Hanzo was a Senior Breeder. Most of the Pokémon used during the assessments were raised and cared for by him and his team.
Based on his evaluation of Flareon's strength, Roserade should have been able to recover with Synthesis and gradually wear Flareon down.
However, Flareon's Fire-type attacks had proven noticeably stronger than expected, causing Hanzo's judgment to be slightly off.
"Go, Skuntank!"
Austin Black immediately activated Identification Eye.
[Name]: Skuntank
[Type]: Poison, Dark
[Ability]: Stench (Damaging attacks have a chance to make the target flinch.)
[Moves]: Flamethrower, Poison Gas, Bite, Focus Energy, Venoshock...
[Strength Rating]: Silver (Initial)
One glance was enough.
This was clearly a Pokémon that specialized in poison tactics despite the additional Dark typing. That was why Austin Black believed the Senior Breeder assessment involved a certain amount of luck.
Among the hundreds of Poké Balls available, there were definitely some Silver-level Pokémon. Unfortunately, he had drawn Flareon and Staraptor, both still at the Bronze-tier.
Fortunately, Flareon had already secured a favorable matchup against Roserade, while Staraptor could still make good use of Baton Pass support.
Based on Skuntank's move set, Austin was almost certain that the examiner would not immediately use Flamethrower.
Poison Gas was the more logical opening move.
Once poisoned, direct engagement would become much more difficult.
"Skuntank, Poison Gas!"
"Flamethrower!" Austin responded.
Austin's luck was less than ideal.
Flamethrower landed cleanly.
At the same time, the purple cloud engulfed Flareon.
Moments later, Flareon's face turned slightly purple as the poison took effect.
The spectators watching nearby immediately reacted.
"That's terrible luck. It actually connected!"
Fortunately, it was not a major issue.
As a breeder, Austin always carried medicine.
There was no rule prohibiting item usage during the assessment.
"Flareon, take this."
He quickly sprayed Flareon with an Antidote.
Antidote
Watching this, Hanzo nodded slightly.
This was also part of the assessment.
A competent breeder was expected to know how to properly care for Pokémon even during battle.
"Encore. Flame Charge!"
"Reon!"
After being sprayed with the medicine, Flareon burst forward.
Orange flames engulfed its body as it launched another Flame Charge.
The attack struck Skuntank directly.
Yet Skuntank merely slid backward several steps before stopping itself.
Hanzo chuckled.
"The power of that move isn't enough, young man."
Austin smiled.
"Thanks for the reminder."
"Baton Pass!"
Flareon let out a long cry.
A beam of red light immediately recalled it into its Poké Ball.
In the next instant, Staraptor emerged.
The moment he saw it, Hanzo sighed.
"My luck really isn't very good today."
"Brave Bird!"
Flareon had already accumulated two Speed boosts through Flame Charge.
After receiving Baton Pass, Staraptor inherited both boosts.
Its natural speed was already superior to Skuntank's.
Now it became even faster.
Most importantly, this Staraptor possessed the Reckless ability.
Its recoil moves would hit significantly harder.
Staraptor shot across the battlefield like a missile.
Boom!
The first Brave Bird smashed directly into Skuntank.
Before the Poison-type Pokémon could recover, a second Brave Bird followed immediately.
Bang!
Skuntank collapsed on the spot, unable to continue battling.
Hanzo shook his head helplessly.
"Using consecutive Brave Birds. You really are bold."
Austin smiled.
"You have to trust a Pokémon's potential."
"If it failed, I still had Flareon available."
"Fortunately, Staraptor held on."
He gently stroked Staraptor's feathers before rewarding it with several high-quality Oran Berry Cubes.
Staraptor immediately puffed out its chest proudly, enjoying the praise.
"Staraptor!"
Hanzo nodded thoughtfully.
"Staraptor's stamina seems noticeably better than average."
After a brief pause, he waved his hand.
"Never mind. Congratulations on passing the assessment."
"Thank you, Mr. Akihiko."
The three candidates who had stayed to watch also stepped forward to congratulate Austin. The two fans successfully obtained autographs before happily leaving.
Back at the reception desk, Nurse Joy handed Austin Black a newly issued certificate.
