The Breeder's Guild

At night, after dark, Aoki quietly left the hotel.

The black market wasn't exclusive to nighttime, but it was only after dark that the real black market came to life.

Many of the most valuable Pokémon, rare items, and underground dealings only surfaced at night.

Aoki still wore the same attire, but instead of being accompanied by Honchkrow, he now had Absol at his side.

With Aoki's current strength and Absol's formidable presence, most people instinctively avoided him as he walked through the market.

Those who lived in the underground world of Saffron City had a keen sense for danger, and Aoki exuded the kind of presence that warned others to stay out of his way.

He made his way straight to the Pokémon Exchange at the Hunter's Guild.

Aoki had accumulated a significant amount of Hunter Points, but he had only used them to exchange for common Pokémon so far, meaning the individual value of his purchases hadn't been particularly high.

Tonight, however, he was making a much larger exchange.

Under the surprised gaze of the Hunter's Guild staff, Aoki traded in his points for a large number of Water-type Pokémon.

He acquired ten Psyduck, ranging in color from deep yellow to pale green.

He exchanged for even more Poliwag, directly obtaining twenty of them.

Tentacool, Magikarp, Goldeen, Krabby, and Staryu—he got ten of each.

The largest batch, however, was Shellder. Aoki exchanged for thirty, as they had the highest average potential among all the Pokémon he had acquired.

Due to their slightly higher value, he only exchanged for five Seel and five Horsea.

Altogether, he had spent five million Hunter Points in one go.

Fortunately, since the Pokémon were all low-leveled and of relatively average potential, their cost wasn't too high.

If he had been aiming for rare, high-quality Pokémon, five million points might have only gotten him one or two with strong abilities and good traits.

For now, Aoki's priority was increasing the diversity of Pokémon in his private lake. Their individual potential could be improved later through selective breeding and training—something he, as a breeder, could handle over time.

His plan was to establish a lake filled with various regional Water-types, not only to boost his reputation as a Gym Leader but also to attract more travelers and trainers to Verdanturf Town.

However, this was a massive undertaking. Without the Hunter's Guild, Aoki wouldn't have been able to accomplish it on his own.

While the Hoenn Hunter's Guild did have Kanto Pokémon, their value in Hoenn was slightly higher due to regional demand.

The difference might not seem significant at first, but when exchanging for Pokémon in large numbers, the cost gap became noticeable.

After filling his backpack with shrunken Poké Balls—an entire bag full—Aoki left the Hunter's Guild, feeling a bit of heartache over the massive point expenditure.

Five million points could have been used to obtain a Pokémon with a cyan-level potential, decent abilities, and good moves.

For comparison, the cost of the Poliwag he had exchanged for previously was six million points.

Of course, higher-ranked Hunters could earn points at a greater value, making their purchasing power stronger.

But this was an upfront investment. Aoki was spending points to save time—he couldn't afford to waste months personally catching all the Water-types he needed.

If his own hunting group were better developed, it might have been an option, but for now, this was the most efficient approach.

For Aoki, nothing was more valuable than time.

After leaving the black market, he returned to the hotel.

Releasing his Pokémon into the room, he let them play freely while he sat on the bed and entered meditation.

At his current level, Aoki could replace sleep with meditation, which primarily restored his mental energy but also subtly improved his Psychic Powers.

At the same time, it helped him refine his control over his abilities.

His older Pokémon, such as Honchkrow and Slowking, were less inclined to play in the confined space. Having matured significantly, they often preferred to quietly observe the younger Pokémon at play rather than join in.

This kept their mood stable and content.

Sneasel, with his naturally aloof and proud demeanor, typically sat alone, forming and playing with small ice orbs.

Meanwhile, Skorupi and Miltank had no trouble keeping up with Torchic, Aron, and the Poliwag.

Skorupi, despite his fierce battle tendencies, was still young at heart. He was particularly fond of roughhousing with Torchic, matching the energetic Fire-type's enthusiasm.

Miltank, on the other hand, had nearly settled into a full-time caretaker role, looking after the younger Pokémon.

She enjoyed it—caring for others came naturally to her, and with so many companions now, she was quite satisfied with her role.

She had little interest in battles.

When it was time to wind down, Honchkrow took the lead, standing up to signal that it was time for everyone to rest.

The other Pokémon, well-disciplined by now, obediently followed his cue.

Since evolving, Honchkrow's presence had become even more commanding. His authority wasn't just based on seniority anymore—his strength placed him at the top of Aoki's team.

And even before evolving, Honchkrow had always been the team's big brother figure. The others naturally respected him.

The night passed peacefully, as usual.

A young trainer, clad in a League uniform and accompanied by a Torchic, arrived at the Breeder Assessment Center in Saffron City.

Standing at the entrance, Aoki gazed up at the imposing structure.

The center wasn't just an assessment facility—it was also the Saffron City branch of the Breeder's Guild.

Although the guild was officially affiliated with the League, it operated as an independent public organization responsible for overseeing and regulating breeders.

Aoki's mentor, Matsuda, had recently been appointed as an honorary elder in the Breeder's Guild.

While this position held no real authority, it still reflected Liu Sheng's esteemed standing in the breeding community.

If he had been more politically inclined, he could have easily vied for a more influential role—perhaps even a vice-president position.

However, Matsuda was too engrossed in his research to care about power struggles.

Saffron City's Breeder's Guild branch was one of the most important in the entire guild network.

The Breeder's Guild headquarters was located in the same place as the League's main base—Mount Silver, right next to the League HQ.

This alone demonstrated the guild's high status.

Breeders were one of the League's most valuable assets, playing a crucial role in its continued growth and success.

Alongside the Pokémon Centers run by the Joy family, the League Police under the Jenny family, the League Investigator Organization, and the official Gyms of various cities, the Breeder's Guild was considered one of the League's five core institutions.

In fact, the League's structure of a Champion and Four Elites was partially based on the presence of these five major organizations.

While the Champion oversaw the League as a whole, each Elite was typically responsible for one of the major branches.