Jubilife Breeding Center.
"Happy opening day!"
Li Wei, his parents, his Elder Uncle and Elder Aunt, Nurse Joy, and a crowd of Pokémon posed for a photo to celebrate the breeding center's opening.
Nurse Joy left with Chansey.
"We'll head back to work, then."
"Lucky~"
Going back to work really just meant walking from the front gate to the Pokémon Center inside the grounds.
"Brother, the mayor said he'd support us and help get our name out there. Do you think that might just be an empty promise...?"
The ever-optimistic Comrade Leon had actually started worrying, burdened by so much debt and an uncertain future.
Elder Uncle Li Wen adjusted his glasses and smiled. "Why can't you figure it out now? Li Wei, do you know the answer?"
Li Wei nodded. "Let me explain."
Li Wei pointed at Nurse Joy's retreating figure.
"Dad, tell me who that is."
Comrade Leon looked utterly bewildered.
"Nurse Joy and Chansey."
"Where do they work?"
"At the Pokémon Center next door."
Li Wei nodded slightly. "The Pokémon Center is bound to attract trainers and wild Pokémon.
That's the support the mayor gave us. But whether we can make this work is up to us."
Realization dawned on Comrade Leon's face, his expression declaring that he understood everything now.
"Son! You're so smart!"
Li Wei looked helpless. "So you hadn't figured any of that out before? I thought you knew."
How was his dad so optimistic?!
Wen Hui nodded. "I thought he knew, too."
His Elder Uncle patted Comrade Leon on the shoulder and laughed heartily. "We're heading downtown. Give it your best."
His Elder Aunt Mizuho reassured them as well. "If any of my students need your services, I'll refer them here. Don't worry."
His Elder Aunt taught at the Pokémon Training School in Jubilife City.
Li Wei remained optimistic about the breeding center's prospects.
The first-stage rewards for his side quest, [I really never meant to become an UP Creator], included a small boost to the breeding center's reputation.
Li Wei had also renamed his account [Jubilife Breeding Center] and added the full address, along with his parents' contact information and his own.
However, he had only completed the quest in the early hours of the morning, so he figured customers wouldn't arrive quite so soon.
Although there were no trainer customers yet, wild Pokémon had already entered the breeding center's grounds.
A Luxray family, a Buizel, a Bidoof family, and green Burmy in the trees.
There were also schools of Magikarp in the lake and the river beside the stone-paved path.
Those were the wild Pokémon Li Wei had spotted so far.
Over the past few days, Lucario and Metang had already shown the wild Pokémon how strong they were, and both sides had coexisted peacefully.
While Li Wei was training with Lucario and the others, their first customer arrived.
A tall, shapely woman with her long purple hair pinned up took off her sunglasses and smiled.
"Long time no see, Li Wei."
"Welcome, Lily."
"Luca!"
Lily was from Celestic Town and was also a famous Pokémon Style Designer, with a shop in her hometown.
Lily hadn't been home during Li Wei's recent visit to Celestic Town.
Lily had designed clothes for Wallace, too.
She was much younger than Li Wei's Elder Uncle, only thirty, and her hair hadn't thinned at all. In fact, it flowed beautifully.
Tiny Celestic Town had produced two famous Style Designers, Li Wen and Lily, as well as Champion Cynthia.
It certainly had no shortage of talent.
Even Drasna, the Dragon-type member of the Kalos Region's Elite Four, had grandparents from Celestic Town.
In that case, as someone from Celestic Town, I couldn't let the side down either...
Li Wei had no interest in becoming the Sinnoh Champion.
But if the subject was becoming the Sinnoh Champion's man, then Li Wei had plenty to say.
Lily's eyes lit up when she saw the shiny Metang. "Is this the Metang you caught recently? That silver color looks so cool."
Li Wei nodded. "I caught Metang a little while ago."
"Lily, what brings you to Jubilife City?"
"I saw Wen Hui's message. I happened to be in Jubilife City, so I came to take a look."
Lily knew Li Wei's whole family well, including his grandfather.
When it came to how Li Wei, Wen Hui, and Lily addressed one another, each relationship followed its own rules.
"I'll leave my Glameow with you. Please groom its coat for me."
A cream-colored, four-legged cat with purple ears and a purple tail appeared on the lawn, wearing a purple shawl around its neck.
Glameow were very appearance-conscious Pokémon. If they weren't sleeping, they were grooming their fur.
"Meow."
After greeting him, Glameow began licking its fur, paying no further attention to anyone.
"My parents are in the living room, working on recruitment. It's in the building in the middle."
Lily nodded slightly. "Don't worry about showing me around. I'll go find them myself."
"You all carry on training."
A chorus of "Luca," "Awoo," and "Bika" rang out in response.
Because Glameow loved looking good and staying clean, Li Wei needed to take it to a clean room for grooming.
"Glameow, come with me."
"Meow~"
Li Wei and Glameow were old acquaintances, and it followed close behind him.
The building to the left when facing the entrance had rooms specifically for bathing and grooming.
Glameow peered curiously through the clear glass and nodded in satisfaction when it saw how clean the room was.
"Want a bath first?"
"Meow!"
That high-pitched reply was taken as a yes.
The Sinnoh Region was cold in January, so the indoor heating was on.
Their electricity came from Electivire and wind power, so there was no need to worry about electricity bills.
Electivire belonged to the League. All Li Wei needed to do was provide food.
Li Wei first brushed Glameow's coat to make sure there were no tangles.
"Your fur is so silky. You've taken very good care of it."
Li Wei brushed its fur with his right hand and gently scratched its chin with his left, deploying the power of praise as well.
It was a treat for both body and mind.
Glameow rested its chin in Li Wei's palm and let out a rumbling purr.
(That felt good, meow.)
Since Glameow groomed its fur constantly, there were no tangles.
Li Wei set the water temperature to forty degrees Celsius and filled a small basin. "Glameow, test the water temperature first."
"Meow!"
Seeing that Glameow was satisfied, Li Wei lifted it into the bathtub and slowly wet its fur.
Then he applied Pokémon shampoo to its back, sides, belly... and finally its tail.
Li Wei was a professional groomer, and Glameow was already very familiar with him.
Bathing Glameow went smoothly, and they moved on to drying its fur without a hitch.
He could only use a dryer designed specifically for Pokémon.
Glameow had extremely sensitive hearing, and a hair dryer could potentially damage it.
Li Wei selected the quietest setting, which would dry its fur in half an hour.
Grooming entered its final stage: brushing the dried fur again and giving it a trim.
"All done!"
One freshly groomed Glameow, ready to go!
Glameow looked in the mirror and gave a "meow."
[Ding! Glameow is satisfied with your skills. Quest progress: (1/100)]
Before you continue