Leah's reaction seemed to confirm Maki's suspicions. She looked at him with a slightly surprised expression, as if she had unresolved questions in her mind.
"Kids these days are getting harder and harder to understand," she muttered under her breath.
"What exactly is going on? Please don't keep us in suspense any longer!" Erika, frustrated by her mother's cryptic remarks, voiced her impatience.
"Hmm… I was puzzled at first too. The old folks at the Breeder Association suddenly called me, and I have no business dealings with them," Leah explained.
Breeders differed from Trainers in that a Trainer's Pokémon would age alongside them. Some Pokémon, if they had sustained severe injuries early on, would have significantly shorter lifespans.
If Maki remembered correctly, Alder, the Unova Champion, had lost his ace Pokémon, Volcarona, not long ago. The years of battles had left numerous hidden wounds within its body, leading to its demise.
In theory, Volcarona should have been one of the longest-living Pokémon, even surpassing many pseudo-Legendaries. Its passing had undoubtedly weakened Alder's strength.
Breeders, however, didn't have to worry about such things. Their expertise only grew with age unless they suffered from amnesia—a plot device typically found in novels and anime. Regression in skill was nearly impossible.
That was why most of the influential figures in the Breeder Association were elderly, earning them Leah's nickname of "old fogeys."
Many resources for Gym Leaders were supplied by the League, and even Leah herself rarely interacted much with the Breeder Association.
In reality, Gym Leaders weren't as highly ranked as one might think. Unlike in the games and anime, where only eight Gym Leaders existed per region, in the real world, their numbers were much higher. Their status within the League was merely mid-to-upper tier.
Of course, exceptions existed. Gym Leaders stationed in major cities like Celadon or Vermilion were of a different caliber, and Leah was one such leader.
"The Breeder Association?" Maki blinked. He had considered many possibilities before Leah spoke, but he hadn't expected this.
As far as he knew, he had no connection with them.
…Wait. Speaking of Breeders, a memory surfaced—an old man he had met in Saffron City while selling Pokéblocks. That man had mentioned something about the Breeder Association.
What was his name again?
Maki recalled Lance mentioning it, but he had long since forgotten. After all, the man wasn't a particularly important figure and didn't appear in the original story. Remembering his existence was already an achievement.
"Uh… is this about me?" Maki asked, perplexed. He vaguely remembered the old man asking if he wanted to join the Breeder Association, but he had politely declined.
Had the man not given up? Since when did bringing undercover agents home become a trend?
"Yes, they want you to wait here. Someone from their organization will be arriving shortly," Leah confirmed his suspicion with a nod.
"Maki, are you also a Breeder?" Erika asked in disbelief. She seemed to have picked up on what Maki had said to Jasmine earlier, even dropping the "Mister" honorific she had previously used for him.
What shocked her was that Maki, already talented in Pokémon battles, was also skilled in breeding?
The two professions had vastly different focuses. It was like discovering that a math genius was also acing literature exams—it was a major blow to one's confidence.
"No, I'm not a Breeder," Maki quickly shook his head. By all definitions, he was not a legitimate Breeder.
Firstly, he had never officially joined the Breeder Association. Secondly, his breeding skills were limited to making Pokéblocks tailored for different Pokémon.
In simple terms, breeding was just a side skill he had picked up to better nurture his Pokémon.
"Then why would the Breeder Association come looking for you?" Erika remained skeptical. Given that they had gone as far as calling Leah directly, whoever had contacted them must have held a significant position.
"I only know a bit about making Pokéblocks; that hardly qualifies me as a Breeder," Maki explained.
"Pokéblocks, huh?" Leah had a sudden realization. That must be why Maki's Cottonee and Charmeleon had developed so well—because Maki himself was a highly skilled Breeder.
"By the way, Gym Leader Leah, how did they even know I was here?" Maki voiced one of his lingering doubts.
"When you participated in the Gym Challenge earlier, your information was logged into the League's database. They probably found your details there," Leah explained.
Maki nodded in agreement. That answer made sense.
——
Near the entrance of Celadon Gym, an energetic old man urged his companion forward.
"Hurry up, will you?"
Had Maki been present, he would have recognized the man immediately. This was the very same elder he had met in Saffron City—the one whose name he had forgotten. His name was Carsten.
"What's the rush? The kid won't vanish in the blink of an eye, will he? Besides, you've grown so impatient after spending time in Saffron City. You should have stayed in the Association with me," the other elder retorted.
This second man looked about the same age as Carsten, possibly even older. Yet he walked briskly, showing no signs of frailty.
"I told you, that kid is a rare talent. We can't let the League's—" Carsten started rambling, showering praise so exaggerated that Maki himself would have doubted whether they were even talking about him.
"Enough! You've said this speech countless times over the past few days! My ears are about to fall off!" The elder waved his hand impatiently, cutting Carsten off.
He doubted that Carsten had simply stumbled upon a prodigy by chance in his tiny shop. He suspected this was just an excuse to waste time.
His plan was simple: if the kid was as talented as Carsten claimed, then recruiting him for the Association would be a great success. If not, he could use this trip as a reason to drag Carsten back to the Association. Either way, he wouldn't lose out.
Carsten merely shook his head at the skepticism.
