Chapter Thirty-Eight: Return to the Breeders’ Academy

Cheng Cheng slowly awoke under the rays of the sun, squinting at the ceiling, rubbing his eyes, and then turning over to fall back into sleep. When he finally woke again, it was already noon—the first time since arriving in the Pokémon world that he’d slept so late.

Upon waking, Cheng Cheng discovered a table full of dishes already prepared. “Could it be Muzi who cooked?” he wondered. Then he saw Aunt Meixuzi emerge from the kitchen.

“Aunt Meixuzi, so it was you.”

“If it wasn’t me, who else could it be? You two really, sleeping in so late—you young people need to take better care of yourselves and not stay up all night.”

“No choice, really. Last night was hectic, we were busy until sunrise.”

Meixuzi cast a curious look at Cheng Cheng, who, still squinting, didn’t notice her expression.

“By the way, where’s Muzi? Let’s call her to eat too.”

Cheng Cheng knocked on Muzi’s door, and after a moment, she came out, carrying a Goomy in her arms. Judging by Goomy’s appearance, Cheng Cheng imagined what it must’ve endured.

“Aunt Meixuzi, why are you here?” Muzi asked.

“If I didn’t come, you two would go hungry. Go wash up and come eat!”

Everyone gathered at the table and began their meal together.

Aunt Meixuzi’s cooking was excellent, no less than Cheng Cheng’s, and in terms of taste, perhaps even better.

“Aunt Meixuzi, your food is delicious!” Muzi exclaimed.

“Is it? Then eat more,” Meixuzi replied, clearly pleased at Muzi’s praise.

“Muzi, where is your home?” Meixuzi asked.

“My home is in the Unova region.”

“That’s quite far away. It’ll be inconvenient in the future.”

“Mmhmm.”

Cheng Cheng interrupted, “Let’s eat quickly.”

Aunt Meixuzi smiled and said no more.

After the meal, Cheng Cheng went to the nursery. Though there were some mishaps during the Pokémon capture, he had still caught quite a few.

Cheng Cheng first had the system retrieve all the non-Psychic-type Pokémon, which earned him a considerable sum. He then went to the backyard and released the Psychic-types he’d caught: three Ralts, four Natu, two Spoink, and four Chimecho. Not a huge number, but with the previous eggs, it would suffice for a while.

He let his own Pokémon out, instructing them to help the newcomers acclimate to their surroundings.

Before long, Muzi came down too, releasing all her Pokémon, including Sceptile.

“Sceptile, how are you feeling now?” Cheng Cheng asked.

“Scep (I’m alright),” it replied.

“I’m sorry for the injuries. But I believe you’ll recover soon.”

“Scep.”

Cheng Cheng had planned to return to Mauville City sooner, but since Sceptile needed care, he decided to stay a few days longer.

He and Muzi had fun with their Pokémon, and Cheng Cheng felt genuinely happy. After this experience, he realized he needed to strengthen his abilities, so that afternoon he organized another round of battles.

This time, he focused on training the weaker Pokémon, determined to help them grow quickly—he couldn’t always rely on Chimecho and Mr. Mime.

To become a master of Psychic-type Pokémon, he needed a strong team.

Since Muzi’s Pokémon were too powerful, Cheng Cheng lent her some of his, and they battled against each other.

Time slipped away in the midst of their training. Over the next few days, Cheng Cheng devoted himself to raising his Pokémon and helping Sceptile recover.

After ten days at home, Cheng Cheng and Muzi prepared to return to the Breeder School in Mauville City.

Before leaving, Cheng Cheng sent Sceptile back; it was nearly fully recovered, needing only a bit more rest. After bidding Sceptile goodbye, Cheng Cheng and Muzi boarded the plane back to Mauville.

Upon returning, there was still time before classes resumed, so Cheng Cheng decided to visit Xiao Si and the others. Muzi accompanied him, curious about the friends Cheng Cheng had spoken of.

