Early morning at Jubilife Breeding Center.
Although the Breeding Center had recently suffered an attack, the experience hadn't been entirely negative. The destruction had brought the staff closer together than ever before—and not just the staff, but the wild Pokémon living on the grounds as well.
Regarding Shaymin's decision to stay or leave, Lance chose to respect Shaymin's own wishes. As someone who possessed the power of Viridian, Lance could clearly understand what Shaymin wanted.
Shaymin wanted to remain here.
Considering both the protection of the Breeding Center and Wayne's well-being, Lance agreed to the arrangement.
Lance laughed warmly. "Then you're welcome to stay here as long as you like."
Shaymin's eyes narrowed contentedly. "Shaymin!"
Wayne added thoughtfully, "We shouldn't forget that Floaroma Town also needs strengthened defenses."
Floaroma Town likely harbored more than just a single Shaymin—there was probably an entire group living there. The Shaymin that Wayne had rescued was merely a juvenile, not yet fully grown.
Cynthia's lips curved into a slight smile. "I've already issued those instructions."
Lance sighed appreciatively. "I keep telling you—you'd make an excellent investigator."
Neither Lance nor Cynthia thought Wayne was overstepping his bounds. Reminding them to protect Floaroma Town was something that would be perfectly normal coming from either investigator.
However, for Wayne—an ordinary citizen who hadn't been involved in any official cases—remembering to bring up such concerns demonstrated remarkable awareness.
"Please, I couldn't possibly—"
Before Wayne could finish his refusal, Lance waved his hand dismissively. "No need to explain. I know you're not the type to stand idly by when Pokémon need help."
"Investigator" was just one possible identity, after all. Lance simply felt that Wayne had the right qualities for the role, but he would never force the issue.
From observing how Wayne interacted with Lucario and the Police Dog Arcanine, seeing Wayne take charge of the Arcanine's care, and witnessing through Shaymin's memories how Wayne had protected the Mythical Pokémon, Lance understood clearly that Wayne genuinely loved Pokémon and wouldn't ignore those in need.
Cynthia interjected with a smile, "Become an investigator? I actually disagree with that suggestion."
???
Lance's face registered surprise, and Wayne looked equally puzzled.
Observing their confused expressions, Cynthia calmly explained her reasoning. "While it might seem like we'd gain a capable investigator, we'd lose an exceptional Breeder in the process."
Despite Wayne's strong intuition in certain matters, she still believed his talents were better suited to the Breeder profession. With Wayne's remarkable gift for crafting Energy Cubes and Pokémon food, he should continue developing those skills.
Perhaps one day, surpassing even Blue wouldn't be impossible. Cynthia genuinely felt Wayne possessed that level of potential.
"That's certainly true," Lance agreed. "If Kanto and Sinnoh weren't separated by such distance, I'd definitely be buying Energy Cubes from you regularly."
Lance had personally examined the Oran Berry Cubes that Cynthia had shared with him. It would be one thing if Wayne had used rare berries like Tamato Berries to achieve such results. But Wayne had taken readily available Oran Berries—common as could be—and produced perfect-quality Energy Cubes.
Lance could only marvel at the accomplishment, his amazement practically contributing to global warming. In four words: absolutely terrifying talent!
Cynthia suggested practically, "You could have them mailed back to Kanto."
Lance appeared genuinely tempted by the idea. "That actually makes quite a bit of sense."
The four major regions—Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh—maintained very close ties, with inter-regional trade and logistics systems well established.
Lance, who had originally been planning to depart soon, suddenly changed his mind. "Let's discuss the Energy Cube purchasing arrangement first, then."
"However, to maintain quality, Energy Cubes ideally shouldn't be stored for longer than a week," Wayne advised.
After some discussion, Wayne and Lance finalized a delivery plan. The shipments would arrive once weekly—however, unlike Cynthia, who had the luxury of special delivery via her Dragapult, Lance would utilize the League's official delivery system, which employed Pokémon specifically trained for transporting goods.
Following his conversation with Lance, Wayne now had two regular customers: Cynthia and Lance. As for expanding his customer base further...
