Austin and Ethan chatted while riding in the car since there wasn't much else to do. Austin first remotely guided Ethan through a level in a game.
[Ethan]: Why haven't you been online for so long?
[Austin]: I've been training. I barely have time to check my Pokégear, let alone play games.
[Ethan]: You're also in training?! Wanna have an intense battle with the great me? My Starter, Typhlosion, has been itching for a fight!
[Austin]: Been learning cooking and breeding.
[Ethan]: ...
On the other end of the screen, Ethan's windswept, non-mainstream bangs looked even more disheveled.
[Ethan]: You're learning breeding, too? Want the great me to introduce you to a good Breeding House?]
[Austin]: My family owns one.
[Ethan]: You hateful rich second generation!
[Austin]: It was opened with borrowed money. If it fails, I'll just be a debt-ridden second-generation.
Austin and Ethan had met during Austin's travels. They became friends, and Austin became gaming buddies with Ethan.
[Ethan]: Cooking, huh… Are you any good at it?
Ethan was a total foodie who loved trying local dishes wherever he went.
To answer his question, Austin generously showed off some of the dishes his grandpa had made recently.
[Cinderwood Smoked Fish Fillet].jpg
[Sunspice Braised Lobster Claws].jpg
[Crab with Lumi Garlic Butter].jpg
[Golden Shard Hashcake].jpg
[Emberroot Stir-Fry].jpg
He sent over more than a dozen pictures in a row.
[Ethan]: Those look way too good, slurp~ Did you make them?
[Austin]: No, my grandpa did.
[Ethan]: Your grandpa cooks that well?!
[Austin]: You know Kalos's Champion, Siebold, right?
[Ethan]: Of course! The famous chef who treats battling like a side hobby!
[Austin]: My grandpa's on par with him.
Both of their chef levels were Master chefs—it was a fair comparison.
After chatting for over half an hour:
[Ethan]: Don't worry, I'll help you promote it!
Ethan also helped out at a Breeding House, though he lived far away in New Bark Town, Johto, while Austin was in Jubilife City, Sinnoh.
They were in the same field, but there was no competition between them.
Austin could easily imagine Ethan patting his chest on the other side of the screen.
Despite how goofy Ethan often seemed, he was a loyal friend.
[Austin]: Thanks, man. I'll treat you to a meal next time.
[Ethan]: It's a deal!
Just as Austin put away his Pokégear, his dad—who was staring intently at his own screen—suddenly spoke up.
"Son, do you understand what your uncle meant by setting up a video account?"
His uncle had suggested that to build the Breeding House's reputation, they needed video promotion on a bullet-screen video platform.
"Your uncle said something about the PokéStream Network, but I have no idea what that is."
Right now, the most popular site is PokéStream, headquartered in Jubilife City.
Professor Oak, Professor Rowan, Elesa, and others all had video production teams on the EeveeNet. Even Red and Green were active there, too.
Austin hadn't really dabbled in that kind of thing before, but his uncle's suggestion made sense.
"I haven't tried it yet," Austin said after a moment's thought. "I'll give it a go."
"Then I'll leave it to you, son. Dad believes in you!"
Austin sighed. "Besides that, do you know anything else?"
Leon paused, thought hard for a while, then said earnestly, "Son! Dad believes in you!"
Amanda rolled her eyes. "You struggled that long just to repeat yourself?"
Austin couldn't help but laugh.
At least his dad provided solid emotional support.
Just then, a ding sounded from his panel.
Another side quest appeared.
[I Really Didn't Want to Be an Uploader ]: Open an account on PokéStream and become an uploader to share the colorful life of the Breeding House.
[Phase One Quest]: Reach 1,000 followers.
[Quest Reward]: Slightly increases Breeding House reputation, random specialty recipe ×1, random Pokémon item gacha ticket ×1
Another specialty recipe?
He'd already experienced the magic of Smoked Oran Berry Juice, and the thought of another discovery made him genuinely excited.
Judging by how his grandpa praised the quality of the petaya berries from the system, all system products were clearly top-tier.
One thousand followers — that didn't sound too hard.
Austin chose to accept the quest.
.
After eight long hours of travel, the announcement finally came through the train speakers:
"Jubilife Station has arrived. Passengers getting off, please alight promptly."
Stepping out, Austin stretched his arms wide and took a deep breath of Jubilife's crisp, modern air.
"Come out, Ryu!"
Lucario didn't like being in its Poké Ball, but the car ride had been uncomfortable, so it had gone in temporarily. Now, the blue aura Pokémon materialized beside him, standing tall and calm as ever.
"Whoa, it's a Lucario!"
"I haven't seen one in a while."
The attention was instant. People started pulling out their Pokégears to take pictures. After all, Lucario was rare enough, and it just so happened to be one of Champion Cynthia's signature Pokémon.
"Over here!"
Austin turned toward the familiar voice. His uncle, Hanson Black, dressed sharply in a dark suit, waved at him with a broad grin.
They loaded into his uncle's new seven-seater, and once everyone was settled, Hanson started the car.
"It's about half an hour to the Breeding House," he said. "Sit tight."
The drive took them to the eastern outskirts of Jubilife City.
When the ornate front gate opened automatically, Austin's eyes widened in disbelief.
A winding stone path stretched far ahead. On either side were vast open areas — sandy terrain, lush grasslands, shimmering lakes, and even gentle hills in the distance.
Austin couldn't help but exclaim, "No way… you call this a Breeding House?"
Leon puffed his chest out proudly. "What's wrong with that? Professor Oak calls his entire back mountain his backyard."
On the train earlier, Leon had gotten himself registered on PokéStream and followed Professor Oak's official account there.
Austin's lips twitched. He's got me there… I can't even argue that.
"Wait a second," Austin said. "Do we even have that kind of money?"
Even considering the 30 million they'd borrowed from his uncle, this kind of scale was far beyond what he expected.
Uncle Hanson chuckled softly.
"It's not about money," he said. "The Mayor of Jubilee City personally supported this project, out of respect for your grandpa and me."
To be fair, his uncle wasn't exaggerating.
As a famous Pokémon-style designer, Hanson's connections were beyond impressive. And Austin's grandpa — an Elite Breeder and Master chef — was highly respected across the Alliance.
Austin blinked in surprise. "The Mayor of Jubilee City supported it?"
"Exactly," his uncle explained. "Jubilife may be prosperous, but it's been lacking a high-end Breeding House with both fame and substance. This place filled that gap perfectly."
Austin nodded, finally understanding the reasoning. Then he asked carefully, "So… how big is it exactly?"
Leon placed his hands on his hips and gave a smug grin, striking a pose fit for a Dragon-type Gym Leader.
"Not very big," he said lightly. "Just a little over one square kilometer."
"..."
Austin could only stare in speechless disbelief as Ryu gave a soft, knowing chuckle beside him.
. . .
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