"Passing both the Intermediate and Senior Breeder assessments consecutively is quite impressive, Mr. Black."
"Chansey!"
"Thank you, Nurse Joy. Thank you, Chansey."
The moment Austin accepted the Senior Breeder certificate, the familiar robotic voice echoed inside his mind.
Ding!
[Senior Breeder assessment cleared.]
[Reward: Pokémon Item Draw Ticket ×3]
[Reward: Identification Eye (Intermediate)]
Ding!
[Fourth Phase Mission: Pass the Elite Breeder Assessment]
[Reward: Pokémon Item Draw Ticket ×4]
[Reward: Random Advanced Skill ×1]
Austin Black maintained a calm expression as he said goodbye to Nurse Joy.
Inside, however, he was thrilled.
Skills such as cooking, Energy cube making, and Poffin making could all be improved through repeated practice.
Identification Eye was different.
It could only be upgraded through system rewards.
Although he had hoped for an Elite-tier upgrade, or perhaps Appraisal Eye (Advanced), the Intermediate version was already enough to satisfy him.
"Then I'll be heading out."
"Take care."
After leaving the Pokémon Center, Austin Black immediately opened the updated information panel.
Identification Eye (Intermediate):
Through careful observation, you can determine a Pokémon's current mood and health condition.
(No one understands Pokémon better than you.)
Pokémon could be found everywhere in Jubilife City.
To test the upgrade, Austin casually looked at a wild Meowth grooming its fur beside the road.
The usual information remained visible.
Type.
Ability.
Moves.
But there were now two additional entries.
[Mood]: Calm
[Health Status]: Healthy, slightly hungry
Austin Black's eyes lit up.
A Pokémon's emotions and physical condition normally require extensive observation and experience to judge accurately.
The upgraded Identification Eye solved that problem immediately.
For a breeder, this was incredibly valuable.
It would greatly reduce the chances of making incorrect judgments.
Some Pokémon continued eating even after reaching fullness.
Munchlax and Teddiursa were classic examples. Without proper experience, it was easy to overfeed them. Now, Austin could accurately determine whether a Pokémon was genuinely hungry.
Overeating would become much easier to prevent.
Whether human or Pokémon, maintaining roughly eighty percent fullness was generally healthier than eating to complete capacity.
Feeding a Pokémon until it could barely move was never a good habit.
With three draw tickets remaining in his inventory, Austin Black decided to use all of them immediately.
Ding!
[Obtained Black Glasses.]
Ding!
[Obtained Good Rod.]
Ding!
[Obtained Key Stone.]
"..."
For a moment, Austin Black simply stood there.
Sometimes, the fewer words the system used, the greater the reward.
This was one of those moments.
Key Stone: A mysterious stone containing special energy. When paired with a compatible Mega Stone, it allows a Pokémon to undergo Mega Evolution.
Mega Stones existed for many different Pokémon species.
A trainer needed the correct Mega Stone for the corresponding Pokémon.
But a Key Stone was the universal prerequisite. At this moment, Austin Black already possessed both a Key Stone and the Diancite. The only thing missing was Diancie itself.
Otherwise, he would have immediately tested Mega Evolution. Fortunately, his Super Human Physique gave him confidence. At the very least, he would not collapse from energy drain.
Unfortunately, Mega Stones were almost impossible to purchase on the open market. If he wanted additional ones, he would likely have to seek help from Steven or Professor Sycamore.
The remaining rewards were less exciting.
Good Rod: A reliable fishing rod capable of catching Pokémon when used near bodies of water.
Black Glasses: An item that increases the power of Dark-type moves when held.
Austin had no immediate plans to catch Water-type Pokémon.
After all, he was still busy raising Feebas.
As for the Black Glasses, none of his current Pokémon could fully utilize them. For now, they would remain in storage. At worst, they could be used as fashion accessories.
Ryu or Drakloak would probably look quite stylish wearing them.
Fashion design for Pokémon was an actual industry, after all.
Just as Austin was considering his next plans, the system suddenly issued another notification.
Ding!
[Rare Pokémon detected within the current city...]
. . .
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