In the evening, after his parents finished their necessary shopping, his Aunt Mika and Uncle Levin arrived.
Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, his Uncle chuckled. "I heard Wayne is cooking tonight. We have to come and try it!"
When they were in Celestic Town, his grandfather firmly held the spatula, and Wayne and his dad could only assist.
This time, Wayne and his dad, Leon, worked together in perfect sync, and the father and son made a table full of dishes.
Boiled Beef, Garlic Steamed Bass, Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, Kung Pao Chicken, Candied Sweet Potato, Stir-fried Pork with Green Peppers...
And there was also a serving of Pokemon Curry Beef Rice for everyone, including Lucario and the others.
Wayne even filmed one of the dishes.
The pork ribs were fried to a golden crisp, and Wayne put in 120% effort, meticulously thickening the sweet and sour sauce.
The culinary ceiling in their household was his grandfather, so this meal wouldn't make his Uncle and Aunt clap in delight, but it would definitely make them look at him with new eyes.
His Uncle's eyes lit up, and he swallowed. "Wayne's cooking skills have really improved!"
"We're all family, let's eat!"
Chopsticks moved like flashing blades, and the plates on the table were as clean as if they had been licked...
Arcanine held its plate, reluctantly licking it clean.
Machamp picked up its plate and drank all the sauce...
Wayne watched from the side, dumbfounded.
After eating their fill, Wayne, his parents, and his Uncle made surprisingly synchronized movements.
Even Gardevoir leaned back in her chair, rubbing her stomach, somewhat disregarding her image.
Only Lucario, who pursued elegance throughout his life, managed to resist with his great willpower.
Lucario sat upright, resting with his eyes closed.
Fumie suggested, "Brother-in-law, Sister-in-law, now that we're so close, why don't you come over for dinner more often? There are rooms here too, so you don't have to go back to the city center."
His Uncle and Aunt exchanged glances, both somewhat tempted.
His Uncle nodded contentedly. "Alright, I'm not busy lately anyway. The Breeding House just opened, so if you need any help, just say the word."
Wayne asked, puzzled, "Didn't you say you were going to design clothes for the princess? That fast?"
Wayne recalled that his Uncle had taken on that order less than two weeks ago.
Speaking of which, his Uncle gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed,
"Princess Salvia is the best client I've ever met, like an angel!"
"She's the first person who didn't make me revise the draft, saving my hair!"
Next, his Uncle used flowery language to praise Princess Salvia for ten minutes straight.
Wayne listened, completely bewildered.
Princess Salvia was also very satisfied with his Uncle's aesthetic and craftsmanship.
In short, both parties were very satisfied.
"Oh, right, she also raises Pokemon. If she has any needs, I'll recommend you two."
Fumie nodded with a smile. "Then thank you in advance, Brother."
Under the guarantee of the Jubilife City Mayor, they chose to take over the Breeding Base, but they still incurred debt.
Unlike style designers, the competition for Breeders is actually quite fierce.
But to say that Fumie wasn't worried at all would be impossible.
Even if his Uncle wouldn't press for repayment.
His Uncle waved his hand casually. "We're family, no need to say such things."
His Aunt asked, "The signboard will be hung in three days, right? Then it can officially open for business. I also have friends I can introduce as customers."
Leon nodded gleefully. "Yes, in three days."
...
The next day.
After their morning training, Lucario and the others mysteriously left again.
Wayne didn't bother them, and first edited his video on making Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs.
Wayne picked up a golden-fried Sweet and Sour Pork Rib with chopsticks, starting with a deadly ASMR.
"Does it sound good? If it sounds good, it's a good Sweet and Sour Pork Rib."
Wayne was making a video tutorial for Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs.
"Cut the pork loin into finger-sized pieces, add an appropriate amount of salt, white pepper, and mix. You can add cooking wine according to taste."
"As everyone knows, teaching videos that say 'appropriate amount' for seasonings are playing tricks, so I'll give you exact quantities here."
Wayne included pictures of the ingredients, including the weight of the pork loin used.
"Pay attention here, take good notes: if there's too much flour, add water; if there's too much water, add flour."
"After all the powders are added, let's start mixing the batter."
"The batter shouldn't be too thin. After coating, you shouldn't be able to see the color of the pork loin. Why not?"
"Because the weather is cold now, and pork loin is afraid of the cold."
"Next, let's pour in plenty of oil."
"Fry over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until it turns light golden, then you can take it out."
"Then deep-fry a second time over high heat. One minute is enough."
"The sweet and sour sauce ratio is also flexible. Adjust to your own taste. If it's too sweet, add vinegar; if it's too sour, add sugar."
"After bringing it to a boil over high heat, add 1.5 grams of salt for seasoning..."
The scene returned to the Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs Wayne fried at the beginning, followed by Arcanine licking the plate clean.
"Finally, I have a quick tip for you, audience friends. Pay attention."
"Use the great summoning spell and shout loudly: 'Mom, Dad, I have a dish here, learn it!'"
"Then just wait."
The video ended here, titled—Pokemon Trainer Employment Guide 01: Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs.
Wayne chose to upload it.
Wayne was quite satisfied with his first video.
He stroked his chin and nodded slightly. "I didn't expect I had a talent for teaching."
It was Wayne's first time editing a video, and he wasn't very familiar with it, so it took him quite a bit of time.
Video review takes time, and Wayne's video had nothing problematic, so he didn't pay much attention to it.
...
The next day.
Wayne had to go to Jubilife City for the Intermediate Breeder assessment today, so he had to leave early in the morning.
Wayne originally wanted to bring Lucario and the others with him.
"Are you sure you're not coming with me?"
"Lucario."
(We want to wander around nearby.)
"It's up to you, just don't cause trouble."
Although Wayne didn't understand what was so interesting to wander around in this area of private residences, he chose to respect their wishes.
After all, if they went to the city with Wayne, Metang and Arcanine would mostly have to stay in their Poké Balls, which was indeed less comfortable than here.
Arcanine and the others had been out for two days without any incidents.
According to Wayne's observation, only Metang had been challenging wild Pokemon, and with Lucario as backup, there shouldn't be much of a problem.
The subway station was about one kilometer from the Breeding Base. Wayne rode Arcanine to the subway station and boarded the train.
"Be careful on your way back."
"Woof~"
(Don't worry about me, your great master!)
Jubilife City is very large and has extensive transportation, so it's easy to get lost without a map or navigation, but fortunately, transportation is well-developed.
Wayne successfully arrived at the Jubilife City Pokemon Center.
"Hello, Nurse Joy. I'm here for the Intermediate Breeder assessment."
"Okay, please show me your ID card."
Wayne handed over the ID card he had already prepared.
After operating the computer for a bit, Nurse Joy smiled sweetly.
"Mr. Wayne, you're registered. The first written test will be held at 9 AM. Please wait patiently."