Chapter 5: Renovation
"And that's the gist of it."
In the breeding center's lobby, Jenny Jun slowly explained the situation to Kenji.
"This Growlithe egg was ordered for you by your mother from the family when you were seven. It was meant to be your tenth birthday gift, your starter Pokémon. No one expected something like that to happen afterward."
Kenji's heart was suddenly filled with a complex mix of emotions.
So this was the "thank you gift" his mother had spoken of?
"..."
Seeing the boy remain silent for a long time, Jenny Jun took a black card, imprinted with the Jenny family emblem, from her pocket and placed it on the counter.
"This is the compensation money left behind from your parents' accident three years ago. A total of one million."
In truth, it was only half a million. The shipping company involved had been too small; the shipwreck led to public outcry, their stock plummeted, and they declared bankruptcy on the spot. The owner went directly to prison. The remaining half was donated by the members of the Jenny family. No matter what, the child was a member of the Jenny family, and they couldn't just stand by and watch him starve.
"One million..." Kenji was stunned.
There was no information about this in the original's memory. Judging by Jenny Jun's demeanor, this money had likely been held in trust by the Jenny family all this time. It made sense. How could a seven-year-old child manage so much money?
"I'm sorry for only giving this to you now," Jenny Jun said apologetically. "What are your plans for the future? If you're willing, you can return to the Jenny family."
Kenji fell silent. The offer was certainly tempting. But he didn't want to rely on others; he wanted to rely on himself. Besides, he had already made his decision: to stay here with Bewear and run this breeding center. Only by doing this could his special ability be used to its fullest potential.
"I want to stay here and reopen this breeding center," Kenji answered.
As expected. Jenny Jun wasn't surprised.
"The same answer as three years ago." She stood up. Due to her busy work schedule, she didn't stay long. However, before leaving, Jenny Jun left her contact information.
"I'm currently stationed in Fallarbor Town. If you need any help in the future, you can contact me."
"Also, be careful. Two evil organizations have recently appeared in the Hoenn region. They specialize in robbing and stealing trainers' Pokémon. We've been receiving reports from all over about stolen Pokémon," Jenny Jun warned.
Evil organizations?
Could it be Team Magma and Team Aqua?
"I understand. I'll be careful," Kenji said.
Jenny Jun nodded, then turned and left the breeding center.
Kenji watched her and her Arcanine depart until they were out of sight before he and Bewear returned to the lobby.
The boy and the Pokémon stared at the Growlithe egg on the table and the black card containing one million Pokédollars. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
A Growlithe egg... with both parents being Elite Four-level Arcanine. Without a doubt, this was an exceptionally outstanding Pokémon egg. Kenji's heart filled with anticipation. This Growlithe would be his starter Pokémon, right?
However, there were still three days until it hatched. Although Kenji wished he could have a Growlithe immediately, some things couldn't be rushed. He could only wait patiently.
As for the one million Pokédollars, it would certainly be a lot if the currency were RMB. But this was the world of Pokémon. While it sounded like a huge sum, it wasn't actually that much.
Still, as a start-up fund for the breeding center, it was more than enough!
After three years of neglect, some of the furniture and tools in the breeding center were already damaged beyond use. With this money, he could repair the backyard fence, replace the tables and chairs with a brand-new set, and get rid of the sofa in the lobby, which was so covered in dust that its original color was unrecognizable.
The inn also needed a complete overhaul. Kenji had seen that the bed frames in several guest rooms were broken. He would also buy some decorative green plants. With that, the inn could also reopen for business.
Additionally, the breeding center needed to purchase appliances and furniture like a refrigerator, an oven, a television, and a Pokémon Egg Incubator. The former were for daily life, while the latter was an indispensable necessity for any breeding center. Hatching eggs and helping clients' fostered Pokémon produce superior offspring was one of the main businesses of a breeding center.
After all that, there wouldn't be much left of the one-million-dollar start-up fund.
Kenji mentally planned out the renovation work. That same day, he and Bewear set off for Fallarbor Town.
Practice makes perfect. Kenji had grown to grudgingly accept riding the "Bewear Express."
He spent half the day scouting in town and finally chose a company called "Great Machamp Renovations." After conveying his requirements and paying the deposit, the company's workers, along with several Machamp, arrived at the breeding center that very afternoon to begin the renovations.
Kenji and Bewear stood at a distance, watching the busy Machamp. They watched them tear down the rotten wooden fence and replace it with a new, sturdy one; they watched them move out broken tables, chairs, and beds, replacing them with brand-new furniture...
"Kyuu!"
Bewear's eyes sparkled, filled with anticipation. It was happy about the changes in its young master and about the breeding center being reopened.
Kenji glanced over. The little sun above Bewear's head had long since disappeared, indicating that its emotions had stabilized. But now, seeing the breeding center being gradually transformed, its mood fluctuated once again. Its Joy Value rose from 20 to 40.
A small sun slowly materialized above its head.
And this time, text appeared in Kenji's vision again.
[Bewear's mood has improved. Joy Value +20. Received Bewear's gift: "Tackle" Skill Machine.]
[Skill Machine (Tackle): A Normal-type move. The user slams its entire body into the opponent to attack. Can be taught via mental transmission or by a Pokémon that knows the move. The target Pokémon is guaranteed to learn it. Uses remaining: 9999/9999.]
"Tackle... I got another reward, as expected."
"But the rarity and difficulty of this move are far less than Baby-Doll Eyes."
"Could it be related to the magnitude of the Joy Value increase?"
Because it only increased by 20 this time, the reward was just Tackle. The greater the increase in Joy Value, the rarer the reward.
Kenji was lost in thought. Since crossing over, he had been so busy with survival that he hadn't had a chance to properly study his special ability.
After a moment of thought, Kenji decided to test it out now.
He turned his gaze towards a Machamp that was carrying goods not far away.