Jubilife City was economically developed and densely populated. Even if each person owned just one Pokémon, the market was still enormous.
On top of that, there was a steady flow of people from surrounding towns, all potential customers.
It was a vast market, and because of that, dozens of Breeding Houses of varying sizes had sprung up across the city.
At its peak, the number exceeded 100.
The quality, naturally, was uneven. Poor but cheaper service driving out better ones was common.
At present, the most well-known Breeding House in Jubilife City is Crown Coronet Breeding House, located on one of the busiest streets in the city center.
The fact that they dared to name themselves after Mt. Coronet showed their confidence.
On the surface, it was just a Breeding House, but behind it stood Evergrow Company, which owned extensive ranches and farms.
Their reputation was mixed.
Supporters praised their low prices. Critics said they ignored the physical condition and emotional state of Pokémon.
No concrete evidence had ever been found despite numerous reports.
The one who had rushed in shouting earlier was Dai Yui.
He had gone to the city center that morning.
Austin, Leon, Amanda, and Mizuki gathered together, listening as Dai Yui explained what he had seen.
"Crown Coronet was already cheap, and now they've started a major price reduction."
"Other than basic grooming and care, everything else is discounted. People were lining up early this morning."
The core services of a Breeding House were limited. Once Austin's family fully expanded into breeding, they would cover everything.
Austin nodded slightly. This explained why the center felt so quiet today.
Dai Yui took a sip of water.
"They're starting a price war. What should we do?"
Ethan glanced at Austin.
"Should we consider lowering our prices?"
Amanda immediately shook her head.
"No."
Austin followed with a calm response.
"Leave it. Crown Coronet can't take the entire market. Our customers aren't the same."
They didn't have the capital for a price war.
And even if they did, it would hurt both sides.
Austin's tone remained steady.
"If they're cutting prices now, it only shows weakness behind the surface."
Mizuki adjusted her glasses and spoke up.
"I've studied their model. It's different from ours. I can't say what happens internally, but there are only two likely moves."
She raised two fingers.
"They'll either smear our reputation or disrupt our supply chains."
"It looks like they went with the second option with the discounts."
Having come from a less reputable Breeding House, Mizuki understood these tactics well.
Dai Yui stared at her in admiration.
"Wow"
"Incineroar!"
Incineroar nodded along.
Mizuki shrugged.
" Nothing too difficult. You'd understand if you interacted with more Breeding Houses."
Dai Yui shook his head immediately.
"No thanks. This is my first and last."
"That's why you're lucky," Mizuki replied.
In her eyes, Dai Yui was simple, but fortunate.
Austin wasn't blindly optimistic.
"There will be a drop in customers for a while. Be ready for that."
Ethan stretched and smiled.
"No matter what, we just do our job well."
Amanda nodded.
"If things are quiet, you don't need to stay here all day. Use the time for your own development."
She was already thinking ahead about breeding plans.
Vulpix. Eevee. Rockruff.
Or even starter Pokémon.
All popular, all reliable.
Growlithe was out of the question. Those were strictly controlled by the League.
They couldn't expand too quickly. Preparation had to come first.
Austin nodded.
"Good timing. I can take the Advanced Breeder exam."
It was part of his main objective.
The Pokémon Item Lottery Tickets were another matter. The random skill upgrades interested him even more.
What he truly wanted to improve was his core abilities. Breeding. Scan. Identification Eye.
Cooking and Energy Cube production could be trained over time.
His Energy Cube proficiency had already climbed without him noticing.
Energy Cube (Advanced): (88,545 / 100,000)
He was close to another breakthrough.
Poffin making was slower since it was used internally, but it helped maintain quality and reputation.
Austin was in no rush. Steady progress was enough.
He still had recipes like Mapo Tofu and Crab Roe Lion's Head to refine. Those would take effort.
Dai Yui grinned.
"Then I'll sign up for the Intermediate Breeder assessment too."
Mizuki raised her hand.
"Aunt Amanda, count me in too."
Amanda smiled.
"Then we'll work on it together."
Austin looked at the group.
With a team like this, there was no way the Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House would fall behind.
. . .
Know yourself, know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.
As a famous general in his past life quoted.
Austin was putting that into practice.
He had started gathering information on the rival Breeding House.
The constant notifications in the group chat pulled his attention away.
[Brock]: The 24th Youth Breeder Competition has been confirmed. The finals will be held in Hearthome City.
As the Gym Leader of Pewter Gym, Brock had long stepped onto the path of a Breeder as well.
[Ethan]: Hearthome City is too far for me. I still have work to do.
[Brock]: The top 32 gather in Hearthome City. Preliminaries and eliminations are held across different regions.
[Lt. Surge]: Showing up doesn't mean you'll win.
[Red]: Breeder Competition? I'll pass. I'll stick to training.
[Blue]:@Austin You should enter. The rewards are worth it, and I'm one of the judges.
[Austin]: That sounds like I'm getting special treatment. I'll think about it.
[Lt. Surge]:Beep beep. Violation for that one.
[Ethan]: No. That's a kid-level offense.
Ethan and Lt. Surge were muted by Blue for five minutes.
Austin leaned back slightly.
Of course, he knew about the competition.
It was the top event for young Breeders, held once every three years. Only those under thirty could participate.
Grandpa Alex had taken part.
So had his parents.
In fact, they had left quite a mark on it.
During the semifinals, Leon had confessed to Amanda live on broadcast.
Amanda had agreed without hesitation.
That moment became a story that many people still talked about.
And from then on, they stayed together.
Austin exhaled softly, his gaze settling again.
A competition like this…
It was an opportunity to put his and the Breeding House out there.
Ding!
[New side quest detected]
. . .
Please do leave a review and powerstones, which helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to 30+ advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a