Bab 760: Younger Cousin
After listening to Abe's words, Yuga fell silent for a moment.
He thought that accepting this commission would be a good idea. It would allow both Pidgey Express and the Joy family to owe him a favor, which was quite advantageous. Moreover, there would be a reward involved.
"Alright, I agree."
Yuga didn't rush to discuss the reward with Abe. Firstly, he believed that a large company like Pidgey Express wouldn't engage in dishonest practices, and secondly, he felt that Abe, in his current position, might not have the authority to decide such matters.
"That's great!"
Hearing Yuga's response, Abe looked pleasantly surprised. Seeking assistance from the Verdanturf Gym was a crucial matter, as it concerned the reputation of Pidgey Express. If they could successfully handle this task, Abe would gain significant credit.
"I'll visit your Gym later to discuss the details of this commission with you."
With joy, Abe told Yuga after their agreement.
"Sure, you can send my goods first. I'll be waiting for you at the Gym."
Having said that, Yuga gestured for Windy to leave.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure your goods are delivered. Take care."
Abe followed Yuga and Windy to see them off at the entrance of Pidgey Express.
"Brother Windy?"
Yuga and Windy had not gone far from the Pidgey Express when they suddenly heard a voice calling from behind.
Yuga and Windy instinctively turned their heads when they heard the voice. They saw a young man with purple hair standing behind them, looking at Windy with surprise.
"It's really you, Brother Windy!"
After his initial surprise, the young man with purple hair was filled with joy and exclaimed.
Windy was also very surprised at this moment, not expecting to see his own cousin here.
Not only Windy but Yuga was also surprised!
Isn't this James? He actually knows Windy, what a small world! But James should be in Kanto, right? How did he end up in Hoenn?
Yuga noticed that James was wearing a Team Rocket uniform at the moment, which meant that he had joined Team Rocket.
"James, how did you end up here?"
Windy asked in confusion. Unlike James, who was initially surprised and then filled with joy, Windy's expression quickly returned to calm.
Upon hearing Windy's question, James's face looked a bit unnatural. "I... I have some business."
"Oh, I see."
Windy didn't ask further and just responded quietly.
Yuga glanced at Windy and then at James, feeling that there was something strange in the atmosphere between them.
Their relationship might not be simple.
"Windy, is this someone you know?"
Yuga had to pretend not to recognize the young man, deliberately feigning confusion and directing his question to Windy.
"Well, sort of."
Windy seemed reluctant to elaborate.
Only after Yuga spoke that James notice the presence of another person beside Windy. He had been so overwhelmed with joy upon seeing Windy that he hadn't noticed anyone else around.
"I'm James."
Before Windy could speak, James eagerly introduced himself to Yuga.
"Are you a friend of Windy's?"
"Sort of. Are you his friend too?"
Yuga had never heard about Windy's past, his friends, or his family. He didn't know about any of Windy's acquaintances or relatives.
Upon hearing Yuga's question, James's expression turned somewhat unnatural. "I... I'm... um... Windy's younger brother."
"Younger brother?"
Now it was Yuga's turn to be surprised.
As far as Yuga knew, James came from a prominent family in the Kanto region. They used to be nobles in the region, but as the aristocracy declined in the Pokémon League, their family had transitioned into a business dynasty, and they were quite wealthy. Their family's influence was nothing to be underestimated and was on par with major corporations like Pidgey Express.
Yuga knew that Windy's surname was Sasaki, but he had never imagined that Windy and James were actually brothers.
Upon closer inspection, Yuga thought they did share some resemblance, perhaps about two or three similarities out of ten.
But if Windy and James were brothers, it meant they both belonged to the Sasaki family. Yuga couldn't help but wonder why Windy had come to work here if he was a member of such a prestigious family.
So, do the Sasaki family's children have a tradition of leaving home? First, there was James joining Team Rocket, and now Windy working at YoYo Day Care.
"We're... we're cousins," James explained further, a bit nervously when he noticed that Windy didn't respond to his words.
So, they were cousins.
"I see. Windy, do you want to invite your cousin to visit?"
This was Yuga's first time meeting one of the members of the Team Rocket Trio, and he felt quite pleased. Inviting James to visit wouldn't hurt.
"Maybe not."
"Are you sure?"
Both Windy and James spoke up, but Windy seemed reluctant, while James appeared excited.
Observing the different reactions of these two, Yuga became more convinced that there was something unusual between them.
James's attitude was quite normal. He hadn't seen his cousin in a long time, and he was excited to meet him again, which was reasonable.
However, Windy's attitude was strange. He seemed cold towards James, not unwelcoming, but clearly not eager to meet him either.
"Windy, could you take me with you? It's been so many years since we've seen each other," James pleaded with Windy, recalling the good relationship they had when they were younger.
Yuga refrained from encouraging Windy to take James with them. If there was any hidden conflict or if Windy genuinely didn't want to see James, he didn't want to interfere.
Although Yuga was delighted by the unexpected encounter with James, he was more closely associated with Windy, and his loyalty leaned toward Windy.
After hearing James's plea, Windy hesitated for a while. Eventually, under James's hopeful gaze, he nodded reluctantly. "Alright."
"That's great! Let's go quickly!"
Delighted by Windy's agreement, James jumped with excitement and followed Yuga and Windy back to YoYo Day Care.
When they arrived at YoYo Day Care's entrance, Windy explained to James, "I live and work here now. And this is actually my boss."
Windy pointed at Yuga.
"Oh, I see!" James looked at Yuga, and seeing Yuga smile at him, he turned to look at the sign above the entrance. "YoYo Pokémon Day Care. So, Windy, you work here."
Suddenly, James's mood seemed to darken as he thought of something. "Well, let's go inside. No point standing around here."
Saying this, he grabbed James's arm and led him inside.
"Boss, you're back!"
Seeing Yuga return, Suzuki Koen walked over from behind the counter.
"Who's this?"
Seeing James beside Yuga, Suzuki Koen assumed he was a customer and wanted to assist.
"Oh, this is Windy's cousin. He came to visit him. You can go on with your work; Windy will take care of him."
Suzuki Koen understood instantly, but then she remembered something and said to Yuga, "By the way, there's a guest waiting at Yasushi's place. She said she's his sister, but from the look on Yasushi's face, it doesn't seem quite right. Do you want to check on them?"
"Sister? I see. I'll go have a look."
It seemed that siblings were gathering here one after another.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone