"Sieg!"
Roxanne forced a polite smile as she dealt with the enthusiastic locals. After all, she was the new Gym Leader now.
In truth, every Gym Leader held a highly revered position within their city's community. It was only that Roxanne, having just taken over the role, hadn't fully adapted to the spotlight yet.
But that shout of hers caught everyone off guard.
A wave of startled trainers turned their heads, only to see her jogging briskly... toward a young man?
While the onlookers wore puzzled expressions, someone suddenly cried out from the crowd, "Hey, isn't that genius breeder from the Breeders' Association named Sieg?"
Those words struck like a lightning bolt.
In the blink of an eye, every pair of eyes locked onto Sieg, now filled with curiosity and amazement.
"Don't tell me Gym Leader Roxanne is trying to recruit him?" a sharp-eyed trainer muttered, quickly catching on.
After all, talk of this talented young breeder had been circulating wildly lately. There were even rumors about him marrying into the Jenny or Joy families.
While the crowd buzzed with speculation, Roxanne had already taken Sieg and slipped out of the lobby.
They arrived in a secluded courtyard, one rarely visited.
It was Chloé who had led them there. "It's quiet here," she said calmly, "no one will disturb you. I'll leave you two to talk."
Before she left, she shot Sieg a look. Her eyes held subtle discontent, something far more complex than a simple frown.
Sieg glanced back, pretending not to notice.
But Roxanne had no intention of waiting. She stepped forward eagerly.
"Sieg, you're famous now!" she said with a grin. "Even back at the academy, my students won't stop talking about you!"
Her head tilted slightly, lips curving into a sweet smile.
"They say you're a genius breeder, is that true?"
Sieg nearly stumbled on his own breath. That playful head-tilt, that innocent smile, it hit him harder than any battle move.
'"Miss Roxa-..., I mean, Roxanne. So, why were you looking for me?"
He wanted to call her Miss, but when Roxanne instantly pouted in mock displeasure, he quickly corrected himself. Only when he said Roxanne, did she smile.
Gracefully, Roxanne gave him a courteous bow, then spoke in a formal yet gentle voice.
"Sieg, as a breeder, I would like to formally invite you to join the Rustboro Gym as our exclusive breeder."
An exclusive breeder. In simpler terms, it meant devoting one's services to a single person or organization.
After all, true breeders were rare. Most of them juggled multiple clients, whether it was crafting Pokéblocks in bulk or customizing training regimens.
But an exclusive breeder was different. They were hired at high cost, fully contracted and forbidden from taking on outside work.
Sieg paused for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Roxanne. I plan to continue my journey and broaden my horizons. I won't be staying in Rustboro for long, so I have to decline your kind offer."
His expression was apologetic, his voice soft but resolute.
It was the same reason he'd given when rejecting Chloé's marriage proposal, it worked like a charm.
After all, every trainer's goal was to participate in the League Tournament and strive for the championship, and journeying was a vital part of that path.
Even the most doting parents wouldn't have the heart to stop their children from pursuing such dreams.
And besides, he and Roxanne were nothing more than friends.
Roxanne blinked, visibly disappointed. "I see... well, in that case, would you be interested in working as a temporary instructor at our trainer academy?"
She asked in a hurry, almost as if afraid he would say no again.
"This isn't just a personal invitation from me," Roxanne explained gently. "It's a formal offer from our academy. The compensation is quite generous. You'd only need to work temporarily as a breeding instructor."
This time, Sieg didn't refuse her outright. Instead, he lowered his head slightly, lost in thought.
After a short moment, he looked up and asked calmly, "What kind of compensation are we talking about?"
"A mid-grade Pokéblock formula?" Roxanne offered, testing the waters with a cautious tone.
"Deal!"
Sieg agreed without the slightest hesitation.
A mid-grade Pokéblock formula, its rarity spoke for itself. In the notes left by Metako, there were dozens of Pokéblock recipes, yet nearly all of them were low-grade. Only one, buried at the end of the pages, qualified as mid-grade and had the potential to slowly enhance a Pokémon's inherent talent.
"I once tried asking for Pokéblock recipes in several shops," Sieg recalled, "but the owners all refused to share anything. Some wouldn't even talk about it, and a few hot-tempered ones even threw me out."
Even in the underground markets, there wasn't the faintest whisper of any valuable Pokéblock formula. At best, they only offered generic recipes for restoring stamina or other basic effects.
After all, a genuine Pokéblock formula was the product of a breeder's countless hours of research, effort, and genius, each one a crystallization of experience and wisdom.
"Not to mention, an exclusive formula is practically a monopoly in itself. It's like owning a golden goose."
Still, Sieg didn't try to raise the stakes. The trainer academy clearly approached him because of his recent fame and his reputation as a genius breeder. Once the hype faded and people moved on, his value in their eyes would naturally decline.
That was why Sieg accepted without further demands.
"Here's my contact info," Roxanne said with a bright smile, pulling out her Pokédex. "You can report directly to the trainer academy tomorrow morning."
The two tapped their Pokédexes against one another and added each other as friends.
Sieg glanced at her profile, noticing the gleaming row of titles under her name, especially the golden words: Gym Leader.
Stylish and commanding.
After agreeing to the offer, the air between them became noticeably warmer. Their conversation felt more relaxed, the initial sense of formality fading quickly.
Roxanne truly lived up to her status as an elite student who had immersed herself in the study of Rock-type Pokémon. Her expertise in the field even surpassed Sieg's in some respects.
Even her casual comments carried deep insight that often gave Sieg new inspiration.
"Rock-types have such a sturdy nature. I quite like Pokémon with the Sturdy ability…"
"Rock-types are weak against Water, but if you feed them obsidian crystals and gray dew regularly, their resistance to water-type moves improves…"
"You're right, though. Gray dew is still too expensive. Using its substitute, grayglow extract, might be more cost-effective…"
The two chatted passionately, their eyes shining with interest. The more they spoke, the more impressed they became with each other.
Sieg was amazed that Roxanne, at just 21 years old, had already become a Gym Leader, and on top of that, possessed such deep knowledge and impressive strength.
Roxanne, meanwhile, had initially assumed that Sieg's fame as a "genius breeder" had been blown out of proportion. But now, after engaging him in a serious conversation about Rock-types, a field he wasn't even specialized in, she realized he truly lived up to his title.
Her gaze softened with admiration. Her posture grew more relaxed. Their connection deepened with every word exchanged.
What neither of them noticed was that, back at the front desk of the Pokémon Center, Chloé was staring at the surveillance feed. Her expression darkened slightly as she watched the growing rapport between Sieg and Roxanne. A rare trace of jealousy flickered in her eyes.
She adjusted the camera angle, turning her head away, clearly trying to restrain herself from watching any further.
But back in the courtyard, Sieg caught the subtle movement of the surveillance camera from the corner of his eye.
A pleased look flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly in a knowing smile.