Night.
After finishing his breeding course with the old man, Austin returned to his room.
On a cold winter night, Austin leaned against Agni using the Pokémon's thick fur as a pillow.
Agni didn't seem to mind — its massive head rested lazily on its paws as it snored away.
Agni was a bit of a wanderer. During the day, it ran wild through the suburbs, returning punctually by afternoon, and at night, it would simply eat, curl up, and sleep.
Most people in Celestic Town knew Agni by sight, but when Austin was in Jubilife City, he or Ryu had to walk the big guy themselves.
After taking a quick shower, Austin pulled out the random Pokémon item lottery ticket he'd received from a side quest.
Ding!
Congratulations, Host, for obtaining Petaya Berry ×3!
[Petaya Berry: A spicy flavor with a faintly tangy-sweet aftertaste and a highly nutritious berry. When made into an Energy Cube, Poffin, or other Pokémon food, it can enhance a Pokémon's Special Attack to a certain extent.]
Austin raised a brow. "Huh. Not bad."
Petaya berries were rare and expensive, not something you could easily find in stores.
Although both Ryu and Agni loved spicy food, the fruit had a tangy aftertaste, which could be balanced with other berries when cooking.
An idea struck him.
"Hm… what if I just grow these myself?"
Petaya berry wasn't just pricey — it was scarce. He had never managed to buy one on the market before. The common berries on sale were usually Oran, Pecha, or Cheri. Nothing fancy.
If he could cultivate his own Petaya berries, he'd have a steady supply. Just thinking about it made him grin.
"Petaya berry for every meal, huh? Not a bad life."
He yawned. "No rush. I'll ask Grandpa about it tomorrow."
...
Morning.
Austin was woken by Ryu shaking him gently.
(It's time to train.)
Mornings were reserved for training — Austin and his Pokémon never skipped that. Yesterday, he'd gone to help Rose, so they'd missed their routine. He especially needed to finalize a breeding plan forMetang, who was still the weakest on the team.
Austin wasn't obsessed with becoming a Diamond or Celestite trainer, but he believed that if he caught a Pokémon, he owed it his effort.
Metang genuinely wanted to grow stronger. It had agreed to follow Austin because it had seen firsthand the strength of Ryu and Agni.
Studying Metang's combat data was also part of Austin's plan. Unlike Ryu, Metang couldn't exactly follow the Saitama-style training method Austin favored.
"Alright, let's start with something simple. Punch Agni — full power."
"Tang?"
"To test your strength," Austin said, smiling.
Metang launched a full-power Bullet Punch.
The massive Arcanine didn't even flinch.
"Nine~"
Arcanine yawned out. Talk about the disrespect.
Austin chuckled. "Okay, next — Flash Cannon, against Ryu."
"Ryu, use Aura to defend."
Lucario crossed its arms, summoning a shield of bright azure Aura in front of it.
This was something only a few Pokémon like Lucario could do — similar to Protect, but powered by auric energy.
Silver light gathered at Metang's core before a thick beam of light shot forward, slamming into the Aura shield with a resonant crack.
Austin nodded thoughtfully.
"Good. Now for speed and endurance — move back and forth in the yard ten times."
Gengar, who had spent the night relaxing in the shadows, floated lazily nearby, watching the session with mild curiosity.
After recording Metang's test data, Austin finalized his breeding plan. The priority was helping Metang evolve its Confusion into Psychic, and mastering the Steel-type move Bullet Punch.
Its stamina was decent, but Austin wanted more — Iron Defense, Light Screen, Protect — all of them had to be learned.
And to guide it through that journey… Ryu would take the lead.
As always, Austin's responsibility was to prepare proper food for his team.
Even though Metang's evolved form, Metagross, leaned heavily toward physical attacks, Austin knew its Special Attack could still be trained—with the right nutrients. The petaya berries would be perfect for that.
As long as he had enough berries, he could raise Metagross into a true mixed attacker.
"Alright," he said, rolling up his sleeves. "Let's start training."
Three hours later, Austin walked out to find the old man tending to the garden behind the house.
"Hey, Grandpa," he called. "Do you know how to grow petaya berries?"
The old man looked up, brow furrowing. "Grow petaya berries?"
Austin nodded. "Yeah. Any idea how to cultivate it properly?"
The old man snorted, giving him an annoyed sideways glance.
"Who do you think you're talking to, kid? Of course, I know how. But the soil around Celestic Town isn't suitable for it."
He poked at the soil with his trowel. "There's a reason why petaya berries are rare. It's difficult to grow and has a very narrow planting window — ideally March to May, but most people try around June to August."
Austin crossed his arms. "Then where is the soil suitable?"
"Hmm…" The old man paused to think, then replied, "Eterna Forest, or the mountains north of Celestic Town. Both have better conditions. The soil needs to meet strict requirements. It also needs at least six to eight hours of sunlight a day. Miss any of those, and the roots will rot before you even notice."
Austin listened carefully, not daring to interrupt.
In front of this old man, who'd probably been growing berries longer than he'd been alive, he couldn't exactly call himself a berry expert. He still had a long way to go on the Breeder's path.
After a moment, the old man squinted at him. "Talking all this nonsense… do you even have a petaya berry to grow?"
Austin smiled and reached into his backpack. "Actually, yeah. I do."
He pulled out the fruits — bright pink, scaly, and glistening faintly under the sun. It really did look like a dragon fruit in his past life, just a little more radiant.
The old man, who had been unimpressed up to that point, raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? These are fine specimens."
He examined it closely before nodding. "Keep one. I'll try planting it around April or May. The rest, you handle yourself."
Austin bowed his head respectfully. "Thanks, Grandpa."
The old man waved him off. "Save your thanks. Question time's over — get back to practice."
...
Evening.
Austin had barely finished cleaning up when his Pokégear started buzzing. The caller ID read Leon Black.
He sighed. "Here we go…"
He picked up. "Hey, Dad."
Leon's voice came through, warm and teasing. "Son! What's this I hear about you suddenly going back to Celestic Town?"
"I came back to study under Grandpa," Austin replied. "Planning to take the Breeder Certification Exam."
"Oh, son, listen—you don't need to do this. Even if we still owe your uncle's family some money—"
"Dad. Stop. Stop right there." Austin rubbed his forehead, half laughing. "That's not why I'm here. I just… found breeding and cooking interesting. That's all."
There was a brief silence, then Leon's tone softened with genuine joy.
"That's wonderful, son."
Austin had never shown much interest in breeding before, and they hadn't wanted to pressure him.
Now that he'd decided to help, it meant they could finally share the load — and maybe even run it together as a family.
"Son, you've finally grown up!" Leon's voice cracked dramatically, as if he were about to cry.
Austin sighed and chuckled. "You make it sound like I was some rebellious kid before."
Leon laughed heartily. "Study hard. I believe in you. I'm going to tell your mother this good news right now!"
The call ended before Austin could reply. He shook his head, smiling faintly.
. . .
Sixteen days later.
Austin's knife work finally earned a nod of approval from Instructor Farfetch'd, and he officially registered for the Breeder's assessment.
[IMAGES]
. . .
Please do leave a review and powerstones, which helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a