Ash gently placed his hand on Vulpix's body; its soft fur gave him a feeling of refreshing warmth. It was evident that this Vulpix was very well cared for, its physique perfectly maintained. Although its combat ability was average, from its appearance alone, it was clearly among the best of its species.
Suzy, who was chatting with Brock nearby, inadvertently glanced over at Ash, and immediately froze.
She knew that Vulpix was extremely wary of strangers. If someone touched her without permission, she'd normally respond with a Flamethrower on the spot!
Suzy quickly tried to stop him, but before she could speak, she saw Vulpix letting out soft, contented growls under Ash's hand.
"This massage technique… are you also a Pokémon Breeder?" Suzy asked softly as she stepped closer, curiosity sparkling in her calm eyes.
"Not really," Ash replied without looking up. "You could say I know a little about massage techniques, but compared to a true Pokémon Breeder, I'm still far behind."
In truth, if he included his Aura Power, Ash could easily qualify as a professional-level Pokémon Breeder. But he didn't consider that special ability as part of his formal skill set.
After all, in another world, another version of him had reached the absolute peak of the field, becoming the strongest Pokémon Breeder in existence, without relying on any special powers.
Compared to that other him, his current self was only a beginner.
"You're being a bit too modest," Suzy said with a gentle smile. "Just look at Vulpix, she's completely relaxed."
Vulpix in Ash's hands had a blissful expression and made no move to resist, even though Ash was a complete stranger. This was the first time Suzy had seen Vulpix so at ease with someone she didn't know.
"It's because I have a certain special power," Ash explained with a light chuckle. "When it comes to actual Pokémon Breeder knowledge, Brock here is far more amazing."
He removed his hand and smiled. "Alright, that's enough. Your body's already in optimal condition."
"Vul~"
"Even if it feels good, I can't keep massaging you. Too much of that power might overwhelm you."
"Vul~ vul~"
"No, I can't stay here forever," Ash teased, smiling wryly. "I still have to become a Pokémon Master, you know."
Suzy stared blankly at Ash for a few seconds, confusion flickering across her face. Who exactly was he talking to?
Then it clicked, besides Vulpix, who else could be responding to him?
"You can understand Pokémon?" she asked in disbelief.
"Hmm, I can understand a little," Ash replied with a grin. "It's also because of my special ability."
"That's incredible!" Suzy's eyes lit up with admiration. "Besides understanding Vulpix fairly well, I can't make sense of what most Pokémon say. Your ability is perfect for breeding! If you can communicate with Pokémon, you can tailor massages and recovery plans just for them."
Suzy's beautiful eyes sparkled as she looked at Ash, genuine excitement in her expression. In the past, others had looked at her this way, but this was the first time she'd looked at someone else like that.
Brock's face darkened immediately.
What was going on here?! Why was the woman he admired suddenly admiring his teammate instead?!
Ash, this guy, he wasn't content with Misty, now he had to charm his "older sister" figure too?!
Brock fumed silently, but he didn't say a word. He couldn't bring himself to interrupt. Besides, Ash's skill was undeniable, there was no ground to criticize him on.
After Ash politely declined Suzy's eager request to teach her how to communicate with Pokémon, he looked around the shop curiously. "Miss Suzy, you're a well-known professional Pokémon Breeder, right? Why are there so few people here? It's evening, shouldn't this be your busiest time?"
It was true. Evening was when most people and Pokémon needed to relax after a long day. The shop should've been crowded, but aside from Suzy, the place was empty.
Suzy sighed with a faint, wry smile. "The situation is… a little complicated."
There were quite a few professional Pokémon Breeders in the Kanto region, and among them, Suzy was the most famous.
It wasn't just her skill, Suzy was both talented and beautiful, which was why she'd been voted Kanto's Most Popular Pokémon Breeder multiple times.
However, Suzy didn't care for that title, in fact, she hated it.
Because of that title, countless people came to see her… but ninety percent of them came for her looks.
As a professional Breeder, her services weren't cheap. A simple shop didn't mean poverty, her tools and treatments were top-tier.
Ordinary Trainers couldn't afford to come every day, and most of the ones who showed up were just trying to flirt.
When they realized that Suzy, though gentle and polite, treated everyone equally and couldn't be swayed, they eventually gave up.
Only a handful of true customers, those who came for her expertise, remained. Her clientele was small, but under professional Breeder rates, her income was still substantial.
However, as the other shops on Beauty Street began offering cheaper "training packages" that mimicked her results, business began to decline.
Their results weren't as refined as Suzy's, but the difference wasn't enough for most people to justify the higher cost.
And so, fewer and fewer came to Suzy's shop.
"How is that possible? Professional Pokémon Breeders are already few, and their fees are usually standardized. If they're claiming to be professionals and charging such low rates, isn't that malicious competition?" Brock said, his tone edged with frustration after hearing this.
Suzy shook her head and replied softly, "They're not professional Pokémon Breeders. They just use certain special methods to temporarily boost a Pokémon's energy and vitality. But those boosts are artificial, they cause harm and have serious side effects later on."
"Because most Trainers who come to Beauty Street are travelers passing through, it's basically one-time business. Even if they notice something wrong with their Pokémon later, those Breeders just deflect the blame, saying it's due to the Trainer's own improper care."
Hearing that, all three, Ash, Misty, and Brock, wore expressions of anger. Such irresponsible treatment of Pokémon was completely unacceptable.
"Can't you report them?" Misty asked, frowning.
Suzy sighed, shaking her head again. "It's not that I can't, it's that I shouldn't. In a way, this situation is partly my fault."
