The entrance to the Breeder's Guild bustled with a constant flow of people. From time to time, individuals could be seen entering or exiting with a sun-shaped badge proudly pinned to their chests.
These people drew envious and respectful gazes from those around them.
Because anyone bearing that sun emblem was a League-certified Breeder!
Amid the crowd, a black-haired young man walked calmly with an Eevee trotting by his side.
"Hello, may I see your League ID?"
The moment Sieg stepped inside, a security guard halted him. After scanning his Pokédex through the terminal to verify his identity, he was finally allowed entry.
The moment he entered the guild, Sieg noticed that the place was crowded. Yet among these people, actual Breeders were in the minority.
The majority were League Trainers.
After all, no Trainer could go far without the help of Pokéblocks. While buying Pokéblocks from external vendors was certainly an option, those produced within the Guild were often of far higher quality.
Some wealthy Trainers would even commission esteemed Breeders to craft personalized Pokéblocks specifically tailored for their Pokémon.
The cost of such commissions was astronomical. It wasn't just a matter of money, but connections as well, getting one of those renowned Breeders to accept your request was no small feat.
"Hmm, let's take a look at the directory."
Sieg walked to a corner where the floor plan was displayed and studied it carefully.
The Breeder's Guild had five floors in total. The first floor was the public area and market, while the second floor was designated for examinations.
The public area could be accessed with basic identification and served as a marketplace offering a variety of resources for purchase.
The second floor, on the other hand, was reserved for assessment, where apprentice Breeders took their qualification exams.
As for the third, fourth, and fifth floors, they were completely off-limits to the general public. Only certified Breeders had access to those floors. It was a threshold few could cross.
Gazing at the bustling stalls on the first floor, Sieg muttered to himself, "This is a golden opportunity. I shouldn't let it go to waste. Maybe I can find some rare ingredients to buy."
Without further hesitation, he began exploring the main hall.
"Huh? That's a Molting Fruit. It can speed up shedding for serpent-type Pokémon!"
"Whoa, that must be a Sandscale Berry... they're just displaying a million-Pokédollar berry like it's no big deal?"
"Damn, that's a top-tier Pokéblock recipe!"
With every step, Sieg widened his horizons. Resources that were rare or nearly unheard of in the outside world were commonplace here.
No wonder so many Breeders gathered in this place.
After a full round through the marketplace, his initial awe dulled a bit. Shifting his focus, he made his way up to the second floor. After all, his main objective today was to take the certification exam.
As he stepped into the elevator, he noticed that many people looked anxious.
"They must all be here for the assessment," Sieg guessed silently.
Among the elevator crowd, he even spotted an elderly man with white hair and beard.
Upon asking, Sieg learned that the man was also here to take the exam!
"Hehehe, this old man's taken the exam hundreds of times by now. I know the routine. I heard the difficulty's been lowered this time, so maybe I'll finally have a chance," the old man said with a laugh, gently stroking his aged beard.
His cheerful demeanor lightened the tension in the air.
Sieg gave the elderly Breeder a respectful look. Once the elevator doors opened, everyone poured out into the hallway.
"Hello everyone! If you're here for the Breeder's certification exam, please line up and fill out this form. No pushing, please. We're expecting quite a large number of participants today, so thank you for your understanding."
A staff member greeted them with a warm smile and professional tone as he guided the crowd.
Sieg joined the line, following his usual principle of never standing at the front or the very end. After filling out the form, he casually found a seat along the corridor and sat down.
Everyone around him held a form and a card, proof of identity and their examination permit.
"Never thought I'd need an exam permit in the Pokémon world," Sieg chuckled as he shook his head.
As time passed, the second floor became increasingly crowded. People spoke in hushed tones, exchanging bits of strategy and information.
BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!
The first round of written exams was about to begin!
Following the flow of people, Sieg entered the examination room according to his exam permit number.
The room wasn't particularly large, just a few dozen desks spaced evenly apart.
There were four surveillance cameras mounted in the corners, sweeping the room with precision, along with two proctors at the front and back who sat expressionless and stern.
Feeling a twinge of nervousness, Sieg took a seat in the first row.
Once everyone was seated, silence fell over the room and the exam began.
The first round was merely a foundational assessment, aimed at gauging each participant's basic knowledge. After all, thousands of people participated in the monthly exams. If they had to do a full evaluation for every single person, the Guild staff would be overwhelmed.
This round of testing was essentially a screening phase.
Only those who passed could advance to the next stage of the certification exam.
According to official announcements, this phase alone would eliminate over 90 percent of the candidates.
As for whether it was difficult or not, that depended entirely on the individual.
[What flavor results from mixing the juices of a Tamato Berry and a Figy Berry after crushing them?]
"I think it's mainly salty, with a bit of sourness too," Sieg murmured as he quickly filled in the answer.
[Ekans sheds its skin regularly. What is the interval between its three main shedding stages?]
"Should be seven days, thirty days, and mid-month."
[Which Pokémon can currently learn Extreme Speed?]
"That should be Arcanine, Lucario, and Togekiss. Other than those, Zangoose and Dragonair can inherit it genetically."
As Sieg raced through the questions, he naturally ran into a few he didn't know. After all, unlike those born into prestigious Breeder families, surrounded by knowledge since childhood, he was just a newcomer who has only studied for a short while.
The Breeder certification focused heavily on knowledge accumulation.
No matter how talented someone might be, without ample time spent learning, it was nearly impossible to stand out.
And in terms of knowledge, Sieg's foundation was clearly lacking.
"Still, I think I should be able to make the cut, at least not get eliminated right away," Sieg muttered to himself, having a rough idea of where he stood.
More than two hours passed, and the entire exam paper was now densely filled with answers.
Sieg rubbed his sore wrist and glanced around. Most of the others were sweating, confused, and visibly anxious.
There were over forty people in the exam room, yet only a handful had finished like he did.
Soon enough, the time was up.
Three full hours, and most examinees hadn't even completed the test.
Sieg gave his answers a quick once-over before submitting the paper with the rest of the group.
Once everyone had left the room, the two proctors began collecting and organizing the test sheets.
As one of them flipped through Sieg's exam, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and mutter, "Huh? This candidate is only seventeen? That's unusually young to be taking the certification exam."
The other proctor nodded and replied, "Probably a member of one of those elite families. They start training their kids from an early age, so it's not too surprising to see them take the exam at this age."
Sieg, unaware of how rare his age was for an applicant, was now wandering through the hall on the first floor.
Suddenly, a burst of cheers erupted nearby.
"Mrs. Roxanne, hello!"
The excitement escalated as more people joined in, their voices rising with enthusiasm.
"Ahhhh!!! It's Roxanne! Gym Leader Roxanne is at the Breeder's Guild too!"
"Look over here, over here! Gym Leader Roxanne, I'm your biggest fan!"
Sieg turned his head, drawn by the energetic cries of the crowd. He couldn't help but be intrigued by the commotion.
"Roxanne... even she had come to the Breeder's Guild?"
A vivid image surfaced in his mind, of a beautiful woman in a flowing black dress, elegant and graceful, just like the teacher he once had.