Piplup was introduced to its new home beside a crystal clear lake near the main building, while the Turtwig and Eevee settled into a spacious enclosed meadow dotted with shrubs and berry bushes.
Around the perimeter, Austin's family had planted rows of Berry trees to create a habitat that felt as natural as possible.
For Piplup, the trees served another purpose.
Piplup loved finding its own food, and the berries allowed it to satisfy that instinct whenever it wished.
Of course...
After tasting Austin's handmade Pokémon food, whether it would still bother foraging remained to be seen.
Spring had arrived, and the weather was steadily warming.
Before winter returned, the family planned to construct a climate-controlled glass greenhouse, ensuring the Turtwig could comfortably endure the colder months.
Leon's Scizor and Amanda's Ninetales would serve as the primary guardians of the breeding habitat, keeping watch over the young Pokémon day and night.
"Shay!"
Shaymin happily darted through the grass, weaving between the Turtwig and Eevee as they chased after it in an energetic game of hide-and-seek.
It had somehow become Shaymin's favorite pastime.
Austin couldn't help laughing.
"Shaymin, don't wander too far!"
"Shaymin!"
Watching the Piplup, Turtwig, and Eevee quickly settle into their new surroundings, Austin smiled in satisfaction.
"So far, so good."
After a brief pause, he added,
"We still need another caretaker. Ao shouldn't have to manage the Berry fields and look after all these Pokémon by himself."
Leon confidently patted his chest.
"Leave that to me. I already have someone in mind."
Considering every employee Hanson had recruited so far had turned out to be excellent, Austin nodded.
At present, his mum and Mizuki oversee most of the breeding work.
Austin primarily handled planning, breeding theory, and habitat management.
In truth, Pokémon breeding was a science, even if researchers had yet to unravel all of its mysteries.
Healthy, compatible Pokémon placed in a safe, comfortable environment with proper nutrition would, more often than not, reproduce naturally.
Creating those ideal conditions was a breeder's job, and understanding when nature needed guidance and when it should simply be left alone was what separated a novice from a master.
. . .
Late March.
Spring covered Sinnoh in vibrant shades of green as new life awakened throughout the region.
Today was the day Austin would travel to Hearthome City for the preliminary round of the 24th Pokémon Youth Breeder Competition.
The previous day had brought another piece of good news.
His grandfather had finally arrived.
Despite being over seventy years old, the elderly breeder remained remarkably energetic, his posture straight and his voice as strong as ever.
He had made the journey for one reason.
To watch Austin compete.
"Focus on your competition," his grandfather said with a reassuring smile.
"Leave the breeding house to us."
He had always supported Austin's dream.
Years ago, both he and Austin's parents had competed in the Youth Breeder Competition.
All of them had achieved respectable results.
None had ever lifted the championship trophy.
That lingering regret had stayed with him for decades.
Now, he hoped his grandson would accomplish what they never could.
Coincidentally, winning the championship had always been Austin's own goal.
The system's side mission, Raise Your Fame, required him to finish at least in the Top Eight.
The higher he placed, the greater the reward.
His grandfather had no intention of leaving anytime soon.
He arrived carrying what seemed like an endless mountain of luggage.
Or rather...
His Gengar did.
Throughout the afternoon, Gengar continuously pulled suitcase after suitcase out of its shadowy stomach, leaving visiting customers completely dumbfounded.
Even so, Celestic Town would always remain their family's true home.
His grandfather had also brought along Rose.
Following his recommendation, she would begin managing the breakfast café inside the breeding house.
Having studied under Austin's grandfather for years, Rosalina possessed extensive knowledge of Berry cultivation.
Every morning, she would prepare breakfast for staff and guests.
Once the breakfast rush ended, she would head into the Berry orchards to work alongside Ao as one of the breeding house's dedicated caretakers.
It was quite obvious that Grandpa Alex regarded Rosalina as his personal apprentice.
Leon folded his arms proudly.
"I was the one who suggested bringing Rose here."
"Aren't I brilliant?"
When Austin had mentioned needing someone to oversee the Berry fields, Leon had immediately thought of both his father and Rose back in Celestic Town.
When it came to cultivating Berries, nobody in the entire family could compare with Alex Black.
