Belle and Zoro

Jubilife City Pokémon Center.

Nurse Joy smiled as she handed Li Wei his certificate.

"Mr. Li Wei, this is your intermediate breeder certificate. If you lose it, you can come back for a replacement."

The certificate resembled an ID card, with his photo, age, name, and other details on the front, and the Sinnoh League and examination location on the back.

Chansey smiled and waved.

"Lucky~" (Congratulations!)

Li Wei solemnly accepted it with both hands. "Thank you, Nurse Joy, Chansey."

After receiving his intermediate breeder certificate, Li Wei called his dad.

Before Li Wei could say anything, his dad's words came rattling out like machine-gun fire.

"Son! Did you pass the intermediate exam? It's fine if you didn't. You haven't even passed the beginner exam yet. Honestly, your grandpa, making you start with the intermediate exam..."

"I passed."

"..."

Leon realized that the whole pile of comforting words he had prepared for his precious son had apparently been for nothing.

"You passed!" Leon said excitedly. "Why didn't you say so sooner? You had your dad worried for so long!"

"I called you as soon as I passed."

Leon worked out the timing. "Huh? Why did it take so long? The timing doesn't add up!"

"Something unexpected happened along the way. I'll explain when I get back."

"All right! We'll wait for you to come home."

"Beep, beep, beep, beep..."

His dad's speed at hanging up could practically be called Extreme Speed.

Li Wei called his grandfather next.

His grandfather was much calmer. His expression didn't even change when he heard that Li Wei had passed.

"Understood."

As far as his grandfather was concerned, passing was only to be expected. Failing would have been the real problem.

"Gengar! Gengar!"

Gengar, whom Li Wei hadn't seen for several days, eagerly squeezed in beside his grandfather, insisting on seeing Li Wei.

"One of the examiners was an elderly gentleman named Yasong. He said he was a friend of yours."

His grandfather nodded. "We were rivals when we were young. Now we're friends, more or less."

"Stay at the breeding center and don't wander off. The teacher I found for you will come see you in a while."

After leaving him with that single instruction, his grandfather hung up.

"Beep, beep, beep, beep..."

Listening to the beeping in his ear, Li Wei was at a loss for words.

They really were father and son. They hung up just as quickly as each other.

Li Wei boarded the train and made it back to the outskirts safely.

This time, he had no Arcanine to ride and had to walk. Fortunately, it was only a kilometer.

There were few people along the roads on the outskirts. Li Wei studied the houses around him, roughly estimating how many people lived there.

"Huh?"

In the distance, Li Wei thought he spotted his Arcanine.

An ordinary Arcanine standing on all fours averaged 1.9 meters tall measured to the head, with a shoulder height of around 1.5 meters.

Li Wei's Arcanine was considerably larger. Its shoulders alone stood two meters high, and it looked round and plump.

Arcanine wasn't actually fat. Its back was just a little broad...

Besides Arcanine, there was a fashionably dressed blonde woman and a Growlithe.

"Arcanine!"

Hearing Li Wei's voice, Arcanine, Growlithe, and the blonde woman all looked his way.

Arcanine began trying to identify him.

Once it recognized Li Wei, the round, plump Arcanine immediately ran toward him.

As Arcanine ran into the wind, its fluffy flaxen fur streamed behind it, and its big, bushy tail swayed with every stride.

"Awoo!"

"Don't jump on me! Don't jump!"

Arcanine always liked testing how much Li Wei could take.

It came right up, trying to plant its two heavy paws on Li Wei's shoulders, its claws scrabbling at him.

"What have you been eating now? Don't lick me after you've eaten!"

With his Super New Trainer physique, Li Wei used brute strength to restrain Arcanine as it tried to lick him.

"Awoo?!" Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

Pinned down, Arcanine was baffled once again.

Had its trainer stopped being human and become a Pokémon instead?

(Feed me peanuts! Feed me peanuts!)

Li Wei swung himself onto Arcanine's back and patted its big, fluffy head.

"Come on. Take me to meet your new friend."

"Awoo~"

The wind whistled past on either side. In less than a minute, Arcanine stopped in front of an elegantly decorated villa.

Belle was waiting, with Growlithe crouched beside her.

Li Wei glanced at the woman. Despite her fashionable outfit, he could tell she was about the same age as his mother, Wen Hui. He greeted her first.

"Hello, I'm Li Wei, Arcanine's trainer."

The blonde woman nodded with a smile. "I met your parents yesterday. Just call me Auntie Belle."

Belle gave him a brief explanation. Li Wei's parents had spotted Arcanine while out shopping, and that was how they had met.

"Hello, Auntie Belle. You can call me Li Wei or Little Wei."

Belle adjusted her sunglasses and complimented him. "You've raised your Arcanine very well."

"My grandfather deserves some of the credit, too."

The corners of Belle's lips lifted slightly. "You really are as modest as your mother said."

Belle looked at Arcanine, which was sitting beside Li Wei and rubbing its big, fluffy head against him.

"Arcanine loves you. That's enough."

"Please come visit us when you have time, Auntie Belle. My mom would be delighted."

Belle nodded with a smile. "Of course. I'll bring Growlithe along for a visit."

On the evening of the first day she met Arcanine, Belle had already asked her husband, Zoro, about them.

Belle felt that a family capable of raising an Arcanine like this couldn't be an ordinary one.

Leaving their breeding ability aside, an Arcanine with such potential was difficult to obtain. They were essentially only available within the police force.

Zoro was a section chief at the Jubilife Police Headquarters, holding the rank of senior superintendent. Looking into someone was easy for him.

Besides, the breeding center was a project the mayor of Jubilife City had specifically called for vigorous support of, so Zoro knew about it.

That was why Belle knew about Li Wei's family.

His grandfather was a top-tier breeder, Li Wen was a renowned Pokémon stylist, and Vera was a twenty-one-year-old Ancient Researcher.

Li Wei's parents were both advanced breeders, too. The family was full of talented people.

Li Wei owned a Lucario and a shiny Metang. Judging by how Arcanine had been raised, he was no ordinary young man either.

Befriending Li Wei's family could only benefit Belle and Zoro.

"Do you want to come home with me, or stay here for now?"

"Awoo~"

Arcanine looked at Growlithe, making its preference perfectly clear.

Li Wei nodded in understanding. "You can stay here, but don't cause any trouble. Remember to come home for dinner."

"Awoo!"

(You can count on me!)

"Don't worry," Belle said with a smile. "Arcanine has been here for three days without causing any trouble. It's even been teaching Growlithe moves."

"Sorry for the trouble."

Evening drew near.

Lucario returned safely, Metang went to Nurse Joy for treatment on its own, and Arcanine stayed out having fun until dinnertime.

To celebrate Li Wei passing the exam, they opened a bottle of champagne.

His uncle raised his glass and said with a hearty laugh, "Congratulations on passing the exam, Little Wei! Keep up the good work!"

Li Wei hurriedly raised his glass as well.

"Thank you, Uncle."