"I had my doubts too. After all, it's incredibly rare for someone so young to create Pokéblocks of such high quality. And he even claimed he hadn't received any formal training. But didn't you see it yourself? That kid's recommender was none other than Professor Oak!"
Professor Oak's name carried immense weight. In the field of research, he was at the pinnacle, rivaled by only a handful of others across all regions.
Moreover, Oak had once been a formidable Trainer. Though years of research had caused his battle skills to rust, he was still a force to be reckoned with.
In a world where "reason" often took the form of Pokémon battles, strength still held great importance.
Not to mention, Professor Oak had discovered and nurtured countless talented individuals over the years. His reputation extended across multiple fields.
"Hmph! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have even bothered coming here."
The old man's tone made it clear that he wasn't particularly fond of Professor Oak. And to be fair, there was a reason for that.
After all, back in the day, Elite Four Agatha was just as stunning as Lorelei or Caitlin. But time spares no one, and once upon a time, Agatha had her fair share of admirers.
As for what happened afterward… well, those who know, know.
"Since we're already here, let's head inside first."
Standing at the entrance of the Celadon Gym, Carsten gave the old man a reason he simply couldn't refuse.
"…Fine, fine. You've already dragged me this far."
As soon as the two stepped inside the Celadon Gym, Leah personally came forward to greet them. After all, while it wasn't necessary to curry favor with the Pokémon Breeder Association, making enemies of them was out of the question. Most breeders weren't particularly interested in League politics, as they were too busy pushing the boundaries of their craft.
However, even the Pokémon League had to treat these veteran breeders with respect, especially since the majority of high-quality Pokéblocks came from the Association's members—let alone other valuable items.
"Gym Leader Leah, it's been years, but you haven't changed one bit!"
Upon seeing Leah, Carsten couldn't help but express his admiration. As a breeder, he took meticulous care of his health, but even so, he could feel the passage of time leaving its mark on him.
"Hehe~ Master Carsten, you're still as good with words as ever!"
Her tone was noticeably different from how she had addressed Maki and the others earlier, where she had casually called them "old-timers." But hearing Carsten's compliment made her laugh cheerfully.
"Gym Leader Leah."
Unlike Carsten, the old man accompanying him simply greeted her with a nod.
"President Kade."
Leah returned the greeting with polite formality.
That's right—the man Carsten had brought along was none other than the Vice President of the Pokémon Breeder Association!
Even Leah was briefly taken aback. She hadn't expected Carsten to bring someone of his caliber.
Due to his personality, Carsten had built strong connections among the League's top trainers. He had personally called Leah earlier, but he hadn't mentioned that President Kade would be coming as well.
Given Kade's standing in the Breeder Association, even the Elite Four had to show him respect.
"Alright, let's not waste any time. I'm eager to see that kid again."
Kade remained relatively quiet, while Carsten chuckled before turning to Leah.
"Right this way, then."
Leah led the two men through the gym until they arrived in a large hall.
As for Maki, he had been waiting here ever since Leah had brought him in earlier. He was left with nothing to do but idly play with his Cottonee, massaging its cottony body and occasionally fluffing up its fibers.
Meanwhile, his Charmeleon was sprawled lazily on a long bench, resting its head on Maki's lap.
Its flame-tipped tail swayed gently, flickering with embers in a relaxed rhythm.
When Leah arrived with the guests, Maki gave his Charmeleon a pat on the rear before slowly getting up.
Both Erika and Jasmine had already left earlier per Leah's instructions, leaving only Maki—along with one cotton ball and one dragon.
"Thanks for your help, Gym Leader Leah."
Seeing Maki, Carsten smiled and expressed his gratitude.
"Alright then, I'll leave you to it. There's still plenty of work to do around the gym—after all, we're under the League's jurisdiction, and there's never a shortage of tasks."
Leah smiled knowingly, clearly understanding Carsten's intentions and making it clear she had no intention of interfering in the Breeder Association's affairs.
However, her final remark carried a subtle warning: No matter what, this place was still under the Pokémon League's authority, and the League's rules still applied.
With that, Leah left.
Carsten, however, was completely unfazed by her implied warning. He wasn't here to cause trouble—so what was there to worry about?
With Leah gone, Carsten turned his attention back to Maki.
"Well, kid, do you still remember me?"
He flashed what he thought was a friendly smile.
"Hmm… yeah, I remember. You're that shopkeeper from Saffron City."
"Good, then do you still remember the question I asked you last time? But before we get to that, I have something else I'd like to ask you. Please answer me with complete honesty."
Carsten's usual playful demeanor faded, replaced by a serious expression as he addressed Maki.
"If you're asking about the Pokéblocks, then yes—I made them myself. If you have any doubts, you can ask Lance to confirm. He's the one who bought them from me that day."
Before Carsten could even ask, Maki had already guessed what he wanted to know and answered straightforwardly.
"I know. A junior member of the Dragon Clan."
Carsten nodded. There was no way he wouldn't have heard of the Dragon Clan's reputation.
He then exchanged a glance with Kade, as if to say, "See? I knew I wasn't wrong about this one."
Kade, however, completely ignored Carsten's silent gesture and instead looked directly at Maki.
"No matter who you are, joining the Pokémon Breeder Association requires passing a test. That's the rule."
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