beginning is Cameran Palace, which also serves as the League's guard post to protect the Tree of Beginning.

The Tree of Beginning is in a restricted area, strictly regulated by the League, and not accessible to everyone. Professor Oak and Professor Birch had only been there a few times for research expeditions.

However, Yuga and Gary didn't plan to stop at Cameran Palace. They decided to head straight to the Tree of Beginning to deliver the item to Mew as quickly as possible.

Since they wouldn't be going through Cameran Palace, Yuga and Gary would need to cross layers of forests and mountain ranges to reach their destination.

After nearly two days of flying, they finally crossed the vast expanse of Mt. Moon.

"Once we get through this ancient forest, we should be close to our destination," Gary said, looking at the GPS device Professor Oak had given him.

"Then let's head down; flying might not be suitable for the next stretch," Yuga agreed.

The closer they got to the Tree of Beginning, the more frequent high-level wild Pokémon appeared in the area. Continuing to fly in the open would likely attract unnecessary trouble.

With several years of experience under his belt, Gary was no rookie. He understood Yuga's point, and after nodding, directed Pidgeot to land.

Yuga switched to riding his Absol, while Gary brought out his Arcanine. They plunged into the forest on their Pokémon, quickly disappearing from view.

The ancient forest was vast and teeming with various Pokémon species, and Yuga and Gary encountered many along the way.

Most Pokémon, intimidated by Absol and Arcanine's auras, kept their distance. However, some saw the two as intruders or prey and attacked, though Yuga and Gary managed to fend them off easily.

Gary, spotting interesting moments, used a camcorder to record scenes for his research. He filmed Paras and Parasect busy planting mushrooms, Nidoran and Nidorina courting, and even a Sandslash in a private moment — all valuable material for his studies.

The last forest they needed to cross was incredibly large, and the day quickly slipped by without them making it out.

As dusk began to fall, Yuga said to Gary, "Let's find a place to stop; it'll be hard to travel once it's dark."

"Alright, I'll have Pidgeot and Honchkrow scout for a good camping spot," Gary replied, releasing his Pidgeot and Honchkrow, while Yuga sent out his Dragonite and Charizard.

Soon, Dragonite returned, having found a small lake nearby with open ground suitable for camping.

Yuga agreed that the spot Dragonite found was suitable, so he and Gary decided to head there, now just waiting for the other Pokémon to return.

A few minutes later, Charizard and Honchkrow returned one after the other, but no matter how long they waited, Gary's Pidgeot was nowhere to be seen.

"Could it have run into some danger? I can't just sit here, I have to go find it!" Gary finally lost his patience after waiting so long for Pidgeot.

Just then, a loud cry sounded from afar.

"It's Pidgeot!" Gary's eyes lit up.

Shortly after, they saw Pidgeot flying back.

But to their surprise, following closely behind Gary's Pidgeot was another Pidgeot.

"What's going on? Who's this Pidgeot...?" Gary looked at his own Pidgeot in confusion.

"Pidge... Pidge..." Gary's Pidgeot called out twice, sounding rather exasperated.

Yuga, on the other hand, could see what was going on clearly. The unfamiliar Pidgeot was looking at Gary's Pidgeot with an adoring gaze—an expression Yuga had seen often in his own Ecopark.

But the stranger Pidgeot's gaze toward Yuga and Gary was entirely different, filled with wariness.

After Gary's Pidgeot explained the situation, Yuga and Gary finally understood why the unfamiliar Pidgeot had shown up.

It turned out that this Pidgeot was a wild Pokémon and the leader of a local Pidgey flock.

Previously, a flock of Spearow had suddenly attacked the Pidgey flock, and the wild Pidgeot was almost killed by the Spearow leader, Fearow. Gary's Pidgeot had happened to pass by and rescued it, helping to drive off the Spearow.

Afterward, the wild Pidgeot fell hopelessly in love with Gary's Pidgeot, clinging to it and insisting that it stay with it.

But Gary's Pidgeot had a Trainer, and naturally, it wanted to stay with Gary rather than remain with a wild Pidgeot it had just met.

The wild Pidgeot, however, was quite manipulative. Seeing that Gary's Pidgeot was unwilling to stay, it tried to use its flock as an excuse, claiming that the Pidgey flock would continue to suffer casualties at the hands of the Spearow flock if Gary's Pidgeot didn't stay.

The wild Pidgey flock also wanted Gary's Pidgeot to stay, so they played along with their leader, giving it pitiful looks to appeal to Gary's Pidgeot's sympathy.

