Chapter 145:

"Yeah, it took quite some effort," Cain replied, smiling.

Indeed, he had to purchase a Miltank to provide food for the young Skorupi. Although Miltank had successfully integrated into the team, there was no denying that it was initially purchased for Skorupi's sake.

Cain took a bottle of Miltank milk from his ring, inserted a straw, and placed it next to Skorupi.

The Pokémon's eyes narrowed into crescent shapes, and it happily hugged the glass bottle with its two pincers, drinking eagerly while resting on the armrest of the seat. Clearly, the milk was more important than the peculiar stranger across from it.

Seeing the Miltank milk, Steven's eyes lit up. "Miltank milk? Did you buy it in Goldenrod City? I ordered a lot a few days ago. I couldn't carry it all, so they'll deliver it to my house."

He also understood why Skorupi had developed so well—Miltank milk was the key.

"It's not from Goldenrod City. My Miltank produced it. Here, you can try it," Cain said, taking another bottle of milk from his ring and handing it to Steven.

Without any hesitation, Steven took the bottle, opened the cap, and started drinking.

He chugged half the bottle in one go, licked the milk off his lips, and asked, "Why does this taste even better than the milk from the Miltank farm?"

Cain looked at Steven, who had completely abandoned his earlier elegance, and found him much more approachable.

He couldn't help but smile wryly, thinking that this was not how a scion from a prestigious family should behave.

"It's indeed a bit different. I made the Pokéblocks for my Miltank myself. The milk is more nutritious, so they've ordered a lot from me. But since I can't produce that much on my own, their Miltank haven't caught up yet. That's probably why this milk tastes better," Cain explained.

A scion like Steven, from a prominent family, wouldn't care about his Pokéblocks. However, unintentionally, Cain had piqued his interest.

Steven hurriedly asked, "You made them yourself? Are you a Pokémon Breeder?"

Cain hesitated for a moment but ultimately nodded.

Steven pulled out a Pokeball and released a Metang.

"Can you make special Pokéblocks for my Metang? We can discuss the price," Steven said, patting the metallic creature.

"..."

"Wait, I haven't even mentioned the quality of the Pokéblocks yet. Would you accept basic ones?"

It wasn't really Steven's fault; he was born into a prominent family and had only ever used high-quality Pokéblocks for his Metang. Lately, though, he felt that the regular high-quality Pokéblocks were no longer sufficient, which was why he wanted Cain to customize some for him.

It wasn't that Devon Corp couldn't hire elite breeders; Steven simply didn't want the standard Pokéblocks. He wanted custom ones tailored to his preferences and training goals to ensure his Metang's optimal development. However, finding a top-tier breeder with such capabilities wasn't easy, and their fees were exorbitant. Initially, he planned to ask his father for help once he got home but unexpectedly met Cain on the Magnet train and asked on impulse.

Seeing Cain's expression, Steven realized he might have been hasty. Cain looked too young to craft high-quality Pokéblocks, so Steven scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Ahaha, I mean... I was talking about high-quality Pokéblocks."

"I can do it."

"No worries, with your talent, you'll definitely be able to make high-quality Poke... What?" Steven paused, as if he hadn't heard clearly.

"I said I can do it. Tell me your requirements, and I'll give you a price," Cain said calmly.

"Uh, high-quality Pokéblocks?" Steven asked again for confirmation.

Cain nodded reluctantly, "It's my teacher who can make them."

It was indeed shocking for someone his age to craft high-quality Pokéblocks, but Cain didn't want to miss the chance to work with Steven.

Steven's family was vastly different from Whitney's. Although both were heirs to influential families, Steven's family was at least a hundred times more powerful. Moreover, while Whitney's family was still under her grandfather's control, Steven held the most power in his family besides his father.

As the eldest son and heir, the Stone family raised Steven in a very open environment, unconcerned with his friends or his Pokemon's training progress.

As long as Steven grew up normally, a weak Pokemon wasn't an issue. They could simply buy the best Pokemon and invest enough money to create several Champion-level Pokemon to represent the company. The Stone family was grooming Steven to be the next CEO, not a trainer. After all, a powerful trainer wasn't something the Devon Corporation valued.

Steven's rise to becoming a Champion was undoubtedly due to his extraordinary talent as a trainer. He possessed unique insights into Pokemon training and battle strategies. With just a little help from his family's resources, he quickly became the Champion of the Hoenn region.

As a result, Steven later passed on his title as Hoenn region Champion to Wallace, because for him, becoming a champion was little more than a game.

Indeed, many people would struggle and risk their lives for a chance at an Elite Four seat, but for Steven, being a champion was merely a side gig.

Some might want to punch him for saying it out loud, but that's just how powerful the Devon Corporation was.

Haven't you seen them ordering customized high-grade Pokéblocks? Those things are worth a fortune.

"Oh, so your teacher? You scared me! But at your age, being able to craft your own basic Pokéblocks is quite impressive," Steven said with a look of sudden realization.

"..."

Who said he could only make basic Pokéblocks?

But the misunderstanding was fine; at least it didn't draw any particular attention. At his age, not many people could make basic Pokéblocks, but it wasn't impossible.

Many disciples of renowned breeders could do it.

Steven must have thought that Cain was a disciple of a famous breeder.

Cain's gaze fell on the metallic creature beside Steven, an unevolved form of the Hoenn region's pseudo-legendary Metagross. This was his first time seeing one in this life.