One day later.
At the Pokémon Friend Magazine Publishing House, the most authoritative and influential place in the Breeder field, a piece of earth-shattering news arrived.
"A newly promoted Senior Breeder?!"
"The promoted individual is 15 years old... Doesn't that make them the youngest Senior Breeder in history?!"
As soon as Pokémon Friend received the news from the Breeder Association, the entire office erupted in excitement. Even the recent "Most Popular Breeder" poll was thrown to the back of their minds.
The Most Popular Breeder poll was just a small event planned for rookie Breeders. While it had considerable influence, compared to the birth of a new legend... they clearly knew which was more important.
"He actually succeeded..." One of the people in charge at Pokémon Friend Magazine, Tory, quickly recalled everything he had seen and heard at Breeder Headquarters upon receiving the news.
After leaving Breeder Headquarters, he had followed up on the promotion exam and found out which Breeder was taking it: Terrance from Fallarbor Town. Just as Suzie had guessed, it really was him who planned to take the exam.
Considering Terrance's age and his achievements in other fields, Tory found the idea of him taking the exam utterly absurd. No matter how much energy a person had, it seemed impossible to make a name in so many different fields. Fortunately, in the days that followed, there was no news at all. Tory subconsciously assumed that Terrance had failed the promotion. But unexpectedly, even though it was delayed by a few days, a new Senior Breeder still emerged.
"The youngest Senior Breeder." After reading Terrance's information, Tory's lips couldn't help but twitch.
Suzie's guess, which he had refuted, actually came true.
"Also, the youngest Senior Breeder, Terrance... has become Victor's disciple."
These two pieces of news threw the Pokémon Friend Magazine office into instant chaos. They edited the story at lightning speed and were nearly the first to release the information to the public.
This release, of course, was tacitly approved by both Master Victor and Terrance himself.
Not only Pokémon Friend, the magazine publishing house focusing on Breeder-related matters, but other media outlets also received the same information.
However, compared to Pokémon Friend, they had far more content to prepare.
For example, the significance of Terrance's Senior Breeder exam, and the honorary title of "International Researcher" conferred upon him by the Pokémon League.
Moreover, there was the meaning behind Terrance himself being not only a Top Coordinator and Gym Leader, but also a licensed Senior Breeder.
With so many identities, and with the strength Terrance had demonstrated during the previous festival, where he defeated Top Trainer Master Leo, Terrance's fame grew even more resounding!!
Kanto, Pewter Gym.
Gym Trainer Brock, only 15 years old, was looking after his younger siblings. When he finally had a free moment, he casually picked up the freshly delivered issue of Pokémon Friend Magazine and began flipping through it.
Brock, whose dream was to become an excellent Breeder, possessed outstanding breeding skills. However, because of family and gym responsibilities, he had never been able to truly chase his dream.
As he flipped through the magazine like usual, Brock's hands suddenly trembled as he saw a familiar name and face.
"The youngest Senior Breeder in history is born!! At just 15 years old, he has earned the senior title!!!"
Below was a biography of Terrance's history as a Breeder, along with a summary of the research results that led to his promotion.
"Terrance..." Brock's eyes drifted into the distance as he recalled their encounter in Lilycove City five years ago.
He wondered... when he would finally be able to leave Pewter Gym and pursue his own dream.
Hoenn, Old Green House.
Sinnoh, Crown Academy.
And not just there, everyone who had ever known Terrance was shocked beyond words upon seeing the news.
Terrance's rapid growth was astonishing, and his achievements across various fields left people almost numb.
"Disciple, huh…"
Within the Pokémon League, in the Breeder Association, when the higher-ups received the news that Terrance had become Victor's disciple, they reassessed Terrance's position.
This promising rookie, now connected with Master Victor, would have even more immeasurable value.
Master Victor's knowledge of genetics, even the publicly available information, has not yet been fully grasped by others, let alone some newly researched genetic directions and valuable data.
And as Master Victor's sole successor, Terrance would almost certainly inherit this knowledge and Victor's skills. In other words, perhaps in a few years, a second genetics master would emerge.
…
Lilycove City, Terrance and a group of researchers were still conducting inspection work on the Totem Croagunk.
After Looker's Croagunk was granted the totem aura, the transformation was so drastic that even Looker himself was stunned.
His Croagunk had been his most compatible partner since he became part of the International Police, and as a top-tier officer, Looker's Croagunk was already quite powerful.
But for various reasons, Croagunk never evolved, which naturally limited its growth. This had often been a source of frustration for Looker. However, once Croagunk was given the totem aura, its strength surged explosively.
The sudden, exaggerated surge in destructive power made Looker even suspect whether his Croagunk had been swapped out for another.
"It's a shame… if Sparkling Stones weren't so rare, this technology would be even more valuable."
An international researcher sighed. Although the totem aura technology currently provides a notable boost to Pokémon strength, in terms of value, it still doesn't surpass Z-Ring technology or the Mega Evolution system.
When it comes to external enhancements to Pokémon strength, the Mega Evolution and Z-Ring system remain at the pinnacle.
Still, even if the totem aura doesn't match those two, it is a precious technology far more valuable than other enhancement methods.
"Compared to those artificially made held items, the totem aura clearly boosts a Pokémon's power in a more comprehensive way."
"Exactly." After comparing Croagunk's strength before and after, the researchers all sighed with admiration.
"Everyone, as we've seen, the totem aura granting technology still has many imperfections. But with more systematic analysis and experimentation, it might become a perfected technology," Terrance said.
The effects of the Z-Ring and Mega Evolution vary under different circumstances, so there's no reason for the totem aura system to remain stagnant.
The researchers fully agreed. With the transfer of the totem aura technology complete, it was formally cataloged by the Breeder Association, the Pokémon League, and the International Police. Thus, Terrance's Senior Breeder exam officially came to a close.
After Terrance's victory over Leo at the festival, his name once again echoed far and wide. From that moment on, countless forces began contacting Terrance, seeking the totem aura technology. Of course, after signing an agreement with the International Police, Terrance could no longer reveal the technology at will.
In return, Terrance received generous compensation. In the future, except for Terrance himself, every use of the totem aura technology would require strict reporting and approval.
And when Terrance left Sootopolis City, left Lilycove City, and returned to Fallarbor Town, his identity had undergone a monumental transformation.
The brightest rising star among Top Coordinators, a Gym Leader with strength close to the Elite Four, the youngest Senior Breeder, the heir to a top master… this series of identities declared Terrance's complete rise to prominence.
Nine years of effort have culminated to this moment, marking a small milestone in Terrance's journey to prominence.
(End of Volume 5)
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