"Gym Leader Roxanne must be here to recruit new staff for her Gym."
Silas, squeezed out of the crowd, quietly stepped aside.
Of course, a Gym couldn't run with just its Leader. While the Alliance provided standard staff, it was up to the Leader to personally recruit apprentices and fill various roles.
As expected, Roxanne, encircled by admirers, simply raised her hand and the noisy hall instantly fell silent. The presence of a Gym Leader was nothing to take lightly.
"Everyone here is a talent of the Alliance, and residents of Rustboro City. The Gym is about to open, and we are urgently hiring new people."
Though young, Roxanne's tone carried the polish of official speech. Her way of making promises and inspiring enthusiasm was first-class.
Nearby, Nurse Joy had jogged over to greet her.
"Hello, Nurse Joy!"
Silas silently observed. In the corner, he noticed Joy's usual gentle demeanor hadn't changed, though a group of men had clustered around her as well.
When Silas approached, their gazes turned sharp with hostility.
He only smiled politely, offered a greeting, and stepped away-choosing the stairs over the packed elevator as he left the Breeders' Guild.
'The results won't be out until tomorrow. Perfect time to review the assessment records from previous years.'
Back at the Pokémon Center, Silas carried Eevee in his arms. The normally busy hall was quiet now, most of the crowd still at the Guild.
He returned to his room and resumed reviewing.
Late into the night, eyelids heavy, he was jolted awake by the sudden ding-dong from his Pokédex.
Silas hurriedly flipped it open.
"Dear Trainer Silas, you have passed the Breeders' Guild's basic exam. Please return tomorrow for the next stage."
His lips curved into a smile. Though his knowledge reserves were far from perfect, his unusual memory had once again carried him through.
"Let's hope tomorrow goes smoothly."
At ease, Silas finally drifted off to sleep.
But across Rustboro City that night-whether in hotels or the Pokémon Center-countless others surely lay restless.
A basic test alone had eliminated ninety percent of the applicants.
Becoming a Breeder was not just difficult-it was nearly impossible for ordinary civilians under the Alliance's monopoly on knowledge.
If Silas hadn't gained secondary clearance from the Alliance and backing from Petalburg Gym, he would likely have failed as well.
"I flipped through the Alliance's history books. Every page sang of honor and glory, yet all I could see between the lines was one word-cannibalism."
The bitter thought escaped him like an echo of his past life.
....
The next morning.
The Breeders' Guild was noticeably quieter than the day before.
After showing his trainer ID and the notification on his Pokédex, Silas was led by a staff member to a small room on the second floor.
"This is the waiting room. When your name is called, you'll take the test individually through that door." The middle-aged attendant pointed to a smaller exam room inside.
Only four others were present. To Silas's surprise, among them were Nurse Joy from the Pokémon Center, and the elderly man he'd met in the elevator yesterday.
"Good morning, Miss Joy. Good morning, sir," Silas greeted with a smile as he sat down.
The last candidate was a man in his twenties. Though Silas didn't know him, he nodded politely in greeting.
The man only snorted in contempt, turning his head away.
Silas didn't mind. Better to focus elsewhere. He struck up a conversation with the old man instead.
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking ,why are you taking the test at your age?"
The man, dressed finely and clearly from a wealthy background, smiled with a ruddy face. "Haha! I'm only eighty years old. The perfect age to start making a living!"
Nurse Joy laughed softly at the jest. "Don't listen to Grandpa Fushan's nonsense, Silas. He's only here to avoid taxes!"
Silas blinked, intrigued.
Further questions revealed the old man was actually a shareholder of a local battle club. Wealth wasn't his issue at all. He simply wanted to dodge the massive inheritance taxes mandated by the Alliance.
Under Alliance law, estates passed to heirs were heavily taxed. But certified Breeders enjoyed a host of privileges-one of them being exemption from such levies.
Silas couldn't help but admire him. "Still striving at eighty, huh?"
Soon, more candidates entered-most in their thirties. Joy acted as the bridge between them, keeping the group's mood light. After all, this exam was about screening, not direct elimination. Few treated one another as enemies.
Naturally, Silas's youthful appearance drew attention.
"What? You're only seventeen? Remarkable!" Old Master Fushan exclaimed.
Others stared in surprise.
Nurse Joy's eyes widened as well. But inwardly, she was already planning to send word of Silas to her family.
'This boy has potential. Even if he fails, he could still be worth drawing in.'
Still, she instinctively rated his chances of passing at nearly zero. Seventeen-year-old Breeders were vanishingly rare and almost always from established families. Across all regions, fewer than three passed each year.
If Silas truly succeeded, he'd be a once-in-a-century talent.
But as Joy considered these things, she remained outwardly gentle and elegant, her smile never fading.
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(End of chapter)