Jubilife City Pokémon Center.
Joy smiled warmly as she handed the certificate to Wayne.
"Mr. Wayne, this is your Intermediate Breeder certificate. If you happen to lose it, you can always apply for a replacement at any Pokémon Center."
The certificate resembled an identification card, featuring a photograph, age, and name on the front, with the Sinnoh League emblem and assessment location printed on the back.
Chansey, standing beside Joy, smiled and waved cheerfully.
"Lucky~" (Congratulations!)
Wayne accepted the certificate solemnly with both hands. "Thank you, Miss Joy. Thank you, Chansey."
After receiving his Intermediate Breeder certificate, Wayne immediately called his father.
Before Wayne could say a single word, his father's voice erupted like a string of firecrackers going off.
"Son! Did you pass the Intermediate assessment? Listen, it's completely okay if you didn't pass. After all, you haven't even taken the Junior exam yet. Your grandpa is really something else, wanting you to jump straight to the Intermediate level..."
"I passed," Wayne interjected calmly.
"..."
Leon suddenly realized that the entire basket of comforting words he'd carefully prepared for his precious son had been completely wasted.
Leon's tone shifted to excitement. "You passed? Why didn't you say so earlier? You made your dad worry for so long!"
"I called you the very first moment after I passed the exam," Wayne replied with slight exasperation.
Leon quickly calculated the timeline in his head. "Huh? Wait, why did it take so long then? The timing doesn't add up!"
"There were some unexpected incidents during the assessment. I'll explain everything when I get back home."
"Alright then! I'll be waiting for you to come back and tell me all about it."
"Beep, beep, beep, beep..."
His father's speed at hanging up the phone rivaled an Extreme Speed attack.
Wayne then called his grandfather next.
His grandfather remained remarkably calm. His expression didn't change whatsoever when he heard that Wayne had passed the assessment.
"I see. Good work," he said simply.
In his grandfather's opinion, this outcome was entirely expected. It would have been a serious problem if Wayne hadn't passed.
"Gengar! Gengar!" A familiar voice chimed in enthusiastically.
Gengar, who hadn't been seen for several days, squeezed himself next to Wayne's grandfather, insisting on seeing Wayne through the phone screen.
"Among the examiners this time, there was an elderly man named Beckham who mentioned he was your friend," Wayne reported.
His grandfather nodded knowingly. "We were rivals when we were young. Now we're old friends."
"Stay at the Breeding House and don't wander off," his grandfather instructed firmly. "The teacher I've arranged for you will arrive to meet you shortly."
His grandfather issued only that single instruction before abruptly hanging up the phone.
"Beep, beep, beep, beep..."
Listening to the dial tone, Wayne sighed helplessly.
It had to be said that they were truly father and son—both of them hung up the phone with the exact same speed.
After boarding the train, Wayne safely returned to the suburban area where his family's Breeding House was located.
This time, he didn't have Arcanine available to ride, so he had no choice but to walk. Fortunately, it was only about a kilometer's distance.
The roadsides in the suburbs were sparsely populated with houses scattered here and there. Wayne observed the buildings around him, mentally estimating the approximate number of people living in this suburban area.
"Oh?" Wayne murmured to himself.
In the distance, Wayne thought he spotted his Arcanine.
A typical Arcanine, when standing on all fours, averages about 1.9 meters in height when measured to the top of its head, with a shoulder height of approximately 1.5 meters.
Wayne's Arcanine was considerably larger than average, with a shoulder height of two meters alone. It also appeared rather plump and substantial.
Actually, Arcanine wasn't fat at all—its back was just exceptionally broad and muscular...
Beside Arcanine, there was also a stylishly dressed blonde woman and a Growlithe.
"Arcanine!" Wayne called out.
Hearing Wayne's voice, Arcanine, Growlithe, and the blonde woman all turned to look in his direction simultaneously.
Arcanine's eyes widened as it began the recognition process.
After confirming that it was indeed Wayne, the large Arcanine immediately bounded toward him with enthusiasm.
Running against the wind, Arcanine's flaxen, fluffy fur rippled magnificently, and its bushy tail wagged energetically as it ran.
"Awooo!" it barked happily.
"Don't pounce! Please don't pounce on me!" Wayne warned.
Arcanine always enjoyed testing Wayne's physical endurance and strength.
The Fire-type Pokémon would immediately attempt to place its two heavy front paws on Wayne's shoulders, and its claws absolutely loved to paw at people affectionately.
"What did you eat this time? Don't lick me after you've been eating something!" Wayne protested.
