Career guidance for Pokémon Trainers 01

That evening,

Once his parents had finished buying the necessities, his Elder Uncle Li Wen and Elder Aunt Mizuho arrived as well.

Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, his uncle said with a chuckle, "We heard you were cooking tonight, Li Wei, so we had to come try it!"

Back in Celestic Town, Grandpa had kept a firm grip on the spatula, leaving Li Wei and his dad to help with the prep.

This time, Li Wei and his dad, Leon, worked in perfect sync, filling an entire table with dishes.

Sichuan boiled beef, garlic sea bass, Sweet and Sour Pork, kung pao chicken, candied sweet potatoes, stir-fried pork with green peppers...

There was also a serving of Pokémon beef curry rice for everyone, including Lucario and the others.

Li Wei had filmed himself making one of the dishes.

He had fried the pork tenderloin until golden and given it 120 percent, carefully thickening the sweet-and-sour sauce.

The old man was the family's best at Cooking. This spread might not have his Elder Uncle and aunt applauding, but it would definitely make them see Li Wei in a new light.

His Elder Uncle's eyes lit up, and he swallowed. "Your cooking's really improved, Xiao Wei!"

"We're all family here. Dig in!"

Chopsticks flashed like blades, and the plates on the table ended up so clean they looked as though they had been licked...

Arcanine held a plate, reluctantly licking away the last traces.

Machamp lifted a plate and drained it, sauce and all...

Li Wei watched from the side, dumbfounded.

After eating and drinking their fill, Li Wei, his parents, and his Elder Uncle all moved in startling unison.

Even Gardevoir abandoned any concern for appearances, leaning against the back of a chair and rubbing its belly.

Only Lucario, who had spent a lifetime striving for elegance, held out through sheer willpower.

Lucario sat upright, resting with eyes closed.

Wen Hui suggested, "Now that we're so close, why don't you two come over for dinner? We have rooms here too, so you wouldn't even have to go back downtown."

His Elder Uncle and Elder Aunt exchanged a glance, both visibly tempted.

His Elder Uncle nodded happily. "Sure! I'm not busy lately anyway. The Pokémon Day Care has just opened, so let me know if you need help with anything."

Li Wei asked in confusion, "Weren't you designing clothes for a princess? You're done already?"

As far as Li Wei remembered, his Elder Uncle had taken the commission less than two weeks ago.

At the mention of this, his Elder Uncle raised a thumb and said feelingly,

"Princess Salvia is the best client I've ever met. She's an angel!"

"She's the first person who hasn't asked me to revise my designs. She saved my hair!"

His Elder Uncle then spent a full ten minutes praising Princess Salvia in flowery language.

Li Wei listened in a daze.

Princess Salvia was also very pleased with his Elder Uncle's taste and craftsmanship.

In short, both client and designer were thoroughly satisfied.

"Oh, right. She raises Pokémon too. If she needs anything, I'll recommend you."

Wen Hui nodded with a smile. "Then let me thank you in advance."

With assurances from Jubilife City's mayor, they had chosen to take over the breeding facility, but they had still taken on debt.

Unlike fashion designers, Pokémon breeders faced quite fierce competition.

It would be impossible to say that Wen Hui wasn't worried at all.

Even if his Elder Uncle would never press them to repay the debt.

His Elder Uncle waved a hand casually. "We're family. There's no need for that."

His Elder Aunt asked, "You're putting up the sign in three days, right? Once you're officially open, I have friends I can introduce as customers too."

Leon nodded cheerfully. "That's right, in three days."

The next day.

After their morning training, Lucario and the others headed off again, looking rather secretive.

Li Wei left them to it and first edited his video of making Sweet and Sour Pork.

Li Wei picked up a golden-fried strip of Sweet and Sour Pork with his chopsticks, opening with a killer bit of ASMR.

"Does that sound good? If it sounds good, it's good Sweet and Sour Pork."

Li Wei's video was a tutorial on making Sweet and Sour Pork.

"Cut the pork tenderloin into strips the size of your index finger. Add salt and white pepper to taste, then mix by hand. You can add cooking wine according to your preference."

"As everyone knows, cooking tutorials that tell you to add seasoning 'to taste' are cheating, so I'll give you exact amounts here."

Li Wei inserted an image of the ingredients, including the weight of the pork tenderloin he had used.

"Pay attention here and take notes. Too much flour? Add water. Too much water? Add flour."

"Once all the dry ingredients are in, let's mix up our sludge."

"The batter can't be too thin. Once the pork is coated, you shouldn't be able to see its color. Why?"

"Because it's cold out, and the pork doesn't like the cold. Scratch that."

"Next, pour in plenty of oil."

"Fry over medium-low heat for about five minutes. Once it turns pale gold, you can take it out."

"Then fry it a second time over high heat. One minute will do."

"The same goes for the sweet-and-sour sauce ratio. Adjust it to your taste. Too sweet? Add vinegar. Too sour? Add sugar."

"Bring it to a boil over high heat, then add 1.5 grams of salt to season..."

The footage returned to the Sweet and Sour Pork Li Wei had cooked at the beginning, followed by Arcanine licking the plate spotless.

"Finally, I have a shortcut for you. Pay attention, viewers."

"Use the great summoning spell and shout: Mom, Dad! Here's a dish for you to learn!"

"Then all you have to do is wait."

The video ended there, titled "Career Guidance for Pokémon Trainers 01: Sweet and Sour Pork."

Li Wei selected upload.

He was quite satisfied with his first video.

He rubbed his chin and gave a slight nod. "Who knew I had a talent for teaching?"

It was his first time editing a video, and he wasn't familiar with the process yet, so it had taken him quite a while.

Video reviews took time, but there was nothing in Li Wei's video that couldn't be shown, so he didn't give it any thought.

The next day.

Li Wei had to go to Jubilife City for the Pokémon Breeder Exam that day, so he needed to leave early.

He had originally intended to take Lucario and the others along.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"

"Lucario."

(We want to look around nearby.)

"Suit yourselves. Just don't cause trouble."

Although Li Wei didn't understand what there was to see when the area was full of private homes, he chose to respect their decision.

After all, if they went downtown with him, Metang and Arcanine would have to spend most of their time in their Poké Balls. It really wouldn't be as comfortable as staying here.

Arcanine and the others had been roaming outside for two days without incident.

From what Li Wei had observed, only Metang had been challenging wild Pokémon. With Lucario there as backup, it shouldn't be a problem.

The subway station was about a kilometer from the breeding facility. Li Wei rode Arcanine there, then boarded the train.

"Be careful on your way back."

"Awooo~"

(Don't you worry about yours truly!)

Jubilife City was huge, with routes branching off in every direction. It was easy to get lost without a map or navigation, but fortunately, its public transportation was well developed.

Li Wei reached the Jubilife City Pokémon Center without trouble.

"Hello, Nurse Joy. I'm here to take the Intermediate Breeder exam."

"Of course. May I see your ID card?"

Li Wei handed over the ID card he had prepared in advance.

After working at the computer for a moment, Nurse Joy gave him a sweet smile.

"Mr. Li Wei, you're registered. The first round, the written exam, begins at nine. Please wait patiently."