The First Day

In the end, Reggie managed to participate in the Pokémon battle competition as he had hoped.

On the second day of Yuga and the group's sightseeing, Reggie eagerly dragged Yuga to the Pokéathlon Dome and promptly registered for the competition.

However, with only a day available, Reggie couldn't participate in many battles. As a result, he didn't achieve any notable results. Points in the competition were hard to come by; participants had to earn them step by step, otherwise, the Dome would have gone bankrupt long ago.

On the day before the exchange conference, the organizers instructed all attending Day Cares to gather at the Goldenrod Gym to familiarize themselves with the conference proceedings, tour the venue, and understand the conference guidelines. It was a busy day, leaving Reggie with no time to continue participating in battles.

Initially, Yuga was quite interested in the competition. After all, he was a Trainer as well. However, when he considered the serious nature of the conference, he chose to give it up. He didn't want to end up like Reggie, who would be even more distressed if he left the competition halfway through.

By their fourth day in Goldenrod City, Yuga and his group were ready for the Day Care Exchange Conference. Despite having visited the Goldenrod Gym the previous day, Yuga was still awestruck by the immense scale of the venue as they entered alongside the other attendees.

Nearly all the legitimate Day Cares from the six regions participated in the conference. Along with the audience, breeders, and some Trainers, the number of attendees was substantial. Yet, the Goldenrod Gym effortlessly accommodated everyone.

Once inside, Yuga and his group located their seats and took a moment to survey their surroundings.

The venue for this conference was divided into three tiers. The outermost tier housed the general audience, the middle tier was occupied by medium and small-sized Day Cares, such as YoYo Day Care and Reggie's grandfather's Day Care. The innermost tier was reserved for the organizers, co-organizers, and members of renowned Day Cares from various regions.

Some prominent and reputable breeders were also seated in the innermost tier.

The conference began with a speech from the president of the Breeder Association, who briefly introduced the history of Day Cares' development, the purpose and significance of the conference, and then concluded his speech.

Following that, prominent Day Care owners took the stage to share their experiences, and well-known breeders presented their research findings.

According to what Yuga and his group had learned the day before, the first day of the conference was focused on Day Cares getting to know one another and exchanging experiences. Only highly respected figures within the Day Care industry were granted the opportunity to speak on stage.

To be honest, after listening to the "successful individuals" share their experiences, Yuga was somewhat disappointed. These shares had very little practical content; they had essentially turned into performance reports and a competition to show off each Day Care's achievements.

The Day Care industry exhibited stark polarization. Some small Day Cares barely managed to survive and lacked competitiveness, much like YoYo Day Care from earlier times. On the other hand, some large Day Cares possessed substantial reserves and monopolized the market.

The cause of these phenomena wasn't the fault of a single Day Care or a few. Ultimately, it boiled down to the Day Care industry's heavy reliance on accumulation for growth.

Most large Day Cares were established early on and received support from the League at their inception. There was no competitive pressure, allowing them to gradually develop.

However, times had changed. It was no longer the League's early days when the market had a high demand for quality Pokémon. Newly established Day Care alliances were no longer concerned about your survival. Everything was determined by the market's competitive mechanisms, deciding whether a Day Care would thrive or disappear.

The development of the Day Care industry differed greatly from other industries. Most industries pursued the "new," seeking new technologies, concepts, and operational methods. However, the Day Care industry focused on accumulation, valuing the "old."

This doesn't mean that the development of Day Cares didn't require new technologies, concepts, or operational methods. However, these weren't the primary focus. The most crucial aspect was the accumulation of knowledge about Pokémon.

For a newly established Day Care, how did they obtain high-quality Pokémon and maintain a stable channel for acquiring these Pokémon? Rely on the League's breeding facilities? If that were effective, YoYo Day Care wouldn't still be obscure.

All successful Day Cares had one thing in common: they built their own ecopark, cultivated their Pokémon populations, and optimized the genetic makeup of their Pokémon. This was the key step in a Day Care's development and also the most time-consuming.

This step was also the main reason why large Day Cares grew larger while small ones struggled.

After the first day of the conference, Yuga's backside was numb from sitting for so long. He noticed that Reggie had dozed off during the talks.

On their way back to the hotel, Reggie complained about the people who spoke on stage, accusing them of bragging and showing off, especially the members of The Day Care Joint Council. He couldn't believe how they hogged the spotlight.

Yuga also thought The Day Care Joint Council members were a bit too attention-seeking. They acted as if they were the organizers, with the Breeder Association merely co-organizers.

Although everyone was a private Day Care owner, Yuga couldn't help but form a negative impression of The Day Care Joint Council members. He found their behavior rather distasteful, which made it hard for him to have a favorable opinion of them.

"Alright, let's stop talking about this. In reality, what they do doesn't affect us much. Let them be," Yuga casually remarked.

Curiously, Reggie asked, "Why don't those League-affiliated Day Cares try to control the members of The Day Care Joint Council? They just let them take the spotlight like that."

Yuga pondered for a moment before replying, "I think the League-affiliated Day Cares probably don't pay them much attention.

Consider this: how many active Trainers are there in the League? Most Trainers are officially registered with the League. When they purchase Pokémon, they naturally tend to favor the League's official Day Cares. Private Day Cares would only be chosen if they offered superior options.

However, the variety of Pokémon available at League-affiliated Day Cares is generally wider, and the quality is better. Backed by the League, they don't consider The Day Care Joint Council members as competition."

Reggie's grandfather chimed in, "Yuga is right. The League-affiliated Day Cares never regard private Day Cares as their competitors. There's no need, really. Even if their Pokémon go unsold, the League will ensure they have a place to go.

The Day Care Joint Council members are simply frolicking around there. Although they're doing well now, the League still doesn't consider them a significant concern. You could tell this from how the League didn't intervene when the organization was initially formed."

Listening to Reggie's grandfather, Yuga thoughtfully added, "All of this doesn't really concern us. Day Cares like ours lack the strength to compete with either side. We won't make a significant impact on them. Our best option is to focus on steady development."

Reggie's grandfather nodded in agreement.