The September weather remained hot, with several Pidgey dozing lazily on tree branches.
After finishing his classes for the day, Roy walked to the Capital University parking lot. His body wasn't sweating, as a layer of Aura energy wrapped around him, insulating him from the outside temperature.
Professor Christian sat in a car, and upon seeing Roy, he immediately lowered the window and waved.
Seeing this, Roy silently withdrew his Aura power, got into the car, and they headed toward the official Pokémon breeding facility.
For now, Roy hadn't revealed to anyone his intention to master Aura abilities.
This wasn't deliberately hiding his skills—it was simply unnecessary.
Coming from an ordinary family background, he was already considered exceptional. Even with his above-average performance, the special treatment given by the school had reached its limit, with no room for further privileges.
Moreover, the public currently believed that the Aura Sphere in the finals was a manifestation of Riolu's talent...
This was part of Riolu's "Champion's Pose" character design—the source of its popularity.
Roy, acting as both manager and trainer for his Pokémon, wouldn't do anything to compromise this carefully crafted image.
'Another advantage of concealing my Aura power is the ability to use some clever tactics during battles. For example, I could shout commands to mislead my opponent, while using Aura to communicate the real strategy to my Pokémon, essentially pulling a sleight of hand...'
Since adopting these tactical approaches, Roy's mindset had become increasingly cunning.
"We're here!" Professor Christian's voice snapped Roy back to reality, prompting him to look out the window.
The car had just passed through a checkpoint and was now traveling on an elevated road.
Below stretched a vast wilderness area.
Herds of Tauros and Rhyhorn ran together across the open plains.
Sentret and Aipom silhouettes darted through the woods.
Overhead, flocks of Pidgeot and Fearow soared through the sky.
At first glance, the borders of this area weren't visible, and Roy even faintly spotted a region with volcanic clouds in the distance.
"This... this entire place is the breeding facility?" Roy asked incredulously.
You call this a 'facility'?
This was beyond impressive.
"Of course not," Professor Christian replied with a smile. Every Trainer who visited for the first time had the same reaction, and he enjoyed explaining: "The breeding facility is just one department within this reserve."
"The official name of this area is the 'Capital National Pokémon Conservation Reserve'—"
"Established eighty-two years ago."
"All Pokémon belonging to professional-level trainers in the country can be cared for here, enjoying government employee benefits, including comprehensive healthcare and housing allowances."
"Even if a professional-level Trainer retires, their Pokémon's benefits remain unchanged. They can recuperate and reproduce here."
"After decades of development, the number and varieties of Pokémon here rival those of natural habitats. In terms of potential, the average level of Pokémon born here even exceeds that of natural selection. You could consider this reserve as an artificial habitat."
"By the way," Professor Christian added with a smile, as if remembering something, "Your Riolu was also born here, before being transferred to our university by Elite Sebastian."
As they talked, the car came to a stop.
The elevated road had ended, and they would need to continue on foot.
Roy followed Professor Christian toward the breeding facility within the reserve.
Throughout the protected area, various Pokémon played freely, showing no fear of strangers. They regarded humans with curiosity instead.
The bolder ones approached Roy for attention.
Along the way, Roy was "mobbed" by several Pikachu who insisted on clinging to him, crying "Pika-pi~" while begging for treats.
How could Roy refuse?
Somewhat exasperated, he took out the dessert he'd prepared for Squirtle and distributed it among the Pikachu.
Squirtle: "???"
By the time they reached the breeding facility, Roy's expression had completely transformed into the joy of a Pokémon enthusiast.
"You certainly have a way with Pokémon," Professor Christian remarked with surprise.
He had brought many students here before, but this was the first time he'd seen someone so popular with the Pokémon.
Roy smiled and shrugged. He couldn't exactly admit that he possessed the 'Pokémon Affinity' ability and Aura powers, could he?
Not just ordinary Pokémon—even if a legendary Pokémon appeared, he was confident he could connect with it and form a positive relationship.
"Christian, old friend!"
Outside the breeding facility, a middle-aged man in a research uniform emerged to greet them.
After shaking hands with Professor Christian and briefly reminiscing, the man turned to Roy with a smile. "My name is Hayden. Just call me Professor Hayden. I'm in charge of the breeding facility here. I've been reading about you in the papers lately—Capital's rising star!"
After exchanging a few modest pleasantries, Roy followed Professor Hayden into the breeding facility.
They approached rows of shelves.
On each shelf were rows of Pokémon eggs with different patterns, all immersed in nutrient solution.
In front of each Pokémon egg was a nameplate identifying the species.
Professor Hayden continued his introduction: "Our breeding facility standards are among the best in the world. I'm not exaggerating when I say that except for Legendary Pokémon, any species recorded in the Pokédex can be found here as eggs."
"So, choose boldly—pick whatever appeals to you."
Roy nodded and quietly activated his Aura sense.
For others, selecting a Pokémon egg was similar to a lottery. No one could determine a Pokémon's talent or appearance before it hatched.
Therefore, most trainers tried to pick rarer Pokémon, with the starter Pokémon being the most coveted choice.
But Roy was different—he could sense the Aura of all living things and judge an egg's potential through its energy pattern.
Moreover, now that he had Squirtle, he wasn't particularly fixated on obtaining another starter.
Roy sensed the Aura of each egg as he walked.
Professor Hayden followed behind him.
'This egg's Aura is very vigorous—its personality should be hardworking, with good mental talent. But that egg's Aura seems lazy—might be a slacker...'
Roy felt like a shopper in a mall with shelves full of appealing options...
The difficulty of choosing was substantial.
'Wait, this Aura is...?'
Roy suddenly paused, stopping in his tracks to stare at a snow-white Pokémon egg decorated with ice-blue patterns.
"Hm?" Professor Christian also looked over, surprised: "Why doesn't this Pokémon egg have a nameplate?"
Professor Hayden smiled wryly. "The reason is simple—even we don't know what kind of Pokémon will hatch from this egg. Christian, you've heard about the recent discovery of the 'Alola,' right? This egg came from there..."
"This egg contains a new species of Pokémon not yet documented in the Pokédex."
Hearing this, Professor Christian frowned. "Without a fully integrated regional partnership, the regulations prohibit capturing and raising Pokémon from that area... How did you acquire this egg?"
Professor Hayden's expression suddenly darkened, and he spoke through gritted teeth:
"Those damned poachers!!"