The Next Morning
Dawn of the second day.
Because Sieg had spent a long time yesterday making a batch of Pokéblocks and later took Eevee to explore the night market, Sieg ended up going to bed quite late.
After waking up, he brought a few of his Pokémon to the restaurant, ordered several dishes, and then started to dig in heartily.
"Good morning, Miss Joy!"
Sieg's eyes lit up, he had unexpectedly spotted Miss Joy inside the restaurant.
Miss Joy didn't seem to be in the best of spirits. Her gaze was unfocused, and it wasn't until someone greeted her that she snapped back to reality, responding quickly.
"Ah! Hello there, Trainer Sieg."
Since Sieg possessed a rare level-two clearance, Miss Joy recognized him right away.
Sieg was more than happy to build a rapport with Miss Joy, so he carried his tray over and sat down across from her.
"Miss Joy, you don't mind if I sit across from you, do you?" Sieg asked, noticing how weary her face looked.
"Of course not, that's entirely your choice!"
With permission granted, Sieg sat down directly across from her and asked with concern, "Miss Joy, did you not sleep well? Forgive me if I'm being rude, but you look pretty exhausted."
Miss Joy instinctively brushed her delicate fingers against her cheek and then let out a bitter smile.
"In just a few days, I'll be taking the Breeder Certification Exam, so I've been staying up late to cram for it."
Sieg was momentarily stunned. A Breeder Certification?
After a bit more questioning, he learned that Rustboro housed a Breeder Guild, mainly for apprentices to take exams and become certified breeders.
More importantly, it also served as a central hub for breeders to gather, communicate, and share their knowledge.
"Besides that, the Breeder Guild also collects all sorts of rare medicinal herbs. Sieg, I remember you're an adventurer who often ventures into the wild, aren't you? If you ever come across any rare herbs, consider selling them to the Guild."
Once Miss Joy started talking about breeder-related matters, her words flowed like a river. Her previously pale face even began to regain some color.
This was Sieg's first time hearing about the Breeder Guild.
"There's no way a city like Petalburg could have this many resources. Rustboro really lives up to its name as one of Hoenn's most prosperous cities," he thought.
At the same time, he was puzzled as to why he couldn't find any information about the Breeder Guild online.
But of course, he could only chalk that up to the League itself, how it tightly restricts access to upward mobility and guards precious knowledge, like a dragon hoarding treasure.
Common folk would never be allowed to receive such information.
...
After hastily finishing breakfast and bidding farewell to the slightly weary Miss Joy, Sieg returned to his room.
He opened the League network, entered the Petalburg Library's code, and amidst a sea of documents, managed to dig out some volumes related to the Breeder Guild.
"As expected, my greatest gain so far has been my level-two clearance and the reading access to the Petalburg Library."
Sieg had already felt the conveniences brought by the level-two clearance, but now, with full access to the Petalburg Library, he could finally shatter the information blockade.
"The Breeder Guild originated over a hundred years ago. At first, it was formed by several individuals from various professions who all shared a deep love for Pokémon, some were massage therapists for Pokémon, some were Pokémon caretakers, and others were trainers…"
"A breeder's job is to design custom training programs for Pokémon, create Pokéblocks…"
Sieg's eyes never left the page as he absorbed the information. After filtering through mountains of irrelevant material, he finally narrowed it down to the essential knowledge about the Breeder Guild.
The Breeder Guild was indeed a vital part of the League.
It stood shoulder to shoulder with the Pokémon Centers, the League Police Department, the League Investigator Organization, and the city Gyms, together forming what was known as the Five Pillars of the League.
The emblem of the League, depicting one large symbol surrounded by five smaller ones, represented the League Headquarters at its center, flanked by these five major institutions.
It was said that in every region, be it the Indigo Plateau of Kanto, Mt. Silver of Johto, or Sootopolis City in Hoenn. Right beside the regional League Headquarters, there always stood a Breeder Guild.
This alone was enough to show the sheer prestige of the Breeder Guilds.
Breeders were considered an irreplaceable component of the League's evolution. Some even argued that they were the driving force behind the League's ongoing advancement and reform.
"I never imagined the history of Breeders would run so deep," Sieg couldn't help but sigh in awe.
Metako had never once mentioned this to him. Of course, he didn't suspect she was keeping anything from him.
"Maybe even she doesn't know this," Sieg guessed silently. "After all, she rose through the ranks as a self-taught wanderer."
Metako had given him everything she could. While the Breeder path did not place as much emphasis on inheritance as Alchemy did, for her to pass down her personally handwritten notes... it showed just how much she valued him.
There was no way Sieg would doubt her intentions.
"So the Rustboro branch of the Breeder Guild is holding an exam in three days?" Sieg recalled the words Miss Joy had shared earlier, and a faint restlessness began to stir within his chest.
It wasn't as if not having a certification would stop Sieg from making Pokéblocks, but having it was certainly better than not.
The League offered generous support to certified Breeders. If he could carry the title of a Junior Breeder on his journey, it would grant him not only preferential treatment but also a noticeable boost in social standing.
Sieg quickly looked up the contents of previous exams. With a clear understanding of what to expect, he began to prepare.
For the next three days, Sieg holed up in his room at the Pokémon Center. Not even Eevee tugging at his pant leg, eager to go out, could sway his resolve.
"Eevee, be good and stay obedient. Once I become a certified Breeder, I'll make you even more delicious Pokéblocks," he said with all the seriousness of a sage passing down ancient wisdom.
"You don't want to live a future without tasty Pokéblocks, do you?"
With such heartfelt words, Sieg managed to calm Eevee and bury himself in his books, fully immersed in review and preparation.
Three days later, Sieg woke up before the sun.
He made his way to the Pokémon Center's main hall and was surprised to see it livelier than usual, filled with a bustling crowd.
"Looks like the Breeder Guild's exam really drew in a big crowd," he muttered.
Maybe not all of them were candidates, but every one of them had a reason to be here.
The only conclusion Sieg could draw was simple: they were here to scout talent. Every Junior Breeder was a treasure, a person of strategic value.
No company, family, or organization with any ambition would overlook the importance of a Breeder.
And sure enough, every year around this time, fresh Breeders emerged, and this period was always the prime time for recruitment.
"Miss Joy's not here? Looks like she's already gone to the Breeder Guild," Sieg thought as his gaze drifted toward the front desk.
On duty today was not Miss Joy, but a nurse with delicate features and a gentle expression.
Even Miss Joy, a woman with a secure job and born into a prestigious family, had gone to take the Breeder exam. That alone spoke volumes about how desirable this profession is.
Even the ones inside the system were grinding for it!
After taking a moment to marvel at it all, Sieg stepped out of the Pokémon Center, used his Pokédex to call a ride, and headed straight for the Breeder Guild.