The tracks from Aoba Town station led straight to Rustboro City.
Today, Ronan was taking the train to a large-scale breeding center in Rustboro to pick out some Pokémon.
Although Ronan could have gone to the breeding center in Lavaridge Town, which was closer, Rustboro City offered a wider selection of high-potential Pokémon.
It much better suited his current requirements.
After all, in Ronan’s vision, his breeding center needed premium Pokémon to serve as its flagship.
While his family already possessed several high-potential Pokémon populations, it was impossible for him to frequently sell Pokémon with green potential.
At most, he could sell one every two or three months.
If the frequency increased, it would negatively impact the long-term development of the Pokémon population.
Because of Ronan’s family background, the Aoba Breeding Center possessed certain privileges when purchasing high-potential Pokémon from the League.
They enjoyed specific discounts and quotas in terms of both price and quantity.
Since Ronan had already contacted the director of the Rustboro Breeding Center in advance, he spotted a tall and sturdy figure standing at the entrance the moment he arrived.
The man standing at the entrance was the director of the facility, Director Mana.
Director Mana had a resolute face and a robust physique; he was already in his forties.
“Hello, Uncle Mana.” “Haha, little Ronan!
You finally managed to crawl out of that farm of yours?
I haven’t seen you for ages; didn’t you think to come visit me sooner?” Director Mana let out a booming laugh and ruffled Ronan’s curly hair.
“I was just finishing up with the breeding center and Venusaur’s evolution.
I only just managed to find some spare time,” Ronan said, feeling a bit helpless as the large hand moved across his head.
Hearing about Venusaur’s evolution, Director Mana was quite surprised.
“Your Ivysaur evolved?
Well, that makes sense.
It’s been delayed for so long, it was about time.
Is your Venusaur nearing the Semi-Elite level now?” The last time he had seen Venusaur, it hadn’t evolved yet, though it already possessed Mid-Gym level strength.
However, that was half a year ago.
Director Mana believed that even for a Pokémon with green potential, six months wasn’t enough to make such massive strides.
Director Mana was still underestimating the assistance a Senior Breeder and a near Master-level Pharmacist could provide to a Pokémon, especially a Grass-type, which was Ronan’s specialty.
Ronan didn’t say much in response.
After all, it was enough for him to know the true strength of his own Pokémon.
Being able to raise a Semi-Elite level Pokémon at the age of sixteen already placed him among the very best of the younger generation.
Furthermore, he also had Chimecho, Audino, Absol, and Murkrow.
Even Murkrow, the one he had caught most recently, had reached High-Elite level strength.
The rest of his Pokémon were all at the Gym level.
Director Mana didn’t mind that Ronan didn’t give a direct answer.
After all, Ronan possessed a Breeder’s heritage.
Even if his Pokémon’s combat strength was lackluster, his status as a talented Breeder alone would make many people eager to curry favor with him.
If he knew that Ronan had already crossed the threshold of a Semi-Elite Trainer, he would likely be so shocked he would lose his voice.
While the Pokémon League had no shortage of gifted trainers, those who could achieve such a feat at sixteen or seventeen—provided they didn’t meet an early end—could generally reach the height of an Elite Four level trainer eventually.
An Elite Four level trainer was already considered high-tier combat power within the League.
However, such a trainer was merely a standard Elite rank, not one of the regional Elite Four.
Despite the regional Elite Four sharing the same ‘Elite’ title, who could guarantee they didn’t have Champion-level Pokémon in their hands?
Anyone capable of breaking through the ranks of a region’s Elite trainers to become one of the top four possessed, at the very least, High-Elite level strength.
After a brief chat, Director Mana led Ronan toward the warehouse where the Pokémon eggs were stored.
As they walked, he asked Ronan what kind of Pokémon he intended to choose.
Ronan followed Director Mana through the backyard of the breeding center.
He watched the Pokémon playing and frolicking on the lawn; most were native to the Hoenn region, such as Poochyena, Surskit, Corphish, and Seedot.
There were also some rarer Pokémon.
In a sand pit, Ronan spotted several Trapinch and Vibrava.
Besides them, a few Swablu with fluffy feathers sat in a tree, staring at Ronan with curiosity.
He even saw the Hoenn region’s starter Pokémon among them.
However, they were not Ronan’s goal for this trip.
Although the starters and Dragon-types were very tempting, they weren’t the best choice for his current plan.
Ronan had already informed Director Mana of his requirements: he planned to purchase one hundred and fifty Pokémon eggs with yellow potential and eight with green potential to use for the breeding center’s initial operations.
Once he improved the potential and scale of his Hoppip population, combined with Murkrow, Petilil, and Budew, he would be able to provide a stable supply of high-potential Pokémon for the breeding center.
For the yellow-potential eggs, Ronan chose thirty Shroomish, twenty Skitty, twenty Poochyena, ten Corphish, fifteen Pineco, ten Buneary, ten Surskit, fifteen Taillow, and twenty Clamperl.
As for the ten green-potential eggs, they consisted of Shroomish, Seedot, Wingull, Aron, Taillow, Meditite, Igglybuff, Doduo, Flabébé, and a female Combee.
These Pokémon were already enough to allow the Aoba Breeding Center to get through its initial development phase.
Among them, Flabébé and Combee were the ones that surprised Ronan the most.
In the habitat for Grass-type Pokémon behind the mountain, there was a vast field of flowers.
Flabébé’s final evolution, Florges, was known as the Garden Pokémon.
She would undoubtedly be the best assistant for managing the flower fields.
Meanwhile, a female Combee could evolve into Vespiquen, and the evolved Vespiquen could produce even more Combee, which could then produce Sweet Honey.
With these two Pokémon, Ronan would be able to harvest delicious Sweet Honey.
Furthermore, as their strength increased, the quality and quantity of the Sweet Honey they produced would only get better.
High-quality Sweet Honey and Moomoo Milk were excellent nutritional supplements, providing great benefits for the growth of newborn Pokémon.
However, compared to Sweet Honey, the breeding center clearly had a much greater demand for Moomoo Milk.
Ronan also planned to purchase a few Miltank to raise on the farm; they didn’t need high potential, as long as they mastered the move Milk Drink.