Wayne hadn't really considered it yet. The main issue was that he remained the only person capable of producing perfect-quality Energy Cubes—even his grandfather couldn't match that achievement. Even if he wanted to expand operations, that would be a concern for the future. It would likely require employing numerous Rotom to assist with production.
Both Cynthia and Lance stayed for a simple meal before preparing to leave.
"Well, I'll be heading out now," Lance announced. "I'll keep you updated on any developments regarding Shaymin and those Pokémon Hunters."
With those parting words, Lance mounted his Dragonite, and the Dragon-type Pokémon took flight into the sky.
"You don't need to worry about the Breeding Center's security, either," Cynthia assured him. "I'll handle that matter personally."
As she spoke, Cynthia's expression turned distinctly cold and dangerous. Even if the Breeding Center hadn't belonged to Wayne, her response would be the same. Once Cynthia learned about criminal activity like this, she would never turn a blind eye to it.
"Garchomp!" her partner roared.
Sensing Cynthia's anger, Garchomp added its own furious cry to emphasize the point.
Wayne could only blink in place, slightly overwhelmed. Lance and Cynthia...
It felt remarkably good to be protected by such powerful allies!
However, Wayne quickly snapped out of his grateful daze. Garchomp's furious roar had just frightened some of the more timid Shinx, sending them scurrying to hide in the bushes. Other Pokémon began fleeing in various directions as well, and anxious cries erupted throughout the area.
"Don't be afraid! It's alright, everyone!" Wayne called out reassuringly.
"Shaymin~"
(Don't worry—Garchomp won't hurt you,) Shaymin communicated.
Shaymin's entire body began glowing with a soothing green light, and the Pokémon that had been frightened gradually began to relax.
"Shaymin, is there anything you'd like to do?" Wayne asked gently.
"Shaymin~~"
Although Wayne possessed intermediate-level affinity with Pokémon, he still couldn't fully understand Shaymin's communication. Fortunately, he had a translator nearby.
Lucario interpreted: (Shaymin wants to play hide-and-seek. It wants everyone to play together.)
???
Wayne's face immediately showed bewilderment. So Shaymin apparently had a short memory.
Through Lance's earlier retelling, Wayne had learned exactly how Shaymin became separated from its companions in the first place. Shaymin had been playing hide-and-seek with other Pokémon, and this particular Shaymin was intensely competitive—determined to win at any cost.
Because it had run too far from the group during the game, Hunter D had discovered it and chased the Mythical Pokémon all the way to the northern suburbs of Jubilife City.
Considering this was clearly Shaymin's favorite activity...
"Alright, then! Let's play together. I've actually never lost at hide-and-seek since I was little!" Wayne declared confidently.
He wasn't exaggerating—because he'd never actually played the game before. As everyone knows, Jordan had also never scored a goal while Wayne was defending, using similar logic.
"Shaymin~~"
Lucario glanced at Wayne with a somewhat helpless expression and translated: (You'll be the seeker. Shaymin will hide.)
"Then I'll start counting now—everyone hurry up and hide!" Wayne announced.
Shaymin, the Shinx, and various other young Pokémon all eagerly participated in the game. Wayne turned around and covered his eyes with his hands. "One, two, three..."
"Shaymin!!"
(You're counting way too fast!) Shaymin protested.
"Alright, alright, I understand. I'll count more slowly," Wayne agreed with a chuckle.
Wayne counted all the way to one hundred before finally opening his eyes and looking around. He immediately spotted a wild Pichu with its head buried in the sand, its entire rear end sticking up conspicuously. However, there was no sign of Shaymin anywhere.
Wayne raised an eyebrow at Lucario questioningly. "Lucario, how about giving me a hint?"
Lucario crossed his arms over his chest, speaking with absolute conviction. (I refuse.)
As elegant and principled as Lucario was, he would never permit cheating—not even in something as simple as hide-and-seek. He had to maintain his position as an absolutely fair and impartial judge!
Wayne had expected exactly this response.
"Well then, I'm going to start searching!" he announced cheerfully.