Freewill Ranch.
From a distance, Yushu saw a girl standing at the ranch entrance.
She was about his age, wearing a white shirt, with her hair tied in a long braid.
Her features were delicate and her manner gentle. She looked like a sweet girl next door.
She visibly froze when she saw someone riding back on a cat.
After all, someone riding home on a cat was hardly a common sight.
"Hello! Are you Mr. Yushu?"
Yushu hopped off Luxray's back. "That's me. Did Kaixin recommend you?"
The girl gave him a slight bow. "Yes, my name is Aili. Kaixin said you were hiring, so I came to take a look."
"Aili?"
Yushu paused slightly when he heard the name.
Aili? Why not Elysia while you're at it?
Noticing his odd expression, Aili asked curiously, "Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing. Your name just reminded me of someone."
Yushu waved a hand.
Aili blinked, then burst into a giggle. "Kaixin was right. You really are an interesting person."
"She said you're a good person, just a little modest sometimes."
"...That's certainly a plain and simple assessment."
Yushu shook his head. "I haven't seen you before. Are you a Solaceon Town local?"
"More or less. My family's originally from Alamos Town. They moved to Solaceon Town in my grandfather's generation for family reasons."
Aili offered an explanation.
"Alamos Town? The one with the Space-Time Towers?"
Scenes from the movie Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai immediately surfaced in Yushu's mind.
It was one of the Pokémon movies he had watched in his previous life. In it, Darkrai had taken on Dialga and Palkia head-on to protect Alamos Town.
A Mythical Pokémon holding off two first-tier gods-that scene still got his blood pumping whenever he thought about it.
Aili's eyes lit up, and she asked curiously, "That's the one! Have you been there too, boss?"
Yushu replied, "No, but I've heard it's pretty famous. There's some legend about the Space-Time Towers."
"That's right!" Aili explained enthusiastically. "My family used to tell those stories all the time when I was little."
"Oh, and my younger cousin Alice still lives in Alamos Town. If you ever get a chance to visit, boss, you can ask her to show you around."
Alamos Town? Alice?
Yushu's hand trembled.
The girl Darkrai had silently protected in the movie seemed to have that very name.
If this Aili is Alice's older cousin, then Alicia, who saved Darkrai over a hundred years ago, is your grandmother too.
What a small world.
As the two chatted, Mayor Zongping approached with two people.
"Brendan! I've brought them over!"
Zongping called out from a distance, two boys following behind him.
One was younger, looking barely over ten. Yushu recognized him at a glance: Naoto, who had beaten Caterpie with Spearow during the tournament.
The other boy was a few years older than Naoto, around sixteen or seventeen, with a thin build.
"Uncle Zongping, I don't endorse child labor here."
Looking at Naoto, Yushu couldn't resist making a joke.
"I... I'm not..." Naoto's face flushed, and he hurriedly waved his hands.
He was still a little intimidated by Yushu, the town champion.
After all, he had seen firsthand how Yushu's Miltank had flattened its opponent during the tournament that day.
That scene had left a deep impression on him.
"Hahaha! Naoto's just here to join in the fun."
Zongping walked up and pointed to the boy with glasses as he introduced him.
"This is Naoto's older brother, Shuren. He used to be an apprentice at the Eterna Gym and only recently came back. You said you were hiring, so I brought him over to take a look."
"Shuren? Great name!"
Yushu immediately leaned back tactically.
Stick a Zhou in front of that, and I'd have to give him a bow.
"Hello, Yushu."
Shuren was rather reserved, perhaps nervous about meeting the boss for the first time.
"Uncle Zongping said you needed help looking after things here. I learned a little about plant care at the Gym, so I was wondering if I could be of any help."
"You've studied it? Then you can definitely help."
Yushu nodded, then asked curiously.
"But at your age, shouldn't you be becoming a Trainer? And you've already been an apprentice and studied battling under a Gym Leader. Shouldn't your next step be setting off on your journey?"
Shuren gave a bitter smile. "I did want to become a Trainer before, but I realized I don't seem to have much talent for battling."
"I lost every time I battled. Whether it was against the other apprentices who started with me or wild Pokémon, I barely ever won."
"Even Gym Leader Gardenia suggested I try a different path. She said I had a talent for plant care, but I really wasn't much good at battling."
"So I thought, even if I can't become a Trainer, a job involving Pokémon would be fine too."
"Kids these days get drawn in by those intense battles on TV from an early age. Making a living as a real Trainer isn't nearly that easy."
Zongping chimed in from the side.
In all his years as mayor, he had seen far too many children reach the right age and head off on journeys, shouting, "I'm going to become a Pokémon Master!"
Within a couple of years, they would all sheepishly switch careers and take ordinary jobs.
Out of ten who set off on journeys, having even one stick with it was already a good result.
"That's true."
Yushu nodded.
Gardenia was the Leader of Sinnoh's Eterna Gym and specialized in Grass-type Pokémon.
Grass types were among the easier Pokémon to raise. If she said Shuren had no talent, then he probably really didn't.
Just like Yushu himself before.
Yushu asked another question. "Then can you handle growing Berries?"
That was the most important thing. The Berry orchard was the source of raw materials for his Pokéblock business, and someone had to take proper care of it.
"I learned that at the Gym. I can handle basic pruning, fertilizing, and pest and disease control."
Although Shuren still sounded somewhat reserved, he was clearly more confident when discussing this practical work.
Yushu nodded, feeling reassured.
As an apprentice from the Eterna Gym, he had a foundation, no matter what. At least he wasn't someone with absolutely no experience.
And judging by his attitude, he was down-to-earth and willing to work hard.
Yushu was just about to explain the farm's situation when Aili suddenly spoke, a trace of dissatisfaction in her voice.
"Boss, why aren't you asking me?"
What's with this guy? He's so busy chatting with that Berry fellow that he's completely forgotten someone as cute as me.
Yushu turned to her. "Sorry, sorry. We got sidetracked halfway through our conversation. Why don't you tell me about yourself too?"
Aili folded her arms and raised her chin slightly.
"I'm a Breeder!"
"What! You're actually a Breeder!"
Zongping and Shuren exclaimed in unison.
They could hardly be blamed. Breeders were far rarer than Trainers.
As long as you had a Pokémon, you could call yourself a Trainer. There was practically no barrier to entry.
Breeders, however, had a formal assessment system. They had to pass a standardized exam organized by the Pokémon League to become certified, and the pass rate wasn't high.
Indeed, Kaixin was the only Beginner Stage Breeder in all of Solaceon Town.