When Suzy first discovered that the other so-called "Breeders" on Beauty Street were using these harmful methods to attract customers, she had personally gone to confront them, trying to persuade them to stop.
But instead, they turned on her with words like knives:
"Easy for you to say! You're a professional Breeder, you don't have to worry about your next meal! One of your sessions costs as much as five of ours combined! Of course you'd never resort to these methods."
"But what about us? If we don't do this, we'll starve! You're the one who came here and stole our customers! There are so many other fancy places you could've gone, but instead you opened shop right in our corner, just to crush us!"
Suzy had been left speechless.
"The truth is…" she said softly, "they weren't entirely wrong. My presence here really did take away their livelihood. If I were to report them, they'd lose their only source of income. So… I've decided to leave Beauty Street soon. Maybe if I go, they'll go back to the right path."
Her words carried a note of helplessness. Suzy was kind...too kind.
The reality was simple: this was malicious competition. If she reported them, their so-called "special treatments" would be exposed immediately. The tonics, potions, and nutrient mixes they used were all unregulated and harmful, one proper inspection would ruin them.
But those people knew Suzy's gentle nature. They knew she wouldn't report them, and that's why they dared to act so brazenly.
"That's not right, Miss Suzy," Ash said firmly, looking her straight in the eyes.
"A bad thing is still a bad thing. You can understand their reasons, but you can't excuse their actions. Anything that harms Pokémon should be stopped immediately. Being excellent isn't your fault, and if your excellence means they can't make a living… then that's just how life works."
Ash's voice carried a quiet but absolute conviction. When it came to matters that endangered Pokémon, he never wavered.
To put it bluntly, if someone couldn't survive because others were more skilled or hardworking, then what about the countless other talented people in the world? Everyone had to find their own path, these people chose the easy, harmful one.
The Breeders on Beauty Street weren't victims, they were cowards, too jealous and too lazy to change. Instead, they tried to guilt-trip someone better than them into stepping aside.
Ash's heart had no room for sympathy toward that kind of mindset. If it were him, he'd have reported them without hesitation.
Suzy's forced smile slowly faded. Silence took its place.
Deep down, she knew Ash was right. Her compassion might spare those people temporarily, but what about the Pokémon they hurt?
If those Pokémon developed long-term issues because of those treatments, then Suzy, who knew the truth but chose silence, would also bear some of the blame.
And that realization weighed heavily on her heart.
For someone as gentle as Suzy, Ash's words struck deeper than he might have realized.
"Miss Suzy," Brock said at last, his tone sincere, "even if you plan to leave Beauty Street, you still need to correct their mistakes first. They might have been blinded by desperation, but that's exactly why someone has to open their eyes again."
"Yes, I will. I'll go find them tomorrow!" Suzy nodded, her voice soft yet firm.
Perhaps it was because Ash and the others had helped resolve her inner conflict, but Suzy became even warmer and more open with them afterward, she even took the initiative to teach them advanced Pokémon massage techniques.
Massage methods, potion use, and pressure points were all crucial for proper Pokémon care. Although Ash had already learned the basics from the experts in his multiverse group, nothing compared to learning hands-on from a professional like Suzy. Under her guidance, Ash's massage skills improved dramatically.
Brock, too, began practicing Suzy's techniques. Now, when the group camped in the wild, there would be one more person who could help their Pokémon relax and recover.
Three days passed in a flash. During that time, both Ash and Brock steadily honed their Pokémon Breeder skills under Suzy's mentorship.
What truly surprised Suzy was Ash's astonishing talent. While he clearly had a few beginner habits, there were moments when his understanding and execution far surpassed that of an ordinary Breeder, sometimes even rivaling her own.
His learning speed was remarkable. In just three days, Suzy found she had nothing left to teach him. Brock was also learning well, but compared to Ash, his pace was slower.
However, Brock's strength lay in his growing independent insight. Unlike Ash, who was still in the stage of absorbing and experimenting, Brock was beginning to develop his own distinct style and theory of Pokémon care.
Still, Suzy could see it clearly: once Ash took everything he'd learned and organized it into a complete framework of his own, he would surpass her easily.
If he ever chose to specialize in Pokémon Breeding, Suzy was certain he could become one of the greatest, perhaps the greatest, in the world. His talent was unlike anything she'd seen in all her years of travel.
But everyone had their own dreams.
While teaching Ash and Brock, Suzy also used that time to confront the unethical Breeders on Beauty Street directly. She warned them clearly: if they continued using the dangerous massage methods and stimulant potions that harmed Pokémon, she would report them to the authorities herself.
Faced with her firm resolve, and aware that Suzy was planning to leave Beauty Street soon, the Breeders weighed their options and agreed to stop.
Whether they would keep their word remained to be seen. But if any of them were caught using those potions again, they would lose their licenses and their reputations forever.
No one dared underestimate Suzy's influence in the Pokémon Breeder world.
During those same three days, Ash and his companions also had an unexpected reunion, with none other than Team Rocket.
The trio had disguised themselves as "Pokémon fashion stylists" and opened a flashy grooming shop on Beauty Street. With their bizarre sense of aesthetics and James's surprisingly skilled makeup and tailoring work, they'd actually managed to attract quite a few customers.
Using the opportunity, they began secretly stealing Pokémon from the Trainers who came in for "makeovers."
Just as they were preparing to escape with their ill-gotten gains, Ash's Aura picked up their familiar presence, and the plan was foiled once again.
Talk about bad luck, Team Rocket hadn't even been targeting Ash this time, but fate had other ideas.
With the trio blasted off yet again, the shady Breeders warned, and Suzy preparing to leave Beauty Street behind, the trio's time in Celadon City came to an end.