Illegitimate Child

Upon hearing Windy's question, James hesitated and avoided answering.

Seeing that James didn't want to share, Windy didn't press further and casually chatted with him about other topics.

After a while, Windy took James downstairs to meet Yuga.

Once their reunion conversation was over, Yuga asked James if he wanted accommodation arranged for him. James wanted to spend more time with his cousin Windy and reluctantly nodded, under Windy's somewhat reluctant gaze.

Yuga then had Windy take James to the dormitories at the Pokémon Paradise to settle in. Some customers were already staying there, so everything was readily available.

The cafeteria at the Pokémon Paradise was also open for business, and Aunt Aoba was the chef. To facilitate matters, employees from the Pokémon Day Care and apprentices and staff from the Gym all ate at the Pokémon Paradise's cafeteria.

Since they had to cater to both Gym staff and the Pokémon Paradise's guests, Yuga provided additional wages to Aunt Aoba, on top of what the Pokémon League paid her. After all, her responsibilities extended beyond just cooking for the Gym staff and apprentices, so additional compensation was justified.

Originally, Aunt Aoba was reluctant to accept extra pay. She was satisfied with her current job, and the Pokémon League's salary was already decent. Cooking for a few more people was easy for her.

However, Yuga insisted that she accept it. Currently, not many people were dining at the Pokémon Paradise, but as the YoYo Day Care's business grew, more guests and staff would come in the future. If Aunt Aoba ever found herself overwhelmed, Yuga even considered hiring a couple of assistants for her.

After settling in at the Pokémon Paradise, James was quickly captivated by the stray Pokémon there. He enthusiastically played with them, even though some of the stray Pokémon were aloof and didn't want to interact with humans.

But James remained undeterred, continuing to approach them with enthusiasm.

After ensuring James was comfortable, Windy went to find Yuga.

"Boss, I want to talk to you about something," Windy said in a low voice.

Yuga, who was counting the newly placed incense on the counter, was startled by Windy's sudden words.

He turned to see Windy and let out a sigh of relief. "What's going on? Your expression looks so serious."

"I want to talk to you about my past," Windy said quietly.

Yuga was somewhat surprised to hear this. Windy had been at YoYo Day Care for almost two years now, and during holidays and breaks, Yuga hadn't seen him go home, nor had any family members visited him or received any contact from him.

He didn't inquire about Windy's past, and the others at the shop didn't ask either. Everyone could guess that Windy must have had something in his past he didn't want to discuss.

Over these two years, Windy had been diligent and hardworking at YoYo Day Care. He had managed the YoYo Day Care's website effectively, and he was willing to do any task or labor that needed to be done. Yuga had been quite satisfied with him.

However, Windy was introverted. He stayed in his room most of the time, working on the internet, and only came out when necessary to perform his tasks. He rarely engaged in conversation or socialized with others.

Yuga had come to regard him as family by now.

Like Suzuki Koen, Windy was one of the first two employees at YoYo Day Care when it was still relatively unknown. He had witnessed Yuga's and YoYo Day Care's growth over the years.

"Come with me," Yuga said after a brief pause, leading Windy to his room.

"Have a seat."

Once they were in the room, Yuga pointed to a chair behind his desk and sat down on the bed opposite to Windy.

After Windy took a seat, Yuga asked, "Why suddenly decide to talk about this? Your expression looks quite serious."

Windy pursed his lips and hesitated to speak. He felt insecure about his past because he believed it was something to be ashamed of. He feared that Yuga and the others wouldn't look at him the same way if they knew the truth.

If previously he didn't want to talk about his past simply because he wasn't close to everyone, now he was afraid of not being accepted.

During these two years, he had received meticulous care at YoYo Day Care. Whether it was the boss, the Pokémon in the shop, or the employees, everyone treated him kindly, and he had truly become a part of this place.

He wanted to connect with everyone, but at the same time, he feared that people would look down on him because of his background, or even ask him to leave.

Seeing Windy remaining silent, Yuga softly asked, "Is it because of James?"

Windy shook his head.

His connection with James wasn't significant. However, James's arrival made him realize that he didn't want to keep things hidden from the boss and the others.

Seeing Windy shaking his head without speaking, Yuga sighed and said, "Well then, if you want to talk about it, go ahead. I'm listening."

Windy nodded and began to recount his past.

The current head of the Sasaki family was Windy's uncle, who was also James's father. However, more than twenty years ago, the heir to the Sasaki family wasn't James's father but Windy's father, who was James's great uncle.

Speaking of which, It was another tale of complex family entanglements and drama among the wealthy.

Windy had been living in the Hoenn region with his mother since he could remember.

Although he didn't have a father, he was happy.

The Pokémon world, unlike Yuga's past life, didn't scrutinize single mothers much. As long as they didn't go against morality, no one cared whether you were giving birth as an unmarried mother or a widow.

So, even without a father, Windy felt he was leading a very fortunate life because his mother treated him well.

Until one day, a luxurious woman came to their home. It was then that Windy found out he was a child born out of wedlock, and this woman was his biological father's wife.

Windy's father had married this woman due to a political alliance. Initially, his father's wife had no grievances, as she was beautiful, graceful, came from a good family, and although their emotional connection wasn't deep, such marriages were common in large families. He wasn't the first example, nor would he be the last.

However, this satisfaction didn't last long. While on a business trip to the Hoenn region, Windy's father met Windy's mother and instantly fell in love with her. He believed that this was true love.

So, he ardently pursued Windy's mother.

The father was extraordinarily handsome, educated, and a perfect gentleman. If he decided to show his charming side to a woman, very few would resist.

Subsequently, Windy's father started coming to the Hoenn region frequently for business, where he would romance and court Windy's mother.

The more he got to know Windy's mother, the less satisfied he became with his own wife. He felt that life would be better without her.

At that time, Windy's mother was unaware that Windy's father was already married. Each time she brought up the topic of marriage, Windy's father would say that she came from a less prestigious background, and he needed to communicate more with his parents to convince them.

Knowing her humble origins and being in love with a man from a wealthy and influential family, Windy's mother believed his words. After a while, Windy was born.