Jubilife Breeding Center.
When it came to moving heavy equipment, Alan was the obvious choice. He, Leon, and Alan's Machamp went to help load and unload the egg-hatching machines.
"Be careful when moving those—take your time," Fumie instructed.
"To the left—that room on the left," Alan directed.
Nurse Joy and her Chansey emerged from the Pokémon Center nearby, calling out with excitement, "So you're finally going to start breeding Pokémon!"
Fumie nodded warmly. "Yes, and if we run into any problems down the line, we'll be counting on your expertise."
"Please leave it to me," Nurse Joy replied confidently.
"Lucky~" Chansey chimed in enthusiastically.
Fumie smiled at the eager Normal-type Pokémon. "We'll be relying on you too, Chansey."
Meanwhile, Wayne had other matters to attend to. He first went to check on the former Police Dog Arcanine.
"Come on, boy. Let's go for a walk."
"Woof!" Arcanine's fluffy tail wagged happily.
Seeing the joy in Arcanine's eyes, Wayne nodded with satisfaction. The psychological treatment was showing its first real signs of progress. Arcanine's full recovery was just around the corner!
Exercising with Arcanine and playing fetch with a frisbee were greatly helping rebuild the Fire-type's confidence. Watching Arcanine's positive changes made Wayne think of Feebas—what kind of activities could help that Pokémon regain its confidence as well?
Wayne had been pondering this question recently. He'd even considered taking Feebas to participate in competitions, but unfortunately, that wasn't possible. The Fish Pokémon was unwilling to leave its rockery pond, and Wayne couldn't force the issue. If he did, the fragile trust they'd built might shatter in an instant.
Feebas was like expensive porcelain now—requiring careful handling, something to be admired from a respectful distance rather than rushed. Fortunately, Feebas could at least communicate now, which meant Wayne's treatment wasn't entirely without effect.
Besides walking Arcanine, Wayne also planned to recruit new "employees" for the Breeding Center—more accurately, security personnel.
Yesterday's incident had sounded a harsh alarm for Wayne. He'd always thought too well of human nature, perhaps influenced by the idealized world he'd seen in anime. Combined with his relatively sheltered experiences, he'd almost forgotten that bad people existed here too.
The Breeding Center had always been peaceful, so they'd never hired security guards before. His father would be responsible for hiring human staff, while Wayne would handle recruiting Pokémon partners.
Given the Breeding Center's current scale, hiring two security guards for the main entrance wasn't excessive at all. Considering shift rotations, they might actually need four total.
Wayne left the human staffing matter to his parents—they had a good track record of hiring reliable employees.
Yesterday, Arcanine had overcome its fear and run out of the room where it usually stayed. Previously, although Arcanine could come out, it would never leave the Breeding Center grounds—not even a single step beyond. It only ran within the Safari Zone.
But yesterday, watching an Arcanine leap over a group of wild Pokémon to join the fight had shown Wayne its true potential.
As Wayne passed by the wetlands and lakes of the Safari Zone, several wild Pokémon greeted him cheerfully.
"Buizel~"
"Good morning, Buizel," Wayne replied.
"Buizel!" The Water-type waved energetically at Wayne.
"No battles right now—I have other things to take care of," Wayne explained apologetically.
This particular Buizel was extremely competitive, always eager to challenge strong opponents even when defeat was practically guaranteed.
Climbing up the hill, Wayne found Luxray sound asleep on a large rock. The energetic Shinx noticed Wayne immediately and ran to his side, circling him excitedly. Their cheerful cries rose and fell in waves.
If this had been when the Breeding Center first opened, these Shinx would have discharged electricity the moment they spotted Wayne. But now, Wayne had become familiar with the Electric-types, and his intermediate-level affinity made them feel even more comfortable around him.
"Luxray, I need to discuss something with you," Wayne called out.
Luxray, who had been pretending to sleep on the rock, opened one eye lazily and flicked its tail in acknowledgment. This particular Luxray had a rather aloof personality, something Wayne had long since grown accustomed to.
"I'd like to invite you to join the Breeding Center officially—to help protect it alongside Arcanine," Wayne proposed.
He'd already planned everything out the night before. They would build two guard posts positioned opposite and adjacent to the front desk service center. The posts would serve as stations where Arcanine, Luxray, and two human security guards could work together.
With both trained personnel and Pokémon on duty, if something like yesterday's incident happened again, there wouldn't be a situation where Alan and Lucario had to rush out in an emergency response.
"Working hours would be from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and then you'd be free to go home," Wayne explained. "Besides providing your three daily meals, you'd also receive extra Energy Cubes each month as compensation. Does that sound acceptable?"
Wayne and his team did feed the wild Pokémon regularly, but not every single meal. The wild Pokémon would forage for berries or other food sources to supplement their diets.
Luxray, still lying in its relaxed position, flicked its tail as if carefully considering the offer.
"It's okay—take your time thinking it over. You can give me your answer tomorrow if you need more time," Wayne said patiently.
Luxray nodded slowly. "Woof!"
After finishing his discussion with Luxray, Wayne continued walking with Arcanine, simply enjoying a leisurely stroll. It also gave Arcanine time to process what it had overheard.
The combination of Luxray and Arcanine would be more than sufficient—there was no need to recruit additional Pokémon for security.
Wayne and Arcanine sat together on the summit of the small hill, gazing at the distant Breeding Center below. From their vantage point, they could vaguely make out the figures of Metagross and Lucario engaged in their training routine.
Wayne gently stroked Arcanine, who was lying peacefully beside him.
"Arcanine, you heard what I told Luxray just now. Are you willing to protect the Breeding Center? To protect everyone here?" Wayne asked softly.
Arcanine's ears twitched involuntarily at the question.
Arcanine's Ability was Justified—its heart was genuinely filled with a sense of justice and righteousness.
The Fire-type often found itself recalling its days as a police Arcanine in the elite K-9 unit. In every operation, it had bravely led the charge. It had handled both riot control and search-and-rescue operations with equal skill.
Because it excelled at everything, it was always chosen first for assignments. When fighting against criminal organizations, Arcanine—with flames burning fiercely across its body—had led other Arcanine in charging into battle without hesitation.
It always ran at the very front of the formation.
It should have become the most distinguished star among all police Arcanine. But because of that cursed flashbang and Electrode's devastating Self-Destruct, it had been forced into early retirement at what should have been its peak.
Despite being covered in thick protective fur, Arcanine's body bore numerous scars—each one a medal of honor from its service.
Arcanine also suffered from frequent nightmares. Waking up from those nightmares in the silent depths of night, it would recall lying in a pool of its own blood, seeing only gray and white, hearing only a persistent ringing sound in its mind.
Remembering that traumatic moment, Arcanine involuntarily trembled again. It couldn't control the shiver that ran through its body, and it hated itself for that weakness.
But at this moment, a warm hand gently stroked its mane. "I'm here," Wayne said quietly.
There were no elaborate comforting words needed. The firmness in the man's tone was enough to convey everything.
Arcanine silently opened its mouth, affectionately rested its jaw on Wayne's lap, and closed its eyes in contentment.
After a few peaceful moments, Arcanine opened its eyes again, raised its head, and met Wayne's gaze directly. The determination burning in those eyes was unmistakable.
Since Wayne had first met Arcanine, this was the first time he'd seen such resolute, unwavering eyes staring back at him.
Wayne's face broke into a genuine, heartfelt smile.
"Is that right? You want to protect everyone?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Woof!" Arcanine barked firmly.
I want to protect everyone!.