When Su Yu heard Aunt Wang's suggestion, a familiar figure immediately surfaced in his mind. Xiaoyu… Little Rain. Was she really about to graduate already? Thinking about it, that made sense—Su Yu himself was already in his junior year. Time had flown by faster than he realized. Aunt Wang's daughter was someone he naturally remembered. They had played together as children, though his memories of her were… vivid in a different way. Back then, she had always been a crybaby, with snot bubbles hanging from her nose, clinging to adults at the slightest provocation. Later, when she was around ten, she was sent to live with her grandmother and studied there ever since. They'd lost contact over the years, and Su Yu couldn't help but feel a bit curious—what had that little crybaby grown into now?
Aunt Wang smiled and nodded, clearly pleased that Su Yu was considering it. Xiaoyu would start her internship next semester anyway, and since Su Yu had opened a breeding house, having her come back to help made perfect sense. They already knew each other, which would make things smoother, and she could gain experience at the same time. Su Yu thought it over briefly before nodding. "That works. If she's willing to come back, let her try. Since she already has a breeder certificate, there shouldn't be any issues." He didn't see a reason to refuse—extra manpower was exactly what he needed right now.
As soon as he agreed, a couple of the other aunties quickly spoke up, half-joking and half-serious, recommending their own relatives. One mentioned a niece who was also a breeder, another brought up a cousin. For a moment, Su Yu was left a little speechless by the sudden enthusiasm. After a pause, he made his stance clear. "If there's no problem with them, they can come and try. But I'll say this upfront—if they're not suitable, I will fire them. I won't keep anyone just because they're relatives." His tone was calm but firm. This was business, not a favor exchange.
The aunties weren't offended at all. On the contrary, they nodded in agreement, especially Aunt Wang. She understood Su Yu's principles very well. In truth, she also had her own hopes—she had watched Su Yu grow up and had seen firsthand what he had achieved recently. Letting her daughter work under Su Yu wasn't just about convenience; it was an opportunity. If Xiaoyu could learn even a fraction of Su Yu's skills, it would benefit her immensely in the future. After confirming everything, Su Yu asked them to have the candidates come over as soon as possible. Food, lodging, and salary would all be covered, and he promised fair treatment. With that settled, he said goodbye and returned to the breeding house.
Back at work, Su Yu wasted no time. After calling the children over, he began preparing energy cubes once again. This time, the focus was on high-grade cubes—starting with Garchomp's. He took out the materials that had been frozen the day before and began processing them step by step. Fruits were peeled, juiced, allowed to sediment, then fermented before their active components were extracted. Other ingredients were blended into smoothies, measured precisely down to the gram, and mixed together before being baked, dried, ground into powder, and processed again. Layer after layer, step after step—each phase was meticulous and exhausting.
The kids helping nearby were almost overwhelmed just watching. At one point, they even saw Su Yu using Psychic to assist with the process. To them, it felt less like making energy cubes and more like witnessing some kind of alchemy. The sheer number of materials alone was shocking—especially when Su Yu added sand into the mixture. Seeing their baffled expressions, Su Yu chuckled and took a moment to explain. The sand was Soft Sand, a held item that enhanced Ground-type moves and could also be used as an ingredient. After all, Ground-type Pokémon could literally eat earth. Once he explained, the kids nodded eagerly, excitement replacing their confusion as they pieced everything together—Garchomp being a Dragon- and Ground-type, the fruits boosting dragon attributes, and the materials perfectly matching its needs.
As the process continued, a rich fragrance began to spread through the workshop, gradually drifting toward the back mountain. Ground-type Pokémon caught the scent almost immediately, their instincts stirred. One by one, they began gathering around the breeding house, only to grow more confused as the smell subtly changed over time. Every stage of processing produced a slightly different aroma, each one equally tempting. By the time a large pile of brown raw material sat inside the mixer, several more processing steps still remained. Hours had passed without anyone noticing, and the children helping had long since sat down nearby, tired but wide-eyed, watching Su Yu work as if afraid to miss a single moment.