"Why do you, as a Gym Trainer, have things that only a Breeder would possess?" Misty asked curiously after glancing at the contents of the notebook Brock had.
In the Pokemon world, Trainers are classified as Gym Trainers, Battle Trainers, and Contest Trainers, among others.
Apart from Trainers, there are a variety of professions, with Breeder being one of the most popular.
Breeders, as the name implies, are professionals dedicated to nurturing Pokemon and enhancing their condition.
Generally speaking, powerful Trainers often have a Breeder supporting them, or they might have some breeding knowledge themselves. With the help of a Breeder, a Trainer's Pokemon can grow much faster than those without such help.
However, compared to Trainers, the threshold for being a Breeder is somewhat high. It's not enough to just know massage techniques or be able to make Pokemon food; a Breeder must have one or several methods to enhance a Pokemon's growth and state beyond the norm.
Pokemon food is one such method. Some powerful Pokemon food recipes can instantly restore a severely injured Pokemon to peak condition.
If this kind of cuisine can be produced in bulk, it could quickly recover both the consumption in battles and training, making its strength in enhancing Pokemon self-evident.
The recipes Brock provided would undoubtedly be invaluable to someone aspiring to be a Breeder. Why would Brock have such formulas?
"Actually, my dream is to become a Breeder..." Brock said with a helpless expression, then explained his situation.
Although Brock is only in his early twenties, he has to take care of nine younger siblings while managing the Pewter Gym alone due to his father leaving to pursue his dream of becoming a Champion, and his mother also leaving home, possibly for traveling or training Pokemon.
Regardless of the reason, the result is that the Pewter Gym and the nine siblings are left to Brock, preventing him from pursuing his dream of becoming a Breeder.
"...So I'm entrusting my dream to you, Ash. I believe you can take on both the roles of Breeder and Trainer. These are the Pokemon food recipes I've researched over the years, which will greatly aid in nurturing Pokemon. Even if you don't want to be a Breeder, these can help you progress more smoothly on the path of a Trainer."
If it were merely about making Pokemon food, it wouldn't require much effort—just some time to learn how to cook.
Thus, the notebook Brock gave is incredibly useful, whether or not someone wants to become a Breeder.
After hesitating for a moment, Ash decided to accept and agree to Brock's request because he intended to become a Breeder anyway.
The Eye of Insight, an ability Ash developed for capturing and battling Pokemon, was nurtured by his mentor, and Ash had also taught him many things with dedication.
Therefore, Ash decided to follow his mentor's path and become an excellent Breeder, as it was also his mentor's hope.
After all, besides him, there wasn't anyone in the group who could share insights about nurturing Pokemon, or at least not at a professional level. They could share amateur insights with each other, but only Ash, who had raised Pokemon to their peak, had professional exchanges.
Without a Breeder's support, it's tough for Pokemon to reach the world's pinnacle. Trainers standing at the top know a bit about breeding, but compared to professionals, they still fall short.
Just as Ash accepted Brock's notebook, the gym doors suddenly swung open with a loud bang, startling Misty, who was still beside Ash, and she jumped to the other side, clutching Ash's arm tightly.
Ash and Brock were also drawn to the sudden opening of the doors, turning their attention to the entrance.
"I heard everything you said, Brock. Go, pursue your dreams to the fullest! Leave the Gym to me." A deep voice came from the entrance.
The light from the now open doors gradually dimmed, revealing a man at the entrance. He wore a hat, a scruffy beard covering his chin, and appeared quite unkempt. In his hand was a glove full of grime, and his face was hidden under the hat, making it hard to see his features clearly.
Overall, he looked like a hardworking laborer from outside. But why did he say he would help Brock manage the Gym?
"Could it be you are..." Brock was momentarily stunned, then suddenly his expression turned emotional.
"That's right, I am... your father, Flint." As he spoke in his deep voice, the man flung off his disguise, revealing his true appearance.
Under the hat and fake beard was a middle-aged man's face, bearing a striking 99% resemblance to Brock!
Misty and Ash glanced back and forth between the two, almost mixing them up.
"It's been years, father. Why have you suddenly come back?" Plus, the timing of his return seemed too coincidental.
Flint then recounted his experiences over the years. He left back then to pursue his Trainer dream of becoming an Elite or even a Champion, leaving Brock and his mother to run the Gym.
But the reality was disappointing; Flint didn't even become an Elite Trainer, nor did he win any League Conferences outside of Kanto.
The Quartz Conference, known as a cradle for new Trainers, didn't allow someone of Flint's age to participate.
The other regional conferences were competitively intense. Even top-tier Gym Leaders couldn't guarantee winning a championship, let alone Flint, who had only taken moderate-strength Pokemon from the Gym.
So after more than a year of travel, Flint returned disappointed to his hometown of Pewter City without winning any conference titles.
After returning, he learned that Brock's mother had also left the Gym, leaving Brock alone to manage the Gym and care for nine younger siblings.
Learning this, Flint felt too ashamed to face Brock, so he set up a stall near the Pewter Gym selling common rocks and minerals from Pewter City.
He had planned to reveal himself when Brock encountered difficulties, allowing him to smoothly return to the Gym and earn Brock's forgiveness by rescuing him in times of trouble.
Yet over the years, Brock hardly faced any difficulties, managing the Gym well and raising his young siblings healthily and robustly.
As a result, Flint never found an opportunity to appear before Brock until today, when he finally had the chance after hearing Brock's dream!