Sieg took a deep breath, steadying himself, then began feeding the materials into the machine one by one.
He prioritized the items that required special processing, carefully controlling the order, quantity, and timing with ticulous precision.
His actions flowed like water, seamless and refined, without a hint of hesitation or waste.
The three examiners exchanged glances, nodding in admiration, their eyes gleaming as though they'd discovered a hidden gem.
He removed impurities, ground the ingredients into paste, refined and separated the components, blended them together, added aromatic spices, simulated molding, and finished by drying and solidifying the final product.
Every step was executed flawlessly, and just as the Pokéblock was about to form, Sieg added a special ingredient to enhance its fragrance.
In less than ten minutes, a perfectly ford Pokéblock rolled out from the machine's chute.
The examiners were visibly impressed. Abandoning formalities, they imdiately stepped closer to Sieg, eagerly picking up the Pokéblock and studying it in detail.
"Mmm, glossy sheen, smooth surface, and a rich aroma, this is top-grade quality!" said the middle-aged examiner with clear excitent.
Mr. Oswald was even more direct. Without hesitation, he pulled out a tool, scraped off a small piece of the Pokéblock, and brought it to his mouth to taste.
"A genius..."
Mr. Oswald murmured under his breath.
Seeing the head examiner voice his approval, the other two joined in with high praise.
"Indeed, his knowledge foundation may still need improvent, but given his age, his Pokéblock crafting is absolutely exceptional!"
"Kid, we've co to a unanimous decision to pass you in the junior breeder assessnt. From this mont forward, you're officially a Junior Breeder of the Rustboro Breeders' Guild!"
A 17-year-old Junior Breeder!
While a few individuals earned this title each year, those ca from across thousands of cities and regions, handpicked from an enormous pool.
And most of those cases carried so amount of favoritism, whether due to background or connections. They barely scraped through thanks to privilege.
But soone like Sieg, who passed purely on rit, was extraordinarily rare.
"Heh, kid, from today onward, you're one of us. This is your official certification."
Mr. Oswald pulled out a badge from who-knows-where, shaped like a sun. Though not as radiant as the one pinned to his own chest, it bore the mark of recognition.
Engraved beneath in fine script were the words: Junior Breeder.
This was the badge of certification!
With it, Sieg now had access to a range of privileges and benefits reserved exclusively for breeders.
In fact, it was arguably even more prestigious than so League-affiliated identities.
"Kid, when you're free, co visit our Guild regularly. Chat with us, share your insights and grow even more..."
After sincerely thanking the examiners, Sieg left the room under their proud and approving gazes.
And as he stepped out, the breeder badge already hung proudly on his chest.
The mont he exited, he was imdiately t with the sight of that arrogant young man, who still wore a grim expression, clearly still brooding over his failure.
Just as the young man was about to launch into a mocking remark, his eyes fell upon the badge pinned to Sieg's chest.
His words caught in his throat, stuck as if sothing was lodged in it, and all he could do was gape in stunned silence.
"Impossible?!"
The shout rang through the small waiting room, drawing everyone's attention at once.
Only now did the others turn their eyes and finally notice the badge on Sieg's chest.
"My goodness, kid, this is astounding! A Junior Breeder at seventeen, your future is limitless!"
Mr. Otis was the only one who remained sowhat composed, but even he couldn't help expressing his amazent.
With those words, the entire room broke through its silence.
The room imdiately erupted into a flurry of excited whispers. One after another, people gathered around Sieg, surrounding him with curious questions.
"Is he really just seventeen?!"
"No way, that's actually a Breeder's badge!"
"Oh my god, sobody kill already, what have I been doing with my life for the past twenty-sothing years?!"
Even Nurse Joy, who had just monts ago been smiling cheerfully, stood frozen in shock. Her gentle, beautiful eyes widened in disbelief, and an expression of utter astonishnt spread across her soft, rosy face.
Her cherry-pink lips parted slightly, her heart thudding wildly in her chest before she finally snapped out of it.
"A once-in-a-century prodigy...!"
The phrase surfaced instantly in her mind.
If Sieg had been soone not worth recruiting before, he now possessed a status high enough for her to approach him humbly.
She wanted to open the Pokédex right then and there and report this news back to her family. Unfortunately, during the assessnt, all communication devices had been collected and placed under centralized managent.
Even so, Nurse Joy gracefully stood up and walked toward Sieg without hesitation.
anwhile, the arrogant young man who had once basked in the glory of having a grandfather who was a certified Interdiate Breeder was now sitting in stunned silence, his whole body limp, his face full of disbelief.
Just then, a flash of white appeared before his eyes, it was Nurse Joy in her iconic nurse uniform walking toward him.
He assud she had co to comfort him. After all, given his grandfather's status, he still held a respectable place in Rustboro City.
He forced a smile, preparing to bask in her sympathy.
But to his horror, Nurse Joy bypassed him entirely and, just like everyone else, showered Sieg with admiration.
He had been completely ignored.
In that mont, it felt like everyone around him was laughing at him. All the praises being lavished on Sieg were like countless invisible slaps to his pride.
Before the exam, he had boasted with great confidence that he would pass and beco a Breeder.
But not only did he fail to realize that dream, he was now a witness to the rise of a true prodigy.
His mind blanked out. He didn't know what he was thinking anymore. Ti passed in a blur. By the ti nearly everyone had left the room, a staff mber had to call out to him to snap him back to reality.
As he jolted awake, his face flushed crimson. He no longer cared about anyone's gaze. He leapt to his feet and dashed out, fleeing the Breeder's Guild in utter sha.
…
"Seventeen-Year-Old Junior Breeder! A Prodigy Erges Once Again!"
That headline imdiately took over the front page of Rustboro City's news.
The na Sieg spread like wildfire, not just within the city, but throughout the entire breeder community. After all, only a handful of geniuses erged every year, and each one of them was a topic of fierce discussion.
Back inside the Breeder's Guild, President Oswald sat behind his desk, calmly reading the latest League newspaper with a broad grin that hadn't faded since the start of the day.
Just then, a staff mber ca rushing in, shattering the calm.
Panting heavily, the staff mber reported, "President! A call just ca in from the Breeder Headquarters!"
The mont he heard those words, Oswald imdiately set down his newspaper, straightened his clothes and adjusted his expression. Then he picked up the receiver with a respectful tone.
"Hello? Yes, yes! Of course, we'll never let the League's support and Headquarters' expectations go to waste."
After hanging up, the deeply lined face of Oswald could barely contain his joy. His aged hands trembled slightly, his eyes shining with excitent.
The call had confird that Headquarters would be increasing Rustboro City's breeding division's resource funding by fifty percent for the second half of the year.
At last, the Rustboro Breeder's Guild was getting rich too!
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