Wayne, possessing the enhanced physique of someone with the Heavenly Aura Physique, used strength comparable to a Machamp to suppress Arcanine's enthusiastic attempt to lick him.
"Awooo?!" Σ(っ°Д°;)っ
The pinned-down Arcanine was once again utterly bewildered by this development.
The Trainer isn't acting like a human at all! Is he secretly a Pokémon now?
(Wait, I wanted peanuts! Feed me peanuts!)
Flipping himself over and mounting Arcanine's broad back, Wayne patted its fluffy, oversized head affectionately.
"Let's go. Take me to meet your new friend."
"Awooo~" Arcanine agreed happily.
The wind whistled past them as they moved. In less than a minute, Arcanine quickly came to a stop in front of a beautifully decorated villa.
Bell and Growlithe, who was sitting obediently beside her, were waiting outside.
Wayne studied the woman carefully. Although she was stylishly dressed, she appeared to be approximately the same age as his mother, Fumie. Wayne greeted her first out of respect.
"Hello, I'm Wayne, Arcanine's Trainer. It's nice to meet you."
The blonde woman nodded and smiled warmly. "I already had the pleasure of meeting your parents yesterday. Please, just call me Aunt Bell."
Bell briefly explained how Wayne's parents, who had been out shopping in the area, had encountered Arcanine. Through that meeting, they had all become acquainted.
"Hello, Aunt Vera. You can call me Wayne," he replied politely.
Bell adjusted her fashionable sunglasses and offered a compliment. "Your Arcanine is exceptionally well-trained and well-behaved."
"My grandfather deserves much of the credit for that," Wayne said modestly.
Bell's lips curved into a knowing smile. "You really are as humble as your mother mentioned."
Bell glanced at Arcanine, who was now sitting contentedly beside Wayne, rubbing its large fluffy head against him affectionately.
"Arcanine clearly likes you very much, and honestly, that's what matters most."
"Please come over to our house whenever you have time, Aunt Bell. My mom would definitely be thrilled to have you visit."
Bell nodded with a genuine smile. "I'd be happy to. I'll bring Growlithe along for a visit."
On the very first night she had met Arcanine, Bell had already consulted with her Bell, Zorro.
Bell understood that a family capable of raising such an impressive Arcanine wouldn't be an ordinary household by any means.
Setting aside their obvious breeding expertise, an Arcanine of this caliber was extremely difficult to obtain. Such high-quality Arcanine typically circulated exclusively within police departments and law enforcement agencies.
Zorro served as the section chief of the Jubilife Police Headquarters, holding the rank of Police Superintendent. For someone in his position, investigating people's backgrounds was a relatively simple matter.
Moreover, the Breeding House was a project that the Jubilife City Mayor had specifically named as one to vigorously promote and support. Zorro was well aware of this initiative.
Therefore, Bell had taken the time to thoroughly understand Wayne's family situation.
His grandfather was a Top-ranked Breeder. His uncle Levin was a famous Pokémon style designer. His cousin Vera was a twenty-one-year-old ancient civilization researcher.
Wayne's parents were both Senior-ranked Breeders, which meant the entire family was brimming with talent and expertise.
Wayne himself owned a Lucario and a Shiny Metang, and judging by how well-bred his Arcanine was, he clearly possessed considerable skill as well.
Befriending Wayne's family would be mutually beneficial for both Bell and Zorro, with absolutely no drawbacks.
"Do you want to come back home with me now, or would you prefer to stay here for a while longer?" Wayne asked Arcanine.
"Awooo~" Arcanine responded, glancing at Growlithe.
Its attitude and preference were crystal clear.
Wayne nodded with understanding. "You can stay here for now, but don't cause any trouble for Aunt Bell. Just remember to come back home in time for dinner tonight."
"Awooo!" Arcanine barked confidently.
(You can trust me completely!)
Bell smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it at all. Arcanine has been visiting for three days now and hasn't caused a single bit of trouble. It's even been teaching Growlithe some new moves."
"Thank you so much for accommodating him," Wayne said gratefully.
...
As dusk began to fall, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple, the household came back together.
Lucario returned home safely from its training. Metang consciously went to visit Joy for its routine medical treatment and checkup. Arcanine only returned home precisely at dinnertime after spending the day playing around.
To celebrate Wayne passing his assessment, the family opened a bottle of champagne.
His uncle raised his glass high and laughed heartily. "Congratulations to Wayne for passing the assessment! Keep up the excellent work!"
Wayne quickly raised his own glass in response.
"Thank you, Uncle. I really appreciate all your support."