Chapter 101: A Mutual Agreement

Maki agreed to join the Breeder Association primarily because Carsten's offer was simply too good to refuse—so good, in fact, that turning it down would have felt like a loss.

After all, the vast majority of Pokémon Breeders had already registered with the association for good reason. While there were certainly restrictions, the benefits far outweighed them. Not to mention, Maki had been granted even more flexible terms compared to the standard membership.

As for those who chose not to join the association, most belonged to influential families—like the renowned Joy family.

Given the close relationship between the Pokémon League and the Breeder Association, Maki knew that joining the association would be far more beneficial than detrimental for his future in the League. After all, any advantage, no matter how small, was still an advantage.

Of course, the biggest reason for his decision remained the incredible deal Carsten had put on the table.

Furthermore, through the Breeder Association, Maki was able to discern certain underlying issues within the League itself.

Although the League and the Breeder Association weren't entirely synonymous, they operated on a similar structure. In many ways, the association functioned as a subsidiary of the League.

The fact that Team Rocket had managed to infiltrate the League to such an extent couldn't solely be attributed to their own efforts. The League had, whether knowingly or unknowingly, contributed to the situation—a true case of mutual involvement.

Carsten, relieved by Maki's acceptance, finally let out a breath of relief. He had mentally prepared for a prolonged negotiation, but it seemed this kid was surprisingly reasonable.

"If you're free right now, why don't you come with us to the association?" Carsten suggested. "After all, without tangible proof of your skills, it'd be difficult to make good on the promises I made earlier. Besides, we have a Vice President here as well."

With that, he cast a glance at Kade, making his meaning crystal clear.

"As long as this kid can back up his words with results, I won't go back on mine," Kade responded with a snort. He was already used to Carsten's snark, so he simply brushed it off. If he had let himself get worked up over it, he'd have died from frustration long ago.

"No problem," Maki replied. Since he had already agreed, there was no reason to hold back anymore—especially with such favorable conditions laid out for him.

Recalling his Charmeleon and Cottonee into their Poké Balls, Maki made a mental note. Although Charmeleon preferred being outside, he needed to get used to staying in his Poké Ball occasionally.

It wasn't much of an issue now, but once he evolved into Charizard, constantly staying outside wouldn't be very practical.

Besides, in a wild environment, resting inside a Poké Ball would help him conserve energy and maintain focus—something that would only benefit Charmeleon in the long run.

Fortunately, Charmeleon wasn't at the stage where he outright rejected being inside his Poké Ball. A little coaxing was all it took for him to comply.

"How did the discussion go?"

As Maki, Carsten, and Kade stepped out of the room, Leah greeted them with a bright smile. It was clear she hadn't actually left to handle Gym-related duties as she had claimed earlier—rather, she had been waiting here the whole time.

One thing was certain: Leah took her role as a Gym Leader seriously.

Carsten, in a particularly good mood, didn't seem bothered by her lingering presence. He simply nodded in acknowledgment before preparing to leave.

"No issues. We're heading to the Breeder Association now for testing and registration," he said.

Maki shrugged. He appreciated Leah's concern—it was a nice feeling. If not for the fact that he already had Sabrina, he might have considered himself on the path to becoming a true lady's man.

"Wait! You haven't registered your Gym Badge yet!" Leah suddenly reminded him.

Maki blinked. Now that she mentioned it, he had completely forgotten that his visit to Celadon Gym was originally to obtain a badge.

"…Uh, does that mean I'll have to challenge the Gym again if I don't register it today?"

"No need. I'll let the staff know. Just bring the Rainbow Badge to them later, and they'll handle the rest."

Leah seemed to understand that Maki was busy at the moment, so she made things easier for him.

"Thanks, Gym Leader Leah."

"Oh, come on~ It's no big deal! And if you ever have free time, drop by the Gym and hang out with Erika. She still has a lot of questions for you. Also…" Leah hesitated for a moment before adding, "Since you and Erika are friends now, just call me Leah—no, actually, just call me 'Big Sis Leah.' I don't look that old, do I?"

She suddenly realized that Jasmine had been rubbing off on her—she had almost referred to herself as an "aunt." But no way! She was still young! Even Erika's dad said so!

"…Alright, Leah—Big Sis."

Maki barely managed to force out the words before quickly making his escape with Carsten and Kade.

"Don't forget to visit Erika often!" Leah called out, waving as Maki disappeared from sight.

"You've got quite the network," Carsten noted with an odd expression.

This should have been Maki's first time at Celadon Gym, yet he had already built such strong connections?

"Uh… Maybe it's because I'm just naturally good-looking?"

Maki gave himself a completely unconvincing excuse while nodding confidently.

Carsten was at a loss for words.

Sure, Maki might be a genius, but was he also… a bit narcissistic?

Then again, geniuses did tend to have their quirks.

Carsten took another look at the boy beside him. Now that he thought about it… Maki did have the kind of appearance that girls might find attractive.

Compared to the short walk from the Pokémon Center to the Gym, the Breeder Association was located a bit farther away. Walking was certainly an option, but Maki had a feeling that the two older men wouldn't appreciate it.

That was when the two top-tier Breeders decided to flex their true strength—financial power.

As Maki stared at the luxury car parked before them, his eyelid twitched.

"…Are all Pokémon Breeders this rich?"

"If you want, once you become a top Breeder, you'll have plenty of wealthy sponsors lining up to gift you cars like these," Carsten said, narrowing his eyes as if tempting Maki with the prospect.

He clearly wasn't giving up on persuading Maki to fully embrace the Breeder path.

"…We'll see when the time comes," Maki replied nonchalantly.

Carsten simply smirked. There was still plenty of time—sooner or later, he'd get Maki on the right track.

And with that, the group boarded the luxury car and made their way to the Breeder Association.

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