Chapter 9

Shozo was a Master breeder, who had become a top breeder in his early years. Even now, he held an important position in the Breeder Headquarters.

At the same time, he was also the teacher of Willow Joy, who came from the Joy family and showed exceptional talent for breeding from a young age.

"I remember the best record in the Breeder Headquarters should be passing the Junior Breeder assessment at the age of ten?"

Looking at Darren and Willow Joy next to him, Master Shozo smiled slightly, looking forward to their assessment.

As a Master breeder, he naturally knew how difficult it was for a child who had just turned ten to pass the Junior Breeder assessment. But it was precisely because of this that the amazing talents of Darren and the others could be revealed.

Take the Joy family, for example. Every nurse Joy stationed at the Pokémon Center was at least an intermediate breeder, and their average age for passing the Junior Breeder assessment was usually around fourteen or fifteen, even with formal education within the Joy family.

So far, the youngest junior breeder who has passed the assessment was ten years old, which is the highest record since breeding became a formal profession. People who end up becoming breeders at the age of ten are as cherished the same as a rare Pokemon.

Willow Joy was a normal child with a good background who had been exposed to a lot of knowledge from an early age. After showing her talent, her family even hired a personal tutor for her. It was reasonable for her to have the level of a junior breeder at the age of ten.

But Darren was a little scary.

Shozo was an experienced person who could tell from Darren's growth and clothing habits that he didn't come from a good background. But it was precisely because of this that he had to admire Darren's talent.

There is a big difference between having a famous teacher and self-study.

Talents are born in different places. As he watched Darren, Shozo admired him and had some appreciation for his talent.

If possible, he hoped to take Darren as his disciple and pass on his knowledge to him.

The difference between Darren and Willow Joy was that Darren was an ordinary person, while Willow had her entire family behind her. Shozo was only invited to teach her basic knowledge, a teacher and student relationship.

As for passing on his secret techniques as a master, that could only be done with formal discipleship. Shozo was a very traditional old man.

Of course, Darren was only his unexpected discovery. How to choose depended on Darren's character, background, and his own examination. So far, he was just optimistic about Darren.

"Teacher?"

Master Shozo, who was lost in thought, gave a slight cough, and Willow noticed that the atmosphere seemed a bit awkward now.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm getting old and my mind can't keep up sometimes, haha." Master Shozo stretched lazily and appeared somewhat relaxed, without the imposing aura of a top Master.

"Are you traveling alone, Darren? Do you want to travel with us? We're all going to take the assessment, so it's good to have someone to watch out for each other." Master Shozo looked around and suggested.

Upon hearing this, Darren was taken aback.

There was no reason to refuse.

For him, an invitation from a top master was an opportunity. For someone from a poor place like Darren, this journey could be the most important turning point in his life.

"It's my honor to travel with Master Shozo," Darren replied.

Hearing Darren's answer, Shozo smiled proudly, and Willow also turned her gaze towards Darren, wanting to see what this same-aged breeder had up his sleeve.

"Haha, okay then. We still have some time before we arrive in Lilycove City. How about I give you guys a test?" Shozo suddenly had the urge to test Darren's true level.

Naturally, Darren and Willow Joy couldn't refuse.

Thus, Shozo led the two kids into a room and began to ask questions one after another. Fortunately, although the questions were tricky, they were still within the scope of a junior breeder. Darren managed to handle most of the ten questions.

As Shozo kept asking questions, he also got a better understanding of the two kids' situation.

If there was any difference between Willow and Darren, it might be their level of knowledge reserve.

Willow had her education and strong background, and the knowledge and practical ability she gained were far beyond what Darren could compare with.

But Darren had better comprehension and logical reasoning abilities than Willow. In other words, he had a smart brain that worked quickly with strong logical reasoning.

"You are both very outstanding. The Junior Breeder assessment can't stump you." Shozo smiled, pleased with Darren's performance. Although he directed the praise towards both of them, he was mainly targeting Darren, as Willow was his student and he already knew her level.

"Amazing!" Willow also expressed her admiration for Darren.

For the first time, this young girl was impressed by someone her age. Darren's knowledge was amazing to her.

After a moment of silence, looked at these two exceptionally talented newcomers with some sighs. In recent years, there had been many outstanding trainers, but the field of breeders was lacking.

Now, with the emergence of a new generation of excellent talent, as a senior in the breeding community, Shozo felt very relieved.

After thinking for a moment, Master Shozo posed another question to the two newcomers: "What do you think a breeder is?"

This question was different from the previous one, and both of them were surprised.

After a few seconds of contemplation, Darren tried to answer, "A trainer who helps Pokemon grow perfectly?"

Willow's answer was similar to Darren's.

Nodding, smiled and said, "Not bad, but would you like to hear my opinion?"

"Of course," Darren and Willow said in unison.

After a moment of consideration, Master began to speak, "In my opinion, a breeder includes many things. What you said about helping Pokemon grow perfectly is one of the signs of a breeder. But being a breeder is not just that simple. In fact, each breeder specializes in different areas. In Joy's family, for example, they have achieved great success in medical care and maintenance. The top breeders in this category can master the habits of Pokemon, prepare the most perfect growth plans for them, and the Pokemon they breed are in no way inferior to the top trainers' main forces. Some people can even look at the development of Pokemon and see their potential and talent at a glance."

"Master Ian is the most well-known among them, as he had the ability to select a starter Pokemon for novice trainers with just a single look. As a result, some of these trainers went on to join the prestigious Elite Four, while others achieved great success in various other roles."

"There is also Master Ayaro. His greatest achievement was teaching a Munchlax that had been abandoned due to its poor talent nearly forty moves, spanning multiple types."

"So, in my opinion, every breeder is an incredible person."

chuckled.

"What about you, Master?!" Darren asked instinctively after hearing these examples.

"I? I have always been studying Pokemon genetics," said without hesitation.