Preliminary Competition Venue, Hearthome City.
The first stage of the 24th Youth Breeder Competition concluded quickly, and the second stage began without delay.
"The ingredients have been placed before you. Please use them to prepare a meal suitable for Pokémon."
Every contestant received the exact same ingredients. There were no Berries this time, making the challenge a pure test of culinary fundamentals.
Austin silently added another condition in his mind.
You also have to account for dietary compatibility.
Since the judges had not revealed which Pokémon would be tasting the dishes, the safest strategy was to prepare something with broad appeal.
Without hesitation, Austin set aside the green onions, ginger, and garlic. While some Pokémon could eat them, many species disliked strong aromatics. Eliminating unnecessary risks was the smarter choice.
Looking around the enormous competition hall, he noticed hundreds of contestants cooking simultaneously.
With this many dishes... the organizers must have prepared a huge number of judging Pokémon.
Grass and Bug types were among the easiest species to gather in large numbers.
The small portion of meat included in the ingredient basket was probably nothing more than a distraction.
The meat is likely a red herring.
Having reached that conclusion, Austin immediately began cooking.
His movements were smooth and practiced, showing the confidence of someone who had spent countless hours in a professional breeding house kitchen.
Before long, he raised his hand.
A staff member walked over immediately, attached a numbered identification tag to his dish, and carefully placed it inside a temperature-controlled warming cabinet.
Judging would be performed jointly by certified breeders and Pokémon themselves.
Contestants were not permitted to leave until all scores had been finalized.
Only after the written examination and practical cooking scores were combined would the successful competitors be announced.
Not long afterward, a large group of Oddish happily waddled into the judging area.
Austin smiled.
Looks like I made the right call.
...
Several minutes later, the results were announced.
A young staff member approached with a warm smile.
"Contestant Austin Black, Number Twenty-Seven. Congratulations. You have successfully advanced to the preliminary elimination round, which will be held here in Hearthome City seven days from today."
She handed him his competitor's pass.
Printed on it were his contestant number, match time, and venue information.
"If you lose your pass, simply contact us by phone or email, and we'll issue a replacement."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
The staff member hesitated for a moment before pulling a pen from her pocket.
"...Actually, I'm a fan of yours. Could I have your autograph?"
Austin chuckled.
"Of course."
Although many of his supporters had shown up today, there was no need to rely on popularity.
Reaching the Top Eight was well within his expectations.
As for becoming Champion...
That depended entirely on who his future opponents were.
For now, there was no point studying the competition.
This was only the preliminary round.
. . .
The event ended surprisingly early.
After signing a few more autographs, it was only 11:30 a.m.
Austin smiled apologetically.
"Sorry, everyone. I already have plans this afternoon. I'll sign more next time."
Before another crowd could gather, he quickly slipped away.
"Come on out, Ryu."
The Luxury Ball opened with a flash of light.
"Luca!"
After spending the entire morning inside its Poké Ball, Ryu stretched comfortably before walking beside Austin.
Since Cynthia had invited him to watch this afternoon's Emerald League match, there was no reason to return home first.
Besides, his grandfather was currently staying there.
With him overseeing everything, absolutely nothing could go wrong.
When it came to making Pokéblocks, Austin still held the advantage.
But in breeding...
He was nowhere close.
Especially after unlocking the Employee Management System and seeing his grandfather's profile, Austin realized just how much ground he still had to cover.
His grandfather truly embodied the phrase learning never ends.
Name: Alexander Black
Age: 73
Skills:
• Cooking (Master)
• Breeding (Master)
• Berry Cultivation (Elite)
• Fishing (Senior)
• Mentoring (Intermediate)
...
The list continued for quite some time.
The most astonishing entries were Master Level Cooking and Master Level Breeding.
Neither skill had reached its limit.
There was still room for improvement.
Officially, Hanson Black was certified as an Alliance Elite Tier Breeder and a Master Level Chef.
In reality, he had quietly advanced far beyond that years ago. He had simply never bothered to update his certification. After retiring, he had lived peacefully in Celestic Town.
