After arriving home, Auron took out the berries he had brought back and began preparing a portion of energy cubes.
"Let's start with the staple—nutritional cubes!"
He pulled out the energy cube maker from the storage room, the same one his father occasionally used to prepare food for his own Pokémon.
In this world, energy cubes aren't the same as in the games. They don't just increase things like Beauty or Coolness—they have various classifications.
For example, there are nutritional energy cubes to help with nutrient absorption, ones for enhancing physical fitness, and even ones for purifying Pokémon energy.
Auron's father's Umbreon regularly consumed cubes to increase its Cool stat.
Now that Umbreon had such a sleek, athletic body and glossy black fur, it could charm a crowd just by walking by. Anyone who saw it would comment on how handsome it looked.
His father's Umbreon and Espeon were originally experimental Pokémon used during the research of Eevee's evolution paths. But unlike other researchers, his dad had kept them with him ever since—as if they were his starter Pokémon.
Auron's dad's true starter was a Jangmo-o, which had now evolved into a Kommo-o.
It often played with Auron when he was little. Though it had a combative and competitive personality, it didn't match at all with Auron's dad's scholarly demeanor.
Auron didn't see it at the shop earlier—likely it was training in its dedicated training room.
His dad also owned a Feebas, a gift from his mother back when they had just started dating.
His mom had one too, and just like their owners, the two Feebas were a couple.
All the Feebas in the breeding center were their offspring. Even the Espeon next door was jealous. Rumor had it the Espeon had recently laid an egg—though Auron wasn't sure if it had hatched yet.
Besides her Feebas, his mother also owned a Chansey that often cared for the newborn Pokémon at the breeding center, and a Stufful who was always at home.
It seemed that aside from the Stufful, all his parents' other Pokémon stayed at the breeding center. After all, the house wasn't large and wasn't suitable for keeping too many Pokémon inside Poké Balls.
After spending the better part of the day, Auron finally produced a decent batch of energy cubes.
He looked out the window—the sky was beginning to darken.
"By the looks of it, Mom and Dad should be back soon. I better clean this up."
He neatly arranged the boxes of cubes on the table and moved the energy cube machine into his room. He wasn't done making them, so it'd save him the hassle of moving it back and forth.
Just then, the door opened—his parents had returned with Stufful, carrying groceries. As soon as they walked in, Lu's mom dropped the groceries and flopped onto the sofa with a groan.
"Ahh, finally home. Business was so good today—I'm absolutely exhausted."
Auron's dad winced at the complaint but didn't dare say, "Weren't the shop assistants doing all the work?" He simply picked up the groceries and headed to the kitchen in silence.
"Sigh~ I still have to call the main store tomorrow for a restock—so many eggs sold out in a day. We're almost out of incubators, and we need to restock supplies too. Poor me, working so hard…"
"Yes, yes, you've worked so hard, dear," Auron's dad called out from the kitchen, clearly used to her antics and aware she was just being affectionate.
"Hmm? These are energy cubes. Pretty high quality too. Did our son make these?"
"Huh? You're right, they do look good."
Auron's mom had also noticed the table full of neatly made energy cubes.
Just then, a small brown Pokémon jumped from Stufful's arms onto the table, grabbed one of the cubes, and started munching happily.
"Bui~"
The Eevee squinted its eyes in joy as it ate. Auron's dad quickly noticed something off. This Eevee had eaten nutritional cubes before, but never had it reacted with such happiness. He picked up one cube for a closer look.
"Eevee??"
Auron walked out of his room, confused at the sight of the Pokémon on the table. The system's data display activated automatically, and the Eevee's information appeared clearly before him:
Pokémon: Eevee
Gender: Female
Type: Normal
Ability: Adaptability (Moves of the same type as the user deal more damage)
Potential: Purple
Basic Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Tail Whip
Inherited Moves: Mimic, Baby-Doll Eyes, Will-O-Wisp
"Son, where did you buy these cubes? They're not like the ones I usually get."
Auron's dad asked after seeing Auron emerge from his room.
"Oh, those? I made them myself. Why?"
Auron asked, a little puzzled.
"You made them? I looked them over—they seem better than the ones on the market."
"Yeah, I modified the formula a bit. These are about 30% more effective than the ones Mom sells at her store."
"So good? Then from now on, Mom's just going to get her supply from you!"
Auron's mom shot up from the couch, thrilled, cutting off Auron's dad before he could say, "That's my boy!"
Auron's dad smiled at the sight and didn't ask any further questions, quietly heading back to the kitchen to prep vegetables.
Having grown up in hardship, Auron's mom started chasing financial security once she settled down. Auron's dad, knowing her past, never said much—he just silently supported her. He was the one who had funded the opening of the breeding center.
Hearing her words, Auron scratched his head and said uncertainly,
"Mom, why not take the recipe and have someone else make them? The main store might even start buying from you later."
But his mom looked a bit worried: "What if someone steals the recipe?"
"Just register a trademark. Once it's registered, the recipe can be legally protected."
Auron's dad poked his head out from the kitchen with a practical solution. Auron's mom's eyes lit up.
"You're so smart, honey!"
"But of course~"
Auron watched the two flirt and quickly changed the subject.
"Where'd this Eevee come from?"
"Oh, that's the one we mentioned a few days ago—your dad's Espeon and Umbreon's baby."
"Oh, so it's already hatched?"
Auron reached out to pet the Eevee, which was now munching on its second cube. It didn't resist at all, fully focused on its meal.
"So? Want to raise her as your Pokémon? Your dad originally wanted me to take care of her, but I've been so busy—I don't think I could handle it."
Auron froze mid-pet and replied with a wry smile:
"Mom, you might fool others with that, but you think you can fool me? Don't I know that aside from calling suppliers, you mostly just stroll around the store?"
"You little brat! Watch your tone! Your mom works hard all day, can't you see?"
"Okay, okay, sorry, Mom. I underestimated your exhaustion. But I already have Zubat, remember? You take care of her instead—she'll be closer to her parents that way."
"Fine, if you're not taking her, I will."
Hearing her agree, Auron felt relieved. With Baby-Doll Eyes as an inherited move, once the bond was strong enough, Eevee would evolve into Sylveon, right?
When that happened, and if his dad could identify the exact evolution condition, his reputation in the academic world would surely rise even further.
Unless Auron came across a Pokémon with exceptional potential or one he really liked, he didn't plan on training a second one before the entrance exam. After all, his pocket money was limited.
"Mom, our school is giving us a week off starting tomorrow to raise our first Pokémon. I want to bring Zubat to the shop. I also want to visit Dad's Kommo-o—I kind of miss him. Is that okay?"
"Of course! While we're at the store, we can take care of the formula registration too!"
"Great."
"Well then, I'll go cook. You stay here and play with little Eevee."
"Mhm, will do."
"Come here, little Eevee~"
Auron beamed as he scooped Eevee into his arms.
(End of Chapter)
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