The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight shone through the daycare's windows, Carver—rested and refreshed—began a new day of work.
The first thing he did after waking up was head to the backyard to check whether the Swampert and Quagsire left by the previous guest had produced an egg.
After searching around the lake and grassy areas and confirming there were no Pokémon eggs, Carver returned to the front and opened the daycare, hanging the "Open for Business" sign on the door.
He looked up and scanned the roof and nearby trees, but there was no sign of the Taillow that usually came by with information.
That little informant hadn't shown up for several days now. Carver couldn't help but worry—had it gotten into trouble, or been captured by another trainer?
Then again, maybe it just found better-tasting food elsewhere.
"…" Carver sighed. He'd been busy training the Clefairies and hadn't yet had time to shop for higher-quality Pokémon food.
But there was no use fretting—some things were up to fate. If Taillow didn't come back, he couldn't force it.
Just as he was about to head inside, a familiar engine roar echoed behind him.
He turned around to see Jenny speeding toward him on a police motorcycle.
She parked and took off her helmet, looking right at him.
"Officer Jenny?" Carver blinked in surprise.
Jenny nodded. "There's an update on the matter we discussed last time."
Carver immediately understood what she meant—she was referring to the application she submitted to the Hoenn League to provide his daycare with a batch of Pokémon eggs.
"How'd it go?" he asked.
Jenny opened her mouth but hesitated for a moment before finally explaining, "The League is happy to approve the application… but they have one condition."
"Go on," Carver said. Was it about money or something else?
Jenny continued, "They want you to prove you're capable of taking care of the eggs. Only then will they send them to your daycare."
Normally, running a daycare isn't something just anyone can do. Ordinary people lack the knowledge to care for different Pokémon types and don't know how to properly incubate Pokémon eggs.
To run a daycare, the owner must be a certified breeder—even just a junior breeder would suffice.
Without certification, it's not impossible to open a daycare, but the League won't supply any eggs. You'd be on your own, which would be very difficult—and ultimately, incomplete.
"So if you want those eggs," Jenny explained, "you'll have to go to the Breeder Association in Autumnleaf Town and pass their qualification exam to become at least a junior breeder."
There was just one problem—Carver had just turned ten and had grown up in an orphanage. He was unfamiliar with both trainer and breeder knowledge. He'd have little chance of passing the test.
"…"
Carver understood. So technically, this whole time, he'd been running an unofficial daycare.
Though slightly exasperated, he recalled all the information about Pokémon he had learned in his past life, plus the books he had read since arriving here. After thinking it through, he looked up at Jenny.
"Can I at least look at the test first?" he asked.
"Of course!" Jenny said with a nod. "I'm off work this morning anyway—shall we go now?"
Carver nodded. He shut the daycare door and instructed Bewear to watch over the Pokémon, then rode Jenny's motorcycle to the Autumnleaf Breeder Association.
Coincidentally, they arrived just as a breeder exam was underway.
Using her connections, Jenny led Carver into the exam room to observe.
There were five participants, all taking the written portion of the test.
Jenny handed Carver a sample exam.
He glanced down and read the multiple-choice questions on the first page.
1. Which of the following Pokémon cannot breed with Gardevoir?
A. Machamp
B. Lopunny
C. Swampert
D. Muk
"…Really?" Carver muttered. Only C, Swampert, isn't in the Human-Like egg group.
"The test writer's sense of humor…" he thought.
The rest of the questions were more standard:
2. What condition does a Lum Berry cure?
A. Burn
B. Poison
C. Paralysis
D. Frozen
Carver skimmed the exam and found that most of it covered basic breeder knowledge: Pokémon egg groups, types, habits, and the use of berries and herbs.
He let out a sigh of relief—this was easy for a reincarnated Pokémon fan like him.
If that was all, he might as well get it over with.
He looked up at Jenny. "Can I take the test now?"
Jenny blinked. "Are you sure? You know all the answers?"
Carver smiled. "I've been studying a lot recently."
Seeing the determination in his eyes, Jenny chose to believe him.
"Alright, I'll talk to the association."
She found the head of the association and explained the situation.
The elderly man looked at Carver in surprise.
Carver overheard bits of the conversation:
"Only ten years old? No formal education? No experience? Alright, alright… since it's your request, I'll make an exception this time."
Soon, Carver was brought into the exam room and handed a test and a pen.
He glanced at the questions and began answering rapidly.
Outside the exam room, Jenny and the old man watched.
"Are you sure this kid isn't just wasting time?" the man asked.
Jenny shook her head, recalling the look in Carver's eyes. "I believe in him."
The old man, however, wasn't convinced.
"Just ten years old, no schooling, barely caught his first Pokémon a week ago… If he passes this test, I'll write my name backward!"