The Breeding House construction was nearly complete, and Austin's Breeder assessment was scheduled to take place in Jubilife City.
His long study period was coming to an end, and the old man finally granted him a day off.
The day before leaving Celestic Town, Austin had planned to visit the Celestic Town Historical Research Institute. He wanted to consult Professor Lan about the Spatial and Temporal Pokémon and the Lake Guardians.
"Professor Lan has gone to Eterna City and may not be back for a while."
The receptionist explained.
Having grown up in Celestic Town and knowing Lan's granddaughter, Austin figured he could rely on that connection.
"Alright, thank you," he replied politely.
With the professor away on an expedition in Eterna, Austin decided to visit Rose instead — who, as usual, had Teddiursa and Farfetch'd guarding her sides like loyal attendants.
Because they'd eaten plenty of Pokémon food made by Austin recently, both Pokémon were especially fond of him.
Teddiursa even hopped off the chair and tugged gently at Austin's pant leg, begging for more food with his cute, black, beady eyes.
"Teddiursa, you can't just—" Rose started, but Austin chuckled and waved it off.
"It's fine. Here you go."
He took out a handful of Energy Cubes from his treat case and handed them over, gently patting Teddiursa's head.
"Don't worry, Farfetch'd, I've got yours too."
A familiar digital chime rang in his mind:
Ding!
Gained 31 points of Energy Cube proficiency.
Austin smiled to himself. The more they ate, the better. A Breeder's pride was in seeing Pokémon enjoy his food.
"Rose, if anything comes up, give me a call. And if you've got time, drop by Jubilife City — I'll send you the address."
Rosalina showed him her Pokégear with a grin.
"No need. Aunt Amanda already sent it to me. I'll visit if I can."
Austin laughed. "Alright then. Goodbye."
Rosalina waved her tiny fist in encouragement.
"Good luck with your Breeder assessment! I'm rooting for you!"
"Thanks. I'll make sure I pass," Austin said confidently.
He had signed up for the Intermediate Breeder assessment, and he was more than ready.
After bidding farewell to the old man, Austin and his parents boarded the train to Jubilife City. The old man, however, chose to stay behind in Celestic Town — as he always preferred the quiet countryside.
Before they parted, the old man gave him a stern reminder.
"Don't slack off on your breeding studies. I've arranged a teacher for you — he'll give you some proper lessons. Don't embarrass me."
Austin blinked. "Teacher? Who is it?"
He ran through a mental list of famous Breeders. Maybe Green, the Viridian Gym Leader and former Champion? Or Professor Oak? Or perhaps even Brock from Pewter City?
He'd heard of all of them growing up.
But Green as a teacher? No way. That guy was a legend.
Now, in the digital age, their stories were still told everywhere — Green's record-setting reign as champion, Red's legendary battles on Mt. Silver.
Austin chuckled to himself. No way it's them. That'd be impossible.
The old man only smiled knowingly, like a master hiding an ace up his sleeve.
"You'll find out soon enough. He'll come to you after you pass your assessment."
Austin sighed in surrender. "Alright, alright."
Behind them, Gengar floated up, waving a handkerchief.
"Gengar~"
"Far! Farfetch'd" quacked Farfetch'd encouragingly, beating his leek on Austin's thighs, earning a laugh from everyone.
.
The old man stood with his hands behind his back, watching as the train rolled away before turning and heading back home.
From his seat, Austin caught sight and murmured,
"Dad, if we get the chance, let's bring Grandpa to Jubilife City."
His father nodded. "Your uncle and I have thought about it, too, but your grandpa won't leave Celestic Town. He loves it here."
Austin's eyes gleamed with determination. "If the conditions aren't there, then we'll create them."
"Son," his dad said proudly, "I'm rooting for you!"
Austin chuckled inwardly. Dad's a master of motivational speeches.
Amanda smiled knowingly. "Don't worry too much. Your grandpa's still as tough as ever."
Austin nodded in agreement. The old man could still chase him ten streets with that stick of his — no doubt about that.
The train continued toward Jubilife City, leaving the peaceful Celestic Town behind.
...
Even with the fastest maglev train, the trip would take about eight hours.
Leaning back in the soft berth, Austin glanced at his personal panel.
[Physique]: Super Human
[Special Recipe Catalog]:
Smoked Oran Berry Juice (C-rank) – Rapidly restores stamina after consumption.
(Click to view detailed production process.)
[Skills]
Breeding (Intermediate) (5350 / 10,000)
Cooking (Intermediate): Your knife work is precise, heat control is solid, and your seasoning is well-balanced. (1,217 / 10,000)
Energy Cube (Intermediate)(7,733 / 10,000)
Poffin (Intermediate): You can make Poffins that Pokémon genuinely enjoy based on their individual tastes. (109 / 10,000)
Backpack: Diancite, Petaya berry ×2
Over the time of study had been repetitive, but the harvest was rich.
Gone were the days of Schrödinger's Poffin — now Austin's creations actually worked.
He felt a noticeable strength in both body and mind. His rapid progress in breeding was thanks to his grandfather's thorough, no-holds-barred instruction.
The old man had quickly realized Austin's learning speed was remarkable — fast enough to make him worry the boy might lose interest one day. So he decided to cram in as much teaching as possible while Austin's motivation burned bright.
The biggest leap, however, came from his Energy Cube proficiency — and the credit went to Grandpa's Gengar.
That mischievous ghost's dimensional stomach was a bottomless pit, swallowing every batch Austin made.
Even if Austin's Energy Cubes weren't quite on par with the old man's, the elder didn't bother to make his own anymore.
So Gengar had no choice but to devour Austin's creations — reluctantly at first, but soon with surprising enthusiasm.
Between Gengar's endless appetite, his other Pokémon's cooperation, and the daily grind of making and distributing Poffins, Austin's culinary and Poffin-making skills had both reached Intermediate level.
The results showed across his entire team.
With the improved quality of Energy Cubes, Ryu had successfully learned Extreme Speed, while Agni — already packing serious muscle — mastered Body Slam, solidifying its strength at Platinum (Initial) level.
Meanwhile, Metang, a Pokémon with exceptional potential, had reached the Silver (Initial) tier. It had recently learned Ice Punch, Protect, and Psychic — a balanced combination of offense and defense.
Austin estimated that Metang's evolution into Metagross was just a month or two away. With the aid of metal coats, he could probably accelerate that process even further.
During his own training, the old man occasionally took Ryu and the others for special sessions, which often ended with exhausted Pokémon sprawled on the floor, but stronger each time.
Austin's main and side quests were all progressing nicely, though he only glanced at the list before closing it.
He then opened his Pokégear, noticing a flood of unread messages from a familiar name.
[Ethan]: Get online and play, hey!
[Ethan]: Waiting online, urgent!
[Austin]: …
[Ethan]: Finally replying? I thought you vanished! No, wait— those ellipses give me Red vibes!
Austin couldn't help but laugh.
"Seriously, Ethan…" he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
After months of non-stop training, the familiar banter on his Pokégear felt oddly comforting.