Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom-Chapter 427 - 426: The Breeders’ Guild

That night, as darkness fell, Cain silently left the hotel.

Although the black market is not exclusive to nighttime, it truly comes alive after dark. Many resources and people only make their appearances once the sun sets.

Cain wore the same outfit as before, except that this time he was accompanied by Sneasel instead of Murkrow.

With Cain's current strength and Sneasel's combat prowess, many people in the black market streets preferred to steer clear when crossing paths with him. After all, these were individuals living on the edge of danger, and they had a keen sense for detecting threats.

Cain headed directly to the Pokémon exchange area of the Hunters' Guild.

He had accumulated a large number of hunter points, and exchanging them for basic Pokémon didn't require many points.

Under the astonished gazes of the guild workers, Cain exchanged for a substantial number of water-type Pokémon.

Ten Psyduck of varying quality, ranging from dark yellow to light green. He exchanged a few more Poliwag, obtaining a total of twenty. Tentacool, Magikarp, Goldeen, Krabby, and Staryu—he acquired ten of each.

The largest amount was Shellder, of which he obtained thirty. Moreover, Shellder had the highest average quality among all the Pokémon he exchanged for.

As for Seel and Horsea, which were slightly more valuable, he only exchanged five of each.

In total, he spent five million hunter points. Fortunately, the Pokémon had relatively low quality and levels, so they weren't too expensive. If he had exchanged for high-quality Pokémon, one or two might have depleted all his points.

His current priority was to enrich the variety of water-type Pokémon in his lake. As for their quality, as a breeder, he could improve it through selection and adjustments over time, though it would require more patience.

Many of the Pokémon in the lake would be available for capture by others, as long as they paid a fee.

He planned to build a lake with a wide diversity of aquatic Pokémon from various regions, which would not only enhance the fame of his gym but also attract more travelers and trainers to Leafy Town.

However, it was a monumental project. Without the Hunters' Guild, Cain could never have completed it on his own.

The Hoenn Hunters' Guild had Pokémon from Kanto, but exchanging them in Hoenn came at a slightly higher price. A single trade might not matter much, but in large quantities, the difference was significant.

Cain packed his bag to the brim with minimized Poké Balls and, with some reluctance, left the Hunters' Guild.

Five million points—if he had used them to trade for high-quality Pokémon, he could have obtained one light-blue-quality Pokémon with decent abilities and moves.

For reference, Cain's Poliwag with the Swift Swim ability cost six million points.

As his hunter rank increased, so did the value of his points.

For now, however, this was an initial investment. Cain was buying time with his points—he couldn't afford to capture all those water Pokémon himself.

If his hunting team grew in the future, it might become possible, but not right now.

To Cain, nothing was more valuable than time.

He left the black market and returned to the hotel. Letting his Pokémon play, he sat on the bed and began to meditate.

Cain could now replace sleep with meditation. Although nighttime meditation mainly focused on restoring mental energy, it also helped slowly improve his psychic abilities.

At the same time, it enhanced his control over these abilities.

Pokémon like Honchkrow and Slowking, among Cain's earliest captures, no longer enjoyed small spaces as much. With their maturing minds, they preferred watching other Pokémon play, which improved their moods.

Sneasel, with its cold and prideful nature, often sat alone, playing with an ice ball it created.

Skorupi and Miltank got along well with Torchic, Aron, and Poliwag. Despite its ferocity in battle, Skorupi was still young and enjoyed playing with them.

Miltank had practically become the group's caretaker, looking after the three youngsters.

She relished this role; now with so many companions, she felt content and had little interest in battle.

As the night progressed, Honchkrow stepped in to remind everyone it was time to rest.

The other Pokémon complied without issue, and with its evolution, Honchkrow commanded more respect.

Not only was it the big brother figure, but it was also one of Cain's strongest Pokémon. Additionally, it had always been a leader, so the others respected it.

...

The night passed quietly, as usual.

Morning.

At the Breeders' Guild branch in Saffron City.

A young trainer dressed in Pokémon League attire, accompanied by a Torchic, arrived at the location.

He gazed at the tall and unique structure, which was, in fact, the Saffron City branch of the Breeders' Guild.

Although it was a public organization established by the League, most of the breeder-related activities were managed by this guild.

Cain's mentor, Matsuda Takashi, held an honorary position as an elder in the Breeders' Guild.

It was a title without real power but indicated Matsuda Takashi's high status in the breeding profession.

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Had Matsuda Takashi not been so absorbed in his experiments and uninterested in politics, he could have easily secured a position with actual authority in the guild—perhaps even as vice president.

The Saffron City branch was one of the most important in the Breeders' Guild.

The guild's headquarters, like the League's, was located on Mt. Silver, right next to the League's headquarters. This highlighted the guild's high status as a public organization.

After all, breeders were an invaluable resource for the Pokémon League. They were one of the key reasons the League had grown so much.

The Breeders' Guild, along with the Pokémon Centers run by the Joy family, the police stations run by the Jenny family, the League's Research Officers, and the city gyms, formed the five main components of the League.

One of the reasons the League was structured with a Champion and the Elite Four was precisely because it consisted of these five parts.

Aside from the Champion overseeing the Research Officers and other general aspects, each of the Elite Four managed one of these key components.

(End of Chapter)