Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom-Chapter 429 - 428: Flint’s Hundredth Evaluation

Cain, 16 years old, takes the beginner breeder evaluation.

"Sixteen years old?" The middle-aged man appeared surprised.

He glanced at Cain's height and appearance.

Cain now stood a little over 1.70 meters tall, which matched his age of sixteen.

However, becoming a beginner breeder at sixteen was uncommon.

After all, a breeder was not the same as a trainer.

A trainer only needed to know a little about Pokémon and have one capable of battling to qualify as a trainer.

But a breeder was different.

A breeder had to be far more knowledgeable about Pokémon than a trainer, at least knowing most Pokémon and being familiar with their characteristics.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to create the appropriate Pokéblocks or provide other services.

Although breeders primarily focused on creating Pokéblocks, they also needed to know about Pokémon massages and treating minor ailments.

The higher the breeder's level, the more knowledge they were required to have.

This is why trainers could be quite young, but breeders were typically older.

They needed time to accumulate knowledge, experience, and insights.

The more they accumulated, the more they could master.

So, while sixteen was an appropriate age for a trainer, it was quite young for a breeder.

It was rare for someone to become a breeder at sixteen unless they had a relative who was a breeder and had trained them from a young age.

Or they might be a disciple of a prominent family with extensive knowledge reserves.

Otherwise, mastering enough knowledge by the age of sixteen wasn't easy.

"Yes." Cain nodded.

Cain, of course, understood what it meant to be a sixteen-year-old breeder.

But at the moment, he was only taking the beginner breeder evaluation. Passing the intermediate breeder evaluation later would genuinely shock people.

That was one of the main reasons old Matsuda had Cain register for the breeder evaluation.

The middle-aged man initially wanted to say something but decided against it after recalling Cain's results in the basic exam.

"Come with me."

With that, he turned and signaled Cain to follow him.

They arrived in a room where four people were seated: a young woman of about 25 or 26 years old, a boy who appeared to be around 18, and a middle-aged man clearly in his 30s.

The man with glasses turned to Cain and said, "This is the waiting room for the evaluation. Sit here and wait for your name to be called." Then, taking Cain's test and registration form, he left for another room.

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Cain found a spot in a corner and sat quietly.

He discreetly observed the three people in the room; they were probably there for the beginner breeder evaluation too.

The middle-aged man, clearly in his 30s, didn't seem like it was his first time here; his firm expression radiated calmness and composure.

As for the 25- or 26-year-old woman, she appeared nervous, likely because it was her first time in an evaluation—understandable given her age.

The boy, on the other hand, didn't show much reaction.

Cain was surprised by the 18-year-old; participating in a beginner breeder evaluation at that age wasn't easy.

While Cain was observing the others, they were also observing him. It was evident at first glance that Cain was the youngest, which surprised everyone, given that he had made it to the breeder evaluation room.

However, since they didn't know each other, they sat quite far apart and didn't start a conversation.

Breeder evaluations weren't competitions; the goal wasn't to eliminate others but to assess their skills.

So, there was no hostility among them.

After a while, the door to the room the man with glasses had entered opened, and out came a man about 28 or 29 years old with his head bowed and an air of dejection.

The man with glasses patted him on the shoulder from time to time to console him. "Don't worry. You can try again next time. You were just a little short, but you still need to strengthen your knowledge of Pokémon."

Clearly, this was someone who had failed the evaluation.

He left the room silently, without looking back.

"Next, Meiko!"

"Yes!" The nervous young woman jumped to her feet upon hearing her name.

"Don't worry. Your professor says you won't have any trouble; just do it as you always do," the man with glasses encouraged her.

This left only three people in the room: Cain, the boy of about 18, and the composed middle-aged man.

After the young woman entered, the room became even quieter.

Suddenly, the middle-aged man stood and approached the 18-year-old boy as if he wanted to talk to him, but the boy completely ignored him.

So, the man resignedly backed off. Upon standing, he glanced at Cain, sitting farther back, hesitating for a moment before moving to sit beside him.

Cain had been observing his movements, and when the man sat beside him, Cain couldn't help but frown.

"Hello, young man. My name is Flint. This might be my last attempt at the beginner breeder evaluation. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this, and I'd be better off returning to being a trainer. It might be a bold request, but would you mind giving me your contact information as a keepsake?" Flint said.

Hearing this, Cain was visibly startled. "Flint?"

"Yes, Flint. Would you grant me this wish? I've already collected the contacts of 99 people who took the evaluation with me, and I just need one more to reach 100. It will be my final memory as a breeder before dedicating myself fully to being a trainer."

But Cain barely paid attention to this. "Flint?"

Could it be a coincidence?

Because Cain remembered that Brock's father was also named Flint and was a Gym Leader.

The Pewter City Gym Leader in the Kanto region, the Rock-type trainer Flint? Could this guy have also tried to become a breeder?

"Are you from Pewter City?" Cain couldn't help but ask.

The man, with short hair, thick eyebrows, and squinted eyes, bore a 90% resemblance to Brock.

Flint was also surprised by Cain's question. "Yes, young man. Have you been to Pewter City?"

Apparently, this Flint was indeed the Pewter City Gym Leader, Brock's irresponsible father.

He was already a Gym Leader, and yet he kept coming to the breeder evaluation? What a waste.

(End of Chapter)