Jubilife Breeding House.
"Happy Grand Opening!"
Wayne, his parents, his aunt and uncle, Nurse Joy, and an assembly of Pokémon gathered downstairs to take a commemorative photograph celebrating the Breeding House's official opening.
After the photo session, Nurse Joy prepared to depart with Chansey.
"Well then, we'll be heading back to work now," Joy announced with her characteristic warm smile.
"Lucky~" Chansey chimed in cheerfully.
When they said "going back to work," they simply meant relocating from the main entrance to the Pokémon Center facility located within the base compound.
"Brother, the Mayor promised he would support us and help us gain visibility, but do you think that's just empty words...?" Leon wondered aloud.
Leon, who was usually quite optimistic, found himself surprisingly worried due to their substantial debt and the uncertain future ahead.
His brother-in-law Levin adjusted his designer glasses and chuckled knowingly. "Why are you being so dense right now, Leon? Wayne, do you understand what the Mayor's support actually means?"
Wayne nodded confidently. "Let me explain it clearly."
Wayne gestured toward Nurse Joy's retreating figure.
"Dad, please tell me—who is that person?"
Leon looked somewhat bewildered by the question.
"That's Nurse Joy and her Chansey, obviously."
"And where exactly do they work?" Wayne prompted.
"At the Pokémon Center right next to us," Leon answered.
Wayne nodded with satisfaction. "Exactly. The Pokémon Center will inevitably attract Trainers and their Pokémon for treatment and care. Some wild Pokémon may also be brought in for assistance. This convenient proximity is the practical support the Mayor is providing us. However, whether we can capitalize on this opportunity and make it successful depends entirely on our own efforts and skills."
Leon's expression suddenly shifted to one of complete comprehension, as if a light bulb had just illuminated in his mind.
"Son! You're absolutely brilliant!" he exclaimed.
Wayne looked somewhat helpless. "Wait... so you didn't understand this arrangement at all until just now? I genuinely thought you already knew."
How could his father maintain such unwavering optimism despite missing such obvious strategic advantages?!
His mother Fumie nodded in agreement. "I also assumed he had figured it out already."
Levin patted Leon's shoulder good-naturedly and laughed heartily. "We're heading to the city center now. Make sure you do excellent work here."
His aunt Mika also offered her encouragement. "If any of my students have Pokémon care needs, I'll personally introduce them to your services. Don't worry about that."
His aunt served as an instructor at the prestigious Jubilife City Pokémon Trainer School.
...
Wayne remained genuinely optimistic about the Breeding House's future prospects.
The first stage reward for his side quest [I Really Didn't Want to Be a Content Creator] had included a modest boost to the Breeding House's online visibility and popularity.
Wayne's social media account had also been officially renamed [Jubilife Breeding House] and now included the detailed physical address along with contact information for both his parents and himself.
However, since the quest had only been completed at midnight, Wayne figured that customers wouldn't start arriving immediately this early in the morning.
Although no Trainer customers had arrived yet, several wild Pokémon had already entered the Breeding House's surrounding territory.
A family group of Luxray, a solitary Floatzel, a family of Bidoof, and a green Burmy camouflaged in the trees had all taken up residence nearby.
There were also schools of Magikarp swimming peacefully in both the lake and the river adjacent to the flagstone pathway.
These were all wild Pokémon that Wayne had personally observed and cataloged so far.
Over the past several days, both Lucario and Metang had already demonstrated their considerable strength to the local wild Pokémon population. As a result, both groups were coexisting peacefully without any territorial disputes.
While Wayne and Lucario were engaged in their morning training routine, the Breeding House's very first customer arrived.
A tall, graceful woman with elegant long purple hair styled in an updo removed her fashionable sunglasses and smiled warmly.
"Long time no see, Wayne. You've grown so much."
"Welcome, Lila. It's wonderful to see you," Wayne greeted her.
"Lucario!" his partner added its own greeting.
Lila originally hailed from Celestic Town and had established herself as a renowned Pokémon style designer, with her flagship boutique located in her hometown.
During the period when Wayne had returned to visit Celestic Town, Lila had been traveling abroad for work.
Lila had even designed custom outfits for the famous Hoenn Champion Wallace, which was a testament to her exceptional talent and reputation.
She was considerably younger than Wayne's uncle Levin, only thirty years old, yet already possessed flowing, lustrous hair that spoke to her refined aesthetic sense.
The small Celestic Town had remarkably produced two famous style designers—Levin and Lila—as well as the formidable Champion Cynthia.
It was truly an area blessed with abundant talent and exceptional individuals.
Even Drasna, the Dragon-type Elite Four member of the Kalos region, had grandparents who originally came from Celestic Town.
Looking at it from this perspective, as someone also from Celestic Town, I can't afford to fall behind either... Wayne mused to himself.
Wayne personally had no interest whatsoever in pursuing the title of Sinnoh Champion himself.
