"Rotom..." (Have you lost your mind?!)
Rotom looked at the foolish bird that didn't know its own limits with some disdain.
Sometimes this stupid bird couldn't even beat Rotom, okay?
"Staraptor!" (I don't care! Cheese is justice!)
Staraptor kept talking tough.
Just as the Pokémon argued endlessly, a blue light flashed.
Uxie had returned.
Everyone instantly fell silent.
Staraptor, who had been squawking the most arrogantly just moments ago, shut up on the spot, shrinking its neck like an ostrich and behaving exceptionally well.
The other Pokémon looked at it with disdain.
Go on, squawk. Weren't you the loudest one just now?
Yushu's heart leaped into his throat.
Uh... he wasn't going to get beaten up, was he?
Staraptor's attitude just now had clearly shown it wanted to fight Uxie.
Although Uxie looked easy to push around, it was still a Champion Level Legendary Pokémon.
What if Uxie flew into a humiliated rage and tossed him into Lake Acuity with Psychic?
He couldn't swim!
Uxie ignored those wary looks and instead flew up to Yushu, tossing him a palm-sized plate.
The plate was deep purple, with a faint light flowing within it.
"Here, take this!"
Uxie's voice held a hint of reluctance, like a child forced to hand over its pocket money.
The moment Yushu took it, he felt a cool power flow into his body, instantly clearing his mind considerably.
[Psychic Plate (fragment)] [Function: A fragment of one of Arceus's eighteen Plates. Can be used to improve Inner Focus, strengthen moves, assist in psychic training, and more.]
Yushu sucked in a sharp breath.
Well, damn. Another gold-tier drop.
A fragment of Arceus's Plate! This thing was even better than a top-quality Twisted Spoon!
The gap between the two was roughly the difference between a bicycle and a Ferrari.
If he put this up for sale, every Trainer in the Sinnoh Region would probably go crazy.
Those Trainers specializing in Psychic types would probably be willing to bankrupt themselves for this fragment.
"Is this enough?"
Uxie looked at Yushu with a hint of apprehension in its eyes.
Other than this, it really had no other valuable possessions.
It had always treasured this plate fragment, the kind of treasure it hugged to sleep every night.
If it hadn't truly been in the wrong this time, it never would have brought it out.
"More than enough."
Yushu's voice trembled slightly.
Never mind eating the cheese. Even if you ate my whole kitchen, I'd accept it.
Although he didn't have any Psychic-type Pokémon yet, that didn't mean he wouldn't in the future.
Besides, ordinary Pokémon could train their Inner Focus too. Carrying this plate fragment over a long period would gradually improve a Pokémon's Inner Focus, greatly benefiting its reaction speed and control over moves in battle.
You could eat here for the rest of your life.
"Staraptor!"
Just as the atmosphere began to ease, Staraptor suddenly let out a piercing cry.
"Staraptor!" (Wait! Were you the one who ate those missing Pokéblocks too?!)
Staraptor had spotted the key detail.
If it could eat cheese, it could eat Pokéblocks.
Moreover, the timing of those Pokéblocks' disappearance matched up closely with Uxie's appearance at the ranch.
The timing matched, the motive matched, and the gluttony matched!
The evidence was ironclad! Caught red-handed!
Uxie's eyes shifted evasively.
H-had even that been discovered?
"Uxie, did you eat those Pokéblocks too?"
Yushu turned toward Uxie, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Uxie lowered its head like a student caught cheating by a teacher.
"I... I don't have anything left..."
It had already handed over its only valuable possession. It really had nothing else to offer as compensation.
Seeing it looking so timid, cute, and pitiful, Yushu couldn't help laughing.
Look at that. What a good Legendary Pokémon.
It could have simply robbed him, yet it insisted on giving him something in exchange.
As expected of the god of knowledge. So civilized.
If it had been one of those unreasonable ones instead, it probably would have flattened his home with a Precipice Blade.
(Groudon: I feel like you're hinting at me!)
"It's fine. What's eaten is eaten. I have more here, so just come over whenever you want some."
Yushu turned, took a box of freshly made Pokéblocks from the cabinet, and handed it to Uxie.
Uxie's eyes instantly lit up like two stars being illuminated.
"You're such a good person!"
It took the Pokéblocks, eagerly opened the box, and picked one up, popping it into its mouth as its eyes curved into crescents.
That's the taste!
Yushu thought, My friend, you're the good person here.
A fragment of Arceus's Plate in exchange for a few boxes of Pokéblocks and some cheese-if other Trainers learned about this deal, their eyes would probably turn red with jealousy.
Standing on the windowsill, Staraptor watched Uxie holding the Pokéblocks and feasting away, and its whole world fell apart.
Was the difference in treatment really this huge?
It had worked hard alongside Yushu for so many years, toiling away every day without complaint, yet it got scolded for eating even one extra Pokéblock.
But this newcomer had secretly eaten so much, and not only had it gone unpunished, it had even received an entire box of Pokéblocks?
"Staraptor..." (Why... He's never treated me this well... Why does this newcomer get to...)
Was there any justice left in this world?!
Miltank slowly walked over and patted Staraptor on the back.
"Moo..." (You're actually comparing yourself to it? It's a Legendary Pokémon. You're a regional bird. What do you have that could compare?)
Those words were like a knife, plunging straight into Staraptor's heart.
"Staraptor!" (What's wrong with being a regional bird?! Don't regional birds have dignity too?!)
Luxray gave it a sidelong glance.
"Roar..." (Want dignity? Then go challenge it to a fight.)
Those words were like a second knife, both precise and ruthless.
"Staraptor..." (...That hurt.)
Staraptor didn't want to talk to Luxray anymore.
Because Uxie had eaten all the cheese, Yushu had to make another batch.
After finishing the cheese, Yushu changed into clean clothes and prepared to head into town.
He was going to visit Kaixin's Pokémon Day Care and ask about sales channels for the cheese while he was there.
Seeing that Yushu had made another batch, Uxie hesitated but ultimately stayed away.
It had to show some restraint.
It couldn't eat everything in one go.
(Yushu: Are you a Snorlax? How can you eat so much?)
Kaixin's Pokémon Day Care was on a quiet street in eastern Solaceon Town.
It was a small two-story building, with several lush green potted plants by the entrance and a string of wind chimes hanging beneath the eaves, tinkling whenever the wind blew.
A wooden sign hung on the door, bearing the words "Kaixin Pokémon Day Care" in elegant handwriting.
Yushu looked at the storefront and the yard behind it.
This place is pretty big. Could this be the only Pokémon Day Care in Solaceon Town?
No wonder she paid up so decisively. A monopoly really does make money.