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Breeding Center.
Wayne returned with Arcanine to find that the busy loading and unloading work had already been completed.
Leon, passing by, took another look at the Fire-type and paused. "Oh, Arcanine seems really happy today."
"Woof!" Arcanine wagged its large tail enthusiastically, tongue hanging out cheerfully.
Unlike Wayne's own Arcanine, this former police dog Arcanine had a much more majestic and fierce appearance. Yet at this moment, Leon actually caught a fleeting glimpse of the same energetic spirit that Wayne's Arcanine always displayed.
Previously, this Arcanine would avoid eye contact with others, never meeting anyone's gaze directly. Leon gave Wayne an enthusiastic thumbs up.
"Amazing work, my boy!"
Wayne ruffled Arcanine's head affectionately. "It's all thanks to Arcanine's own efforts."
Although Arcanine hadn't fully regained its confidence yet—after all, the side quest remained incomplete—Wayne believed it was just a matter of time.
Arcanine's side quest reward was unusual: a fragment of Arcanine's memory. According to the system's quest prompt, this memory was somehow connected to Dialga and Palkia.
"Go ahead and settle in," Wayne told the Fire-type.
Wayne didn't need to worry too much about Arcanine anymore. Its strength was more than sufficient for self-preservation—or rather, it was more likely to overpower others. This was an incredibly powerful Arcanine, after all.
As one of the finest police dogs in an elite K-9 unit, Arcanine's strength was at the Elite-level primary tier. It was actually one level stronger than Wayne's most powerful Pokémon—his Master-level primary Lucario.
That difference made sense, considering it came from an elite unit. Arcanine's aptitude, the resources it had received, and the training it had undergone were all top-tier. Additionally, Arcanine was over eight years old, while Wayne's Lucario was barely over two years old.
Considering type advantages, if it came down to a pure one-on-one battle between Lucario and Arcanine, the Fire-type would have the greater chance of winning.
Using an Elite-level Arcanine as a guard was something few people besides Wayne could manage.
Arcanine didn't head off to play, however. Instead, it walked straight toward the Breeding Center's main entrance, beginning its new journey. The former elite Arcanine had retired from police work, but it could still shine and contribute in meaningful ways.
The automatic glass doors slid open smoothly, and Arcanine stepped into the front desk service center.
Seeing Arcanine enter by itself, Kinsley was startled. "Arcanine? Wait, no—this isn't the Boss's Arcanine. It's not that lean, so you must be..."
"Woof!" Arcanine let out a confident, energetic bark.
"Shana~ Shana~" Shaymin translated from its spot nearby.
(It says it will protect us.)
"Thank you, Arcanine!" Kinsley exclaimed gratefully.
She was still shaken by yesterday's incident. If Brother Alan and Lucario hadn't arrived when they did...
"Woof!" Arcanine barked. (You're welcome!)
Wayne's phone kept buzzing with notifications. The chain of messages had started with Silver forwarding two videos: the Sinnoh NOW broadcast and footage of the joint arrest operation.
Silver: "Everyone, look at this!"
Lt. Surge: "What an over-the-top title."
Ruby: "That's how they get clicks, though. I unconsciously clicked on it too."
Sapphire: "Hehe, same here."
Yellow: "Wow, look at all those wild Pokémon!"
Whitney: "Wait, didn't anyone else notice the guy they caught is called Jesse? Did Silver sneak off to do something bad?"
Silver : "That's not me, I swear!"
After everyone finished teasing Silver for a bit, they returned to the main topic.
Blue: "What exactly happened at the Breeding Center?"
Silver : "Wait, do you also have Viridian Power?"
Wayne first replied to Blue: "Some troublemakers showed up. They've been dealt with, but we still don't know the specific reason behind it."
Wayne then replied to Silver with a voice message. "No, the video was edited. It was actually Lucario who told Metagross and Dragapult to call the wild Pokémon over for help."
Silver : "Sinnoh NOW pulls these kinds of tricks? I thought they were a reputable news station."
Silver : "Wait, hold on—why is Lance handling things in Sinnoh anyway?!"
Lorelei: "What doesn't he handle?"
Nobody refuted Lorelei's assessment. Everyone knew Lance's character—he would never turn a blind eye to criminal activity, regardless of where it occurred.
Blue: "Where is Lance now?"
Wayne: "Probably still working. He was up all night doing interrogations, then the arrest operation. After catching the suspects, he's likely interrogating them again right now."
Wayne knew this information because Cynthia had sent him another update message.
Silver : "Wow, that's way too dedicated. How much does the League even pay him?!"
Just then, Lance himself appeared in the chat.
Lance: "Not much. Want to take over? I'll pay you double."
Lance wasn't joking—he genuinely wanted to expand the investigator team, which was one reason he'd invited Wayne to join.
Silver : "I refuse!"
Silvers immediate refusal was exactly what Lance had expected.
Lance: "@Wayne, this is going to be a long explanation. Can you take a call?"
Wayne: "Sure."
Silver : "Don't go to private messages! I want to hear too!"
Red: "+1"
Blue: "+1"
Silver's sentiment was shared by Red, Blue, and the others.
Lance: "I'll discuss it with everyone later."
Lance's call came through immediately after his message.
"Jesse confessed everything," Lance reported. "It was Balu, the owner of the Jubilife City branch of Coronet Breeding House, who hired him. Do you know this person?"
Wayne shook his head, even though Lance couldn't see him. "Coronet Breeding House was engaging in a price war with us recently, but we didn't pay much attention to them. I've never even met the owner."
Wayne hadn't expected this connection at all.
Lance, holding his phone, nodded in understanding. "I see. That explains a lot, then."
Lance suspected that Balu had realized conventional methods—malicious competition and other tactics—couldn't compete with Wayne's family's Breeding Center. So he'd resorted to criminal means and hired Jesse.
Lance continued, "Balu will be arrested on suspicion of hiring someone to commit assault. Plus, there were illegal activities during his business operations. Even though it was an attempted crime, everything will add up to several years in prison. A lawyer will contact you soon regarding the case."
Balu... what a fitting name for a villain, Wayne thought.
"Was it also Balu who hired those bikers?" Wayne asked.
Lance shook his head. "It's not just him—Coronet Company will also be involved in this matter."
Wayne sounded puzzled. "Coronet Company?"
Lance explained patiently, "The Coronet Breeding House in Jubilife City is just a franchise location. However, considering the company's reputation is at stake, Coronet Company headquarters will probably reach out to you—most likely to offer you settlement money."
"Balu will have to fully compensate all your losses, and Coronet Company will provide additional settlement money. That's roughly how this will play out."
Wayne wasn't particularly familiar with League law and its procedures. "So what exactly do I need to do?"
Fortunately, he had an encyclopedia of League law standing right in front of him, so to speak.
"You just operate the Breeding Center as normal," Lance instructed. "Gather all the receipts documenting your losses and wait for the opposing party's lawyer to contact you. Since you're the victim in this case, they'll definitely approach you with smiles and professionalism. Even if your compensation amount runs a bit high, that's perfectly fine. I think with Coronet Company's financial resources, they won't quibble over these relatively minor details. That's basically it—nothing else you need to worry about."
Lance had explained everything very clearly for Wayne's benefit.
Wayne responded sincerely, "Thank you so much for all your help."
Lance laughed warmly. "You're welcome. That sandwich yesterday was delicious, by the way. Next time, you'll have to treat me to a proper meal."
"No problem at all," Wayne agreed readily.
Wayne and Lance ended their call. Not long after, his phone rang again with another incoming call.