Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House.
Because of Austin Black's overly spicy Mapo Tofu the previous night, most of the staff and visiting trainers had chosen to stay in their dorms to recover.
As a result, the usually busy Breeding House was unusually quiet today.
Dai Yui, however, had bounced back quickly after a few cups of hot Moomoo Milk. His energy had returned in full force, and his fighting spirit was burning again.
He was now sparring with Incineroar.
"Let's get fired up!"
"Roar!!"
Not far away, Dragapult was training Drakloak.
Back when they lived in the mountains, Dragapult had personally trained Drakloak until she evolved, and the same discipline continued here.
"Drag. Dragapult!"
(Store your power in the tail!)
Dragapult demonstrated the technique again, guiding her toward Breaking Swipe, a move that used the tail to strike and reduce the opponent's attack.
Learning it would also make it easier to grasp Dragon Tail later.
Drakloak focused hard, gathering Dragon energy into her tail. A faint green glow formed as the surrounding air trembled.
"Pult!"
An approving sound came from Dragapult.
Even though she had not fully mastered it, the progress was clear.
Drakloak's growth was faster than before.
Dragapult understood the reason without needing it explained.
Everything Austin had provided, from the Black Rayquaza Dragon Scale to near-perfect Pokéblocks, had pushed her potential further than normal.
"Kloak!"
Drakloak responded happily to the praise.
. . .
At the same time, the recent price war at the Coronet Breeding House had left the Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House temporarily quiet for two days.
Austin Black was not worried.
He simply waited.
Time would decide everything.
After successfully creating Mapo Tofu (B-rank), he planned to take a short break and film the sixth episode of his PokéStream series the next day.
After that, he would begin preparing for the Advanced Breeder assessment.
By the pond, Austin was trying to chat with Feebas.
Around him were several Pokémon that had become regular companions: Eevee, Pichu, Jigglypuff, and a newly arrived Furfrou sent by a trainer that morning.
Furfrou was especially popular, much like Eevee and Rockruff. It was not used for battle but for appearance and grooming.
Austin Black was skilled at care work, but styling and haircuts were still handled by his mom, who would likely need to step in later.
In fact, his mother and another relative were already discussing moving closer to the Breeding House.
A stronger family alliance was forming around the Breeding House's development.
A top-tier Pokémon stylist like her would be something other Breeding Houses could not easily match.
If Lily and their grandfather also joined later, the entire operation would become even stronger.
Austin Black's thoughts drifted briefly.
If he was going to aim for something, then it would not be local success.
It would be the top.
. . .
"Vee!"
"Chu!"
Eevee and Pichu rolled across the grass, completely carefree.
Ryu watched them with quiet patience, acting as the unofficial caretaker.
Austin did not interfere.
Let them enjoy themselves.
He sat beside the fish pond, gently holding Jigglypuff.
"Puffpuff. Jiggly."
Ryu translated calmly.
"Lucario."
(It cannot sing.)
"You can't sing? That's unfortunate."
Austin sounded genuinely disappointed.
Ryu tilted his head slightly, not understanding why this mattered so much.
What exactly was he expecting to hear?
At that moment, Austin Black suddenly spoke again.
"Let's play in the water."
"Jigglypuff!"
Jigglypuff kicked its little feet happily.
Of course, it was still being held above the water and could only touch it lightly with its hands.
"Feebas, come out too."
Feebas hid under the rock formation near the pond, visibly struggling.
It had not yet decided.
Austin's Pokégear suddenly lit up.
A message appeared.
[Rolanda]: I really can't leave right now. I've sent my sister over.
Austin did not notice it.
He was still focused on teaching Jigglypuff a strange melody.
Ryu froze.
A large question mark seemed to form in its mind.
"Cario?"
(Why does the Trainer know this song?)
At the same time, Dragapult paused mid-training, using Nasty Plot instinctively as its Special Attack rose.
. . .
High above Sinnoh's skies, Garchomp's flight path gradually slowed.
Cynthia could already see the outline of the Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House below.
She preferred to keep a low profile when possible. Public attention always made daily life more complicated.
Garchomp descended toward a quiet, unoccupied area nearby.
Cynthia gently patted its rough scales.
"You've worked hard. Return for now."
"Chomp."
Garchomp disappeared in a ray of red light.
It was well known across Sinnoh that Garchomp was Cynthia's signature partner.
Golden hair and a Garchomp traveling together made anonymity almost impossible.
To avoid unnecessary attention, Cynthia adjusted her disguise. A pair of sunglasses was put on, and her scarf was pulled higher to obscure her features.
The change was simple, but effective.
At least, it should have been.
She walked through the streets without issue until a voice came from the side.
"Excuse me… you're Champion Cynthia, right?"
Her steps paused.
Only one person stood nearby.
A blonde woman carrying a Growlithe, observing her with calm curiosity.
Cynthia slowly removed her sunglasses.
The woman smiled gently.
"Hello, I'm Bell."
Her tone carried no hostility, only certainty.
"I wasn't fully sure at first. I thought it shouldn't be her. But then I remembered… if I could meet Mr. Blue, meeting you isn't impossible either."
She lifted her Pokégear and showed a photo.
Blue stood in the frame, looking visibly tired in a way only someone who had spent too long around Breeding House chaos could understand.
Cynthia glanced at it.
"You've met Blue before?"
Bell nodded.
"He stayed at the Breeding House for several days. I ran into him often."
Her eyes shifted slightly toward Cynthia.
"Are you also heading to the Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House?"
Cynthia gave a small nod.
"Yes. Regarding a Feebas."
Bell's expression softened slightly.
"That Feebas is a difficult case."
"You know about it?"
"The owner is my friend," Bell replied. "It has been a persistent problem. Even Blue couldn't resolve it."
She tilted her head.
"You'll understand once you see it yourself."
Cynthia considered that for a moment, then nodded.
"Understood. I'll take my leave."
Bell raised a hand lightly.
"Can I take a photo with you?"
Cynthia paused, then replied calmly.
"Yes. But do not reveal my presence here. It would interfere with the Feebas treatment."
Bell chuckled and pointed toward the direction of Dai Yui's small courtyard.
"Don't worry. Blue stayed there for a week. Nothing happened."
Cynthia did not ask for details.
A simple photo was taken.
Then she continued forward alone.
. . .
The building at the entrance came into view.
Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House stood ahead, quiet on the outside, but carrying faint signs of activity within.
A reception structure sat at the front, clean and functional.
Cynthia's gaze briefly shifted.
A Gardevoir was visible inside.
She studied it for a moment.
Well-trained. Calm presence. Likely a caretaker role.
Interesting.
She realized then that she had never asked for Austin Black's contact information.
That small oversight meant she had no reason to wait outside.
The door slid open automatically as she approached.
Cynthia stepped inside.
. . .
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