Pokémon Breeder

"Nurse Joy."

Fang Yan greeted Nurse Joy.

Nurse Joy greeted Fang Yan too, and at her request, he called her Sister Xiaoshui.

"Oh, Blissey and I bought you some food and put it in the fridge. Xiao Lan said you hadn't prepared any, so I picked up a few things for you. You can go into town and buy what you like later."

Nurse Joy said.

Fang Yan froze, only then remembering that he hadn't bought food for today yesterday because he hadn't had a fridge. He'd been planning to treat them to a meal, yet he hadn't prepared any food.

What a mess.

Fang Yan gave an awkward smile, then heard Blissey's voice coming from the kitchen.

"Bliss-"

Fang Yan walked into the kitchen and saw that Blissey was already preparing the ingredients.

"Blissey, sorry for the trouble."

Walking over to Blissey, Fang Yan praised her a few times, then worked with her to prepare the ingredients she and Nurse Joy had brought, making the Donghuang region's standard four dishes and a soup. He also turned the Berries he'd won in the draw into Berry Juice.

After calling out to Xia Lan and the others, Fang Yan moved the round table he'd bought to the open area out back and set out the chairs. Blissey came over carrying the food and placed it on the table.

He gave everyone a glass of Berry Juice, then gave Gengar and each of the other Pokémon a glass of Moomoo Milk.

Once everything was done, Fang Yan sat down, just as the setting sun shone over them. Sinnoh was a little cooler than other regions, and even in midsummer, the evenings were already starting to feel pleasantly cool.

"I never knew you had this up your sleeve."

Xia Lan couldn't stop eating. She swallowed the food in her mouth and spoke.

"I'm all right, I guess. Good food deserves to be appreciated, after all."

Fang Yan said as he drank the soup in his bowl.

Gengar and the others were thoroughly enjoying their food too. It was worth mentioning that Blissey had made most of the Pokémon's food, with Fang Yan helping out.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, there was still some food left. Fang Yan asked Gengar whether he could eat any more. Upholding the traditional virtue of not wasting food, Gengar opened his wide mouth and tipped all the food inside.

Then he licked his face with his scarlet tongue.

"Geng-"

Cool breezes brushed over the people and Pokémon sitting on the unkempt grass. Looking at Gengar playing around with Growlithe, Blissey trying to break them up nearby, and Xia Lan and the others chatting, Fang Yan felt at ease for the first time.

He quietly watched it all, then called Gengar over and squeezed his round cheeks.

"It looks like Gengar really likes you, Fang Yan."

Watching Gengar keep laughing even as his face changed shape in Fang Yan's hands, Nurse Joy said, "And you're a very good cook too. You're quite an impressive Pokémon Breeder."

"Pokémon Breeder?"

Fang Yan's hands stopped moving, and he asked in confusion.

Xia Lan and Officer Jenny exchanged a look.

"Oh, right. Do you have a Pokémon Breeder certificate?"

Xia Lan asked Fang Yan.

"Huh?"

Fang Yan froze. A Pokémon Breeder certificate? What's that? Oh, right, I remember. Trainers need a Trainer Card, and Pokémon Breeders also need to pass a Pokémon Breeder exam to become officially qualified.

I've just finished renovating the house and spent all my money, and now you're telling me a Pokémon Day Care needs a Pokémon Breeder certificate? Can I still get a refund?

Fang Yan asked apprehensively, "Um... do you have to be a Pokémon Breeder to run a Pokémon Day Care?"

"Not necessarily. Plenty of private Pokémon Day Cares aren't run by Pokémon Breeders."

Hearing Officer Jenny say this, Fang Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good. That's good."

"But a Pokémon Breeder certificate proves to the League that you're capable of looking after the Pokémon in your Pokémon Day Care. The League also offers certain discounts to Pokémon Day Cares run by Pokémon Breeders, such as when buying Pokémon Eggs. In your situation, if you had a Pokémon Breeder certificate proving you were capable of looking after Pokémon, the League would probably give you an even bigger discount."

[A qualified Pokémon Breeder: Pass the Pokémon Breeder exam and become a qualified Pokémon Breeder. This is an essential step for a Pokémon Day Care.]

[Passing the exam will earn generous rewards.]

Even without this quest, Fang Yan would still have decided to get certified. A discount on Pokémon Eggs alone was reason enough.

Every League rescued many Pokémon Eggs each year. They gave some to professors' laboratories to serve as Starter Pokémon for Trainers setting out on their journeys, while others were entrusted to Pokémon Day Cares to sell.

If he didn't buy Pokémon Eggs from the League, he could only rely on breeding them himself or having other people entrust them to him to sell.

For Fang Yan, who was currently short of money, every saving counted.

"I think you could go and get certified, Fang Yan."

Officer Jenny suggested.

Fang Yan nodded.

"As it happens, there's a Pokémon Breeder exam at the Twinleaf Town Pokémon Center tomorrow afternoon. I'll just sign you up."

After saying this, Officer Jenny took out her phone, asked Fang Yan for his information, and tapped away at the screen.

"Done."

"Uh... huh?!"

Before Fang Yan could react, he'd already been signed up? He didn't even know what would be on the exam yet.

"Special circumstances call for special treatment. It's fine."

Officer Jenny clapped her hands and said.

"Is the exam... difficult?"

Hearing Fang Yan's question, Nurse Joy pressed a finger to her chin, thought for a moment, and said:

"How should I put it? It depends on the person. How about this? Once I get back, I'll find you some questions from previous years so you can take a look."

"Thank you, Sister Xiaoshui."

Fang Yan thanked her sincerely. Once he got the questions tonight, he would stay up late working through them.

With the Pokémon knowledge stored in his mind and his cheat, passing a Pokémon Breeder exam shouldn't be too difficult, right?

"It's all right. We believe in you. Just go and get a feel for it tomorrow. You can pass next time."

Xia Lan stood up and patted his shoulder. Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy nodded in agreement.

"Bliss-"

"Awoo-"

"Geng!!"

Gengar and the others were cheering Fang Yan on from the side too. Gengar in particular clenched his little fist and raised it, though he couldn't lift it above his head.

"I'll do my best."

Somewhat moved, Fang Yan made a solemn promise.

Then Xia Lan and the others began clearing the table. Fang Yan wanted to help, but they pressed him back into his chair.

"Just stay seated. We can't make you cook and clean up too."

Hearing Xia Lan's words, Officer Jenny laughed, then said, "The food was really good. I might come over to mooch meals off you all the time."

Nurse Joy agreed, though since Xia Lan worked as a lawyer and had to travel everywhere, she probably wouldn't be able to come very often.

"You're always welcome here."

Fang Yan told them.

From them, he could feel the care older sisters showed a younger brother.

And for them, this was also a place they could never forget.

The setting sun passed beyond them and headed straight into the distance. The evening breeze left behind blew over them, leaving its mark on their bodies.

It had passed through here over a decade ago too. Back then, it had caressed a grandmother and three little girls. Now, it caressed a young man and three girls.

Without exception, it left its mark on them all, a mark akin to family.