Even after stepping away from full-time Pokémon breeding for many years, his knowledge remained second to none.
At precisely 7:30 that morning, after everyone finished breakfast, Austin prepared to leave.
"Good luck today, son," Leon called.
"Bring home a victory."
Austin smiled.
"Don't worry."
He reached toward his partner.
"Zenith, let's head out."
The massive steel Pokémon lowered itself.
Austin climbed onto Zenith's broad back, and with a powerful burst of psychic energy, the pair rose smoothly into the morning sky, setting course for Hearthome City.
It was for the preliminary round.
Austin's grandfather wasn't the least bit concerned.
"If you can't get through the preliminaries," he had said, "you might as well come home and work the Berry fields."
Austin brought only his Pokémon.
Ryu, Zenith, Dragapult, Agni, and the others were more than enough. He didn't even bother carrying a backpack.
Zenith shot through the sky at full speed, its body gleaming like a silver bullet beneath the morning sun, while Dragapult cruised alongside as an unofficial escort.
At exactly 8:29 a.m., Austin arrived at the venue.
Hearthome City had spared no expense preparing for the 24th Pokémon Youth Breeder Competition. A massive section of the city's outskirts had been transformed into the preliminary competition grounds.
Although the written examination would not begin until 9:30 a.m., the venue was already overflowing with people.
Contestants.
Family members.
Friends.
Supporters.
The entire area buzzed with excitement.
"Look!"
"A shiny Metagross!"
"No, that's Zenith!"
"And beside it is a Dragapult!"
"That's Austin Black!"
Even in a sea of thousands, Zenith's silver body stood out like a beacon.
Combined with Austin's growing reputation as one of Sinnoh's most promising young breeders, he immediately became the center of attention.
As he walked through the crowd, it almost felt as though a spotlight followed him.
"Austin! We're rooting for you!"
The unified cheer echoed across the entrance plaza.
Nearby contestants instinctively turned to look.
One blinked in confusion.
"...What's going on?"
"He has fans at the preliminary round?"
Another contestant shrugged.
"I mean... he is pretty well known."
"Huh?"
His friend laughed.
"You don't use PokéStream much, do you?"
Without waiting for a reply, he pulled out his phone.
"Here, I'll show you."
Austin's PokéStream channel had recently surpassed 200,000 followers, earning him a sizeable and surprisingly loyal fanbase.
The moment everyone learned he would be competing, many of his followers had organized their own cheering section.
A young man suddenly rushed over.
"Austin! After the preliminaries, could I get a photo? An autograph would be amazing too!"
Austin couldn't help smiling.
"Sure," he replied. "After the competition."
"Yes!"
Not far away, a little girl held up a handmade sign featuring a chibi drawing of Austin.
"Thank you," Austin said sincerely.
Just then, a staff member's announcement echoed across the venue through a loudspeaker.
"All contestants participating in today's preliminary round, please proceed through the entrance on the right."
After confirming his identity, Austin received his contestant badge.
Number 27.
Passing through the designated entrance, he stepped into an enormous examination hall.
Rows upon rows of computer stations stretched into the distance.
Hundreds of them.
This was only one examination session.
The preliminary tournament would run for three consecutive days, though each contestant only needed to compete on one of those days.
With preliminary venues operating simultaneously across multiple regions like Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn, Austin estimated that the total number of participants easily numbered in the thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands.
The preliminary round itself consisted of two stages.
The first was a written examination.
A prerecorded announcement repeated throughout the hall.
"Please take your assigned seats."
"The written examination will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m."
"You will have twenty minutes to complete the test. Please manage your time wisely."
The exam itself was surprisingly concise.
Twenty multiple-choice questions.
Five points each.
Plus one optional bonus question.
Every standard question covered fundamental knowledge about Berry cultivation, nutrition, and breeding applications.
Simple as they seemed, they were more than enough to eliminate competitors with weak fundamentals.
Austin finished all twenty questions in only a few minutes.
With time remaining, he glanced at the bonus question.
Design a nutritionally balanced Berry dish specifically for Dragonite using at least three common Berry varieties. Explain your ingredient choices and preparation method.
Austin stared at it for a second before smiling.
. . .
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