Following his memory, Cheng Cheng walked to their former residence, only to find the house demolished, with new construction underway. It seemed Xiao Si and the others had already left, but where could they have gone? Perhaps they continued to wander. With the Pokémon Cheng Cheng had given them, their lives might improve—or it could bring trouble, since those Pokémon were rare and would attract attention.

Cheng Cheng searched nearby and asked at several places where they used to work, but learned that after he was admitted to the Breeder School, they had left the area, destination unknown.

He was disappointed not to see them, but believed they would live well. Since he couldn’t find them, Cheng Cheng returned to the school.

Soon, he was back in his dormitory, but his three roommates hadn’t returned yet—they must have been out enjoying themselves.

One by one, his roommates came back, and with everyone present, classes resumed.

The first lesson upon returning was the announcement of the previous exam results. There were a hundred students in the grade, with ten in the elite class, and the top twenty were almost entirely from that class.

Cheng Cheng did well, ranking forty-fifth, likely thanks to a strong practical score. Muzi surpassed him, placing forty-second, and she bragged about it for quite a while. Cheng Cheng didn’t mind; his goal was simply to qualify as a junior Pokémon breeder as soon as possible.

“Everyone, please quiet down. I have something important to announce. In two months, there will be an assessment for the junior Pokémon breeder qualification. Though I don’t expect you all to pass, I hope the top students will try. Even if you don’t succeed, the experience will be valuable and help you in future exams.”

“Let me outline the exam. As mentioned before, the assessment covers the seven subjects we study, but the scope is broader and the difficulty much higher, especially the practical section.”

“Each subject is scored out of one hundred. To become a junior breeder, you must score at least seventy in every subject, with a total of at least five hundred and twenty. Alternatively, if you score ninety or above in four subjects and have a total score of at least five hundred, you qualify.”

“I don’t recommend the second method. Scoring ninety in a subject is very difficult—even the teachers can’t guarantee it—so please don’t try unless you’re confident.”

“As for other details, we’ll discuss them closer to the assessment. If anyone wants to participate, please come forward and register.”

Three students quickly signed up; all were ranked in the top thirty.

“Teacher, I’d like to participate as well,” Cheng Cheng said, raising his hand.

“Cheng Cheng, your exam score was good, but you’re weak in some subjects. It may not be worthwhile for you to try. Don’t waste your time.”

“But you said it’s a chance to gain experience. I’d like to give it a try.”

“Alright, if you insist, I’ll add your name.”

“Thank you, teacher.”

“Teacher, I’d like to participate too,” Muzi said.

The teacher glanced at her and added her name as well.

“Very well, that makes five of you. I hope you’ll pay close attention in class and ask questions when needed. May you gain something from the assessment. Let’s continue from where we left off—last time, we discussed number 036, Shroomish. Next, we’ll cover three Pokémon: numbers 037 to 039—Slakoth, Vigoroth, and Slaking. All three are Normal-types with unique abilities, so take careful notes.”

The breeder assessment would begin in two months, and Cheng Cheng was determined to seize the opportunity and qualify as a junior breeder; he didn’t want to wait another year. Though he still had shortcomings, he was resolved to pass in two months, so he’d have more time to care for his Pokémon and manage his nursery. Spending another year in school would mean many changes.

Cheng Cheng outlined the four subjects in which he needed to score ninety: Pokémon Encyclopedia, Pokémon Food and Pokeblock Making, Pokémon Battles, and Pokémon Language.

To pass these four subjects, his greatest assets were the system and his psychic abilities. With both, he was confident he could reach ninety in each with careful attention.

With ninety in four subjects—three hundred sixty points—he’d need at least fifty in each of the remaining three to reach five hundred, which would still be challenging. His theoretical scores in those subjects weren’t great, so he’d have to excel in the practical exams.

He hadn’t expected Muzi to register as well; perhaps she wanted to compete? The reason was unclear, but regardless, they would help each other.

The two resolved to cooperate fully over the next two months, striving to pass the junior breeder exam together.

Let’s do our best, together!