Whether the Alliance recognized him as Elite Tier or Master Level made little difference to him.
Austin had once been rather proud of himself.
Becoming a Senior Breeder at nineteen was an achievement few could match.
Blue and Cynthia both spoke highly of his abilities.
He had even believed that surpassing his grandfather was only a matter of time.
Now...
He realized he still had a very long road ahead.
The old man had quietly become an absolute monster years ago.
He simply never talked about it.
Austin finally understood why Blue always addressed his grandfather as Mr. Alexander.
It wasn't merely respect for an elder.
It was respect earned through unrivaled skill.
Austin snapped a picture of his competitor's pass, opened his phone, and sent his mum a message.
"Passed the preliminary round.
I'm heading to watch the Emerald League this afternoon, so I won't be coming back until later."
Amanda quickly replied after seeing the message.
"Alright, son! Cynthia's match, right? Go ahead and enjoy yourself for a few days. It's fine."
Ever since Black Crest opened, Austin has rarely had any personal time. However, this was also because Austin genuinely enjoyed his work.
Breeding Pokémon involved countless repetitive and time-consuming tasks. Without true passion, it was almost impossible to persist for long.
That was why Leon and Amanda had always placed a strong emphasis on passion for Pokémon and breeding when recruiting employees.
Knowledge could be learned slowly through study and experience.
Passion, however, was much harder to develop.
Austin then opened Cynthia's chat.
"Are you in Hearthome City already?"
Cynthia replied almost immediately.
"No, I'm currently in Solaceon Town. I won't arrive until five."
Her match would not begin until seven in the evening.
Arriving at five would give her enough time to enter the stadium, prepare backstage, change outfits, and complete her makeup before appearing.
"Alright, I'll contact you when I arrive."
Austin had originally planned that if Cynthia arrived early, he could treat her to a meal.
Unfortunately, that plan was impossible now.
With nothing else to do, Austin went to a nearby shopping mall to find lunch.
Originally, he had hoped that coming to Hearthome City might allow him to encounter some rare Pokémon.
Unfortunately, there was nothing unusual.
However, while passing through Oreburgh City, his Scan had briefly detected the presence of a rare Pokémon.
At the time, Austin had been rushing to the preliminary competition and could not stop to investigate.
After watching Cynthia's match today, he decided he would take some time to visit Oreburgh City.
Whether he actually found the Pokémon was not the most important thing.
For Austin, the excitement came from the process of searching.
While Austin was eating lunch, his phone suddenly rang.
It was Lance.
"The Shaymin matter has been resolved. We captured the buyer who hired the Pokémon Hunter. The news should be released soon."
Lance paused briefly.
"Unfortunately, Pokémon Hunter J, who was in cahoots, escaped. However, I injured her Salamence, so she should remain quiet for some time."
With the buyer canceling the order, the Pokémon Hunter's motivation to capture Shaymin would naturally decrease.
Austin remembered that Hunter J possessed a hidden airship.
Other high-level Pokémon Hunters might also have similar equipment, making them extremely difficult to track down.
Austin quietly listened until Lance finished speaking.
"You've worked hard, Lance."
Lance laughed.
"You're welcome. This is what an investigator is supposed to do."
To ensure Shaymin's safety, Austin had left it at home this time instead of bringing it with him.
However, this matter was only temporarily resolved.
The existence of Pokémon Hunters remained a hidden threat.
If he ever had the opportunity, Austin wanted to help eliminate this danger.
"If you ever need help, just ask. For example, when dealing with Pokémon Hunters."
Austin was not trying to interfere.
He was preparing for a possible future problem.
After all, considering his connection with rare Pokémon, the possibility of him being targeted was not small.
Lance immediately refused.
"That is the responsibility of investigators and the International Police. Come talk to me when you are willing to become an investigator yourself."
At that moment, the bell above the restaurant entrance suddenly rang.
. . .
Please leave a review and powerstones to help with the book's exposure.
Want to join Patreon and subscribe to 30+ advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a