Gary's Pidgeot was indeed touched but couldn't bring itself to abandon its Trainer. Left with no choice, it returned with the wild Pidgeot to discuss the matter with Gary.

After hearing the full story, Yuga couldn't help but chuckle. To him, the solution was simple—survival of the fittest was the law of nature, and it wasn't their place to interfere in the affairs of wild Pokémon.

Gary, however, turned to his Pidgeot and asked, "Do you want to stay? I respect your choice; if you wish to remain, I won't object."

Pidgeot immediately shook its head vigorously. Sure, it felt some sympathy for the young Pidgey, but compared to them, the Trainer who had nurtured it all along was far more important.

Seeing Pidgeot's reaction, Gary broke into a happy smile.

Watching this scene, Yuga suddenly thought of the Pidgeot that Ash once released. Same situation, yet different Pokémon made different choices.

If one of Yuga's own Pokémon were to abandon him for another, he would certainly feel like he had failed as a Trainer. After all, how could a Pokémon abandon the Trainer it had spent every day with for a random stranger?

As Trainers, they sometimes needed to respect their Pokémon's wishes, but if those wishes made the Trainer's position awkward, it was a delicate situation indeed.

Pidgeot's decision made Gary happy, but the wild Pidgeot wasn't having it. Enraged, it suddenly launched itself at Gary with a Tackle attack.

The wild Pidgeot believed it was Gary's presence that prevented his Pidgeot from wanting to stay.

Luckily, Honchkrow was right beside Gary and raised its wings, countering with a Sucker Punch that knocked the wild Pidgeot flying.

The wild Pidgeot's behavior not only angered Gary but also his normally good-natured Pidgeot, who flew up to scold it. The wild Pidgeot shot Gary a furious glare before reluctantly flying away, full of bitterness.

Gary could only sigh helplessly at this unexpected trouble.

Most of the time, Pokémon like Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot were relatively mild-mannered. Gary hadn't expected to encounter such a peculiar one today and realized he still had a lot to learn.

Yuga, on the other hand, thought this situation was perfectly normal. Pidgeot, after all, was a bird of prey, and one that could hold its own against the nasty-tempered Fearow; expecting it to be gentle-hearted was naive.

"Hey, Pidgeot, don't feel bad," Yuga consoled it. "If you're looking for a mate, there's no shortage! I remember Ash has quite a few Flying-types at Professor Oak's lab—why don't you check them out?"

Pidgeot: ...

Gary: ...

"If that doesn't work, I can introduce you to some as well!" Yuga continued.

After sending the wild Pidgeot on its way, Yuga and the others followed Dragonite to the small lakeside spot it had found to set up camp.

Gary had to pitch a tent for himself, but Yuga didn't need one. He called out his Palossand, which grew larger in the breeze, soon transforming into a castle suitable for human habitation.

Gary, who had seen Yuga's Palossand in action a few days prior, was deeply envious—it was practically the ultimate travel accessory.

Unfortunately, Gary couldn't stay in a Palossand like Yuga without risking his life force being drained. Otherwise, he'd definitely want one.

Seeing Gary's interest in living inside Palossand, Yuga had encouraged him to research a way to make it safe to inhabit Palossand without life force being drained. If successful, it would be a blessing for travelers everywhere.

Gary was very intrigued and asked Yuga many questions about Palossand and what it felt like to stay inside one, clearly determined to figure it out.

That night, with Yuga's Gengar and Mismagius on guard duty, they both slept peacefully.

The next morning, after finishing breakfast and feeding their Pokémon, they prepared to set off again.

Just as they mounted Arcanine and Absol to leave, they realized they were surrounded—a flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto led by the wild Pidgeot from yesterday had encircled them.

"Pidgeooooot!"

Robbery!

The wild Pidgeot's call made its intentions clear to Yuga.

So, this wild Pidgeot, failing to win its love, had resorted to robbery?

Yuga and Gary quickly understood—the wild Pidgeot wasn't after anything else, but Gary's Pidgeot itself. If Pidgeot refused to stay willingly, it had decided to take it by force.

Seeing the sky filled with Pidgey and Pidgeotto, Yuga sighed deeply and released Dragonite.

"Dragonite, go easy on them. Don't accidentally knock anyone out completely!" Yuga instructed.

"Dragonite!"

Dragonite nodded and flew into the sky.

After a burst of lightning and thunder, the Pidgey and Pidgeotto came raining down from the sky, while the wild Pidgeot, whom Dragonite had intentionally spared, stared in shock.