Jubilife Pokemon Center
The examiner, an elder named Caspian, was also a Senior Breeder.
Most of the Pokemon used by examinees were cared for by Caspian and his team.
According to his assessment of Flareon's strength, Roserade using Synthesis should have been able to outlast Flareon.
However, Flareon's Fire-type moves seemed to have increased in power, causing Caspian to make an incorrect judgment.
"Go, Skuntank!"
Appraisal (Intermediate) quickly allowed Wayne to learn Skuntank's Ability and moves.
[Name]: Skuntank
[Type]: Poison, Dark
[Ability]: Stench (Has a chance to make the opponent flinch when dealing damage.)
[Moves]: Flamethrower, Poison Gas, Bite, Focus Energy, Venoshock...
[Strength Rating]: Veteran (Beginner)
Wayne could tell this was a Pokemon that favored using poison-based attacks.
That's why Wayne said the Senior Breeder assessment also involved some element of luck.
Among those hundred or so Poke Balls, there should have been some Veteran -level Pokemon, but Wayne had drawn two Superior-level ones.
Fortunately, Flareon had a type advantage against Roserade, and Staraptor with Baton Pass was also quite viable.
According to Wayne's estimation, the elder named Caspian would definitely not use Flamethrower.
He would likely use Poison Gas first, making close-range contact temporarily impossible.
"Skuntank, Poison Gas!"
"Flareon, Flamethrower!"
Wayne's luck wasn't particularly favorable.
Although Flareon's Flamethrower connected, Flareon was also hit by Poison Gas, its face turning purple as it entered a poisoned state.
The other examinees watching from the sidelines exclaimed, "What bad luck—it actually hit!"
But it wasn't a major problem. As a Breeder, how could Wayne not carry Antidotes?
"Flareon, eat it!"
There was no rule against using medicine during battle anyway, and Flareon wasn't holding any items.
Seeing Wayne give Flareon the medicine, Mr. Caspian nodded slightly. This was also part of the test.
"One more time, Flame Charge!"
"Mia!"
After leaping up and consuming the medicine, Flareon unleashed Flame Charge with all its might!
Flareon, engulfed in flames, once again slammed into Skuntank.
However, Skuntank merely grinned, only retreating slightly.
Mr. Caspian chuckled. "That move's power isn't sufficient, young man."
Wayne's lips curled slightly.
"Thanks for the reminder. Flareon, Baton Pass!"
Flareon let out a long howl, instantly transforming into a red light and returning to its Poke Ball, replaced by Staraptor!
Seeing Staraptor, Mr. Caspian sighed. "My luck really isn't favorable."
"Staraptor, Brave Bird!"
Flareon had already boosted its Speed twice with Flame Charge, and Staraptor's Speed was already superior to Skuntank's.
Staraptor's Speed reached a new peak!
This was a Staraptor with the Reckless Ability.
With its Speed advantage, Staraptor used two consecutive Brave Bird attacks to take down Skuntank on the spot.
Mr. Caspian said helplessly, "Consecutive Brave Bird—you really are bold."
Wayne smiled. "You have to believe in Pokemon's potential. If it hadn't worked, I still had Flareon, but fortunately Staraptor persevered."
Wayne gently stroked Staraptor's feathers and then gave it several Oran Berry Cubes.
Mr. Caspian nodded. "Staraptor's stamina seems better than usual. Never mind—congratulations on passing the assessment."
"Thank you, Mr. Caspian."
The three people who came to observe also congratulated Wayne. The two fans obtained Wayne's autograph and then departed.
Nurse Joy presented Wayne with his Senior Breeder certificate.
"Passing both the Intermediate and Senior assessments consecutively—that's very impressive, Mr. Wayne."
"Thank you, Nurse Joy, Chansey."
The moment Wayne received the Senior Breeder certificate, the robotic female voice resonated in Wayne's mind once again.
[Ding! Detected Senior Breeder assessment passed. Reward: Pokemon Item Draw Ticket × 3, Appraisal (Intermediate)]
[Fourth Stage Mission]: Pass the Master Level Breeder assessment
[Reward]: Pokemon Item Draw Ticket × 4, Random Skill (Advanced)
Wayne bid farewell to Nurse Joy with an unperturbed expression, but his heart was ecstatic.
Skills like cooking, Energy Cube making, and Poffin making could be upgraded by accumulating proficiency, but Appraisal could not.
Although it wasn't the highly anticipated Master Level or Scan (Advanced) upgrade, Wayne was still quite satisfied.
"Then I'll take my leave."
"Take care."
After leaving the Pokemon Center, Wayne immediately checked the changes in Appraisal (Intermediate).
Appraisal (Intermediate): Through meticulous observation, one can understand a Pokemon's current mood and health status (No one understands Pokemon better than me).
If he wanted to observe Pokemon, they were everywhere—even on city streets. Wayne casually examined a wild Meowth that was licking its fur.
Meowth's type, Ability, and moves were still visible, but the panel displayed new information.
[Mood]: Calm
[Health Status]: Good, slightly hungry
To discern a Pokemon's mood and health status, one needed to observe carefully.
Upgrading Appraisal to Intermediate was extremely useful for Wayne, as it could prevent him from making incorrect judgments.
There were situations where Pokemon would continue eating even if they were full.
For example, Pokemon like Munchlax and Teddiursa, who consumed large quantities.
At such times, Wayne could clearly determine whether they were truly full or not, and overeating situations would no longer occur.
Whether for humans or Pokemon, maintaining 80% fullness at each meal was a better choice.
Feeding a Pokemon until it was 100% full wasn't beneficial—in fact, it wasn't good at all.
With three draw tickets remaining in his inventory, Wayne chose to use them all at once.
[Ding! Obtained Black Glasses.]
[Ding! Obtained Good Rod.]
[Ding! Obtained Key Stone.]
?!
As the saying goes, the fewer the words, the bigger the news.
Words could hardly express Wayne's excitement at this moment.
Key Stone: A stone containing mysterious power, capable of allowing a Pokemon holding a Mega Stone to undergo Mega Evolution.
There were many Mega Stones, usable only by specific Pokemon, but one Key Stone was sufficient.
At this point, Wayne already possessed a Key Stone plus a Diancie Mega Stone.
It was just that Wayne didn't have Diancie right now. Otherwise, he would definitely Mega Evolve it immediately.
Anyway, he had the Heavenly Aura Physique, resistant to energy absorption.
A tribute to the legendary Absorption King, Ash.
It was unfortunate that Mega Stones weren't sold on the market.
If he truly wanted to purchase one, it would probably have to be from Steven or Professor Sycamore.
Good Rod: A decent fishing rod that can catch Pokemon when used near water.
Black Glasses: Increases the power of Dark-type moves when held.
Wayne currently had no intention of catching Water-type Pokemon, and he was still raising Feebas.
The Black Glasses had average compatibility with Wayne's current Pokemon, so he would store them for now.
They could also be used as accessories, making Lucario or Drakloak look fashionable.
In the field of Pokemon styling design, there were indeed such applications.
[Ding! Rare Pokemon detected in your current city...]