However, if it was about becoming the partner of someone who became the Sinnoh Champion, then Wayne would definitely have something to contribute to that conversation.
Observing the gleaming Shiny Metang hovering nearby, Lila's eyes lit up with obvious appreciation. "Is this your recently caught Metang? The silver coloring is absolutely stunning and very distinguished."
Wayne nodded with pride. "I caught it just a short while ago."
"Lila, what brings you to Jubilife City?" Wayne inquired.
"I saw your mother Fumie's message on social media, and since I happened to be in Jubilife City for business, I decided to stop by and visit," Lila explained.
Lila was quite familiar with Wayne's entire family, including his grandfather, having known them for many years.
The way Wayne, Fumie, and Lila addressed each other reflected a case where everyone simply used their own preferred naming conventions comfortably.
"I'm entrusting my Delcatty to your professional care. Please help me groom her fur properly," Lila requested.
A graceful four-legged feline Pokémon with a distinctive purple shawl-like ruff around her neck, a cream-colored body, and matching purple ears and tail tip materialized on the grassy lawn.
Delcatty was famously known as an exceptionally vain Pokémon species, spending most of its time either sleeping peacefully or meticulously grooming its own fur.
"Meow~" Delcatty greeted them politely.
After completing her initial greeting, Delcatty immediately began grooming herself with practiced precision.
"My parents are currently in the living room conducting job interviews. It's the middle room down the hallway," Wayne informed her.
Lila nodded gracefully. "Don't worry about me at all. I'll just head inside and find them myself."
"You all should continue with your training," she encouraged.
Immediately, a chorus of acknowledgments rose from Lucario, Arcanine, and Metang in succession.
Because Delcatty was particularly vain and fastidiously clean by nature, Wayne needed to escort her to a pristine, dedicated room for proper fur management.
"Delcatty, please come with me this way," Wayne invited.
"Meow~" she responded agreeably.
Wayne and Delcatty were already well-acquainted from previous encounters, so she followed closely behind Wayne without any hesitation.
The building positioned to the left of the main entrance contained specialized rooms equipped specifically for bathing and comprehensive fur management services.
Through the transparent glass windows, Delcatty curiously inspected the facilities. After thoroughly examining the space and finding everything impeccably clean, she nodded with visible satisfaction.
"Would you like to have a bath first?" Wayne offered.
"Meow!" Delcatty responded enthusiastically.
The high-pitched, excited tone clearly indicated she very much wanted a bath.
The Sinnoh region during January was bitterly cold, but fortunately the indoor heating system was operating efficiently.
Electricity was generated using a combination of an Electivire and supplementary wind power, which meant there was no need to worry about excessive electricity bills.
The Electivire technically belonged to the League's infrastructure program. Wayne only needed to provide proper nutrition and food for the Electric-type Pokémon in exchange for its services.
Wayne first carefully combed through Delcatty's luxurious fur to identify and prevent any potential tangles or matting.
"Your fur is remarkably soft and well-maintained. You clearly take excellent care of it yourself," Wayne complimented sincerely.
Wayne combed through her fur gently with his right hand while simultaneously stroking Delcatty's chin affectionately with his left hand, employing the proven praise and positive reinforcement method.
This approach provided both physical comfort and emotional satisfaction simultaneously.
Delcatty rested her chin contentedly in Wayne's palm, producing a deep "purring" sound of contentment.
(This feels wonderful, meow.) she seemed to communicate.
Because Delcatty maintained her grooming so consistently and diligently, there were absolutely no tangles to work through.
Wayne carefully controlled the water temperature to precisely 40 degrees Celsius and filled a small testing basin. "Delcatty, please check the water temperature first to make sure it's comfortable."
"Meow!" she approved immediately.
Seeing that Delcatty was satisfied with the temperature, Wayne gently lifted her into the bathtub and began slowly wetting her fur with warm water.
He then applied Pokémon-specific shampoo systematically—first to her back, then both sides of her body, her belly, and finally her distinctive fluffy tail.
Wayne was a trained professional with proper certification, and Delcatty was also quite familiar and comfortable with Wayne's handling techniques.
The entire bathing process for Delcatty proceeded very smoothly, and they seamlessly transitioned into the fur drying stage without any complications.
Drying could only be accomplished using a specialized Pokémon-grade dryer designed for sensitive species.
Because Delcatty's hearing was extraordinarily sensitive and acute, using a standard hairdryer could potentially cause permanent damage to her delicate auditory system.
Wayne selected the lowest noise setting available, which would completely dry her fur in approximately thirty minutes.
Fur management entered its final critical step: re-combing the thoroughly dried fur and performing precision trimming where necessary.
"All done!" Wayne announced with satisfaction.
A perfectly groomed Delcatty stood before the mirror, looking absolutely refreshed!
Delcatty examined her reflection carefully and let out a pleased "meow~" of approval.
[Ding! Your professional grooming skills have completely satisfied Delcatty. Quest progress: (1/100)]