Chapter 8

"Anything? Not really, I'm just curious seeing such a young kid like you." The old man named clicked his tongue in amazement as he looked at the Beautifly again.

"What are you curious about?" Darren asked.

"At ten years old, you're going to take the breeder exam. Isn't that something worth being curious about?" The old man asked back.

"Fair enough." Darren nodded.

Seeing that Darren didn't deny his guessed age, the old man was somewhat surprised.

"Since you said you're a breeder, then this Beautifly in front of us, did you breed it?" The old man asked again when he saw that Darren didn't say anything.

"More or less."

Although he had the help of the orphanage, the main work of taking care of the Beautifly was still done by Darren.

"Impressive," The old man commented.

"..."

By now, Darren still hadn't figured out the old man's intentions, and his words only made Darren more confused.

"Don't be nervous, relax, just consider it a normal chat."

The old man laughed heartily. He hadn't seen such an interesting young person in a long time.

Although the breeding of the Beautifly seemed rough to his experienced eyes, if this was achieved by Darren, it would be remarkable.

It meant that the breeder was at least at the level of a novice breeder, but Darren was just a boy.

"Other than Willow, I've never seen such an outstanding young person before. I'm really getting old," The old man sighed when he saw Darren still didn't react.

"Willow? Is she also a breeder?"

Realizing that the old man really just wanted to chat, Darren also relaxed. If he had nothing to do, he might as well pass the time by chatting.

What's the point of not talking to strangers?

"If you're ten years old... then you're just like Willow. Impressive. Willow is also preparing to take the breeder exam, maybe you two will become competitors," The old man lamented.

"...Is she also on this ship?" Darren was also a little speechless. Was this really such a coincidence?

"She's still eating. This old man finished eating first and came out to get some fresh air," The old man said naturally, then he pointed and smiled, "Look, she's also come out now."

Upon hearing this, Darren instinctively looked in the direction pointed by the old man.

Immediately, a girl with pink hair appeared in front of Darren. But before Darren could say anything, the girl was surprised and exclaimed, "It's you!"

"Me?" Darren was now really confused and didn't know what the girl meant.

"Do you two know each other?" The old man was also very surprised.

"Teacher." The girl, named Willow, showed respect to the old man and said, "He is the one I told you about who found the mistake in my potion."

"You said he's the kid who found the mistake in your potion?" The old man was also surprised. He didn't expect it to be such a coincidence.

Listening to their conversation, Darren finally realized and exclaimed, "Oh, it's you."

At the time, the girl wore a hat in Slateport City, covering her face and hair. That's why Darren didn't immediately recognize her, but now that he heard her voice, it was indeed very similar.

"Let's reintroduce ourselves. My name is Willow Joy." The girl extended her hand and playfully blinked at Darren.

"Darren." Darren also extended his hand without any hesitation, and the two of them re-introduced themselves.

However, the surname "Joy" made Darren pay attention. The Pokémon Centers in various regions with a significant population were monopolized by the Joy family. And now this girl in front of him also had the surname Joy, which made him think deeply.

The histories of the Joy and Jenny families could be traced back to the establishment of the Pokémon League.

At this time, Willow's address to the old man also made Darren pay attention. "Teacher" was not a title used casually. According to the old man, Willow was also preparing to take the Breeder Exam in Lilycove City. A ten-year-old breeder, plus the background of the Joy surname, made Darren begin to suspect the old man's true identity.

Perhaps the old man was also a powerful breeder... which explained his attitude when he heard that Darren was going to take the Breeder Exam.

"Who are you, exactly?" Darren asked again, looking at the old man. He didn't even know the other's identity, which could lead to misunderstandings.

"It's me? Didn't I tell you? My name is Shozo, and I am also a breeder." The old man laughed and said nonchalantly.

Hearing the old man's explanation, Willow next to him showed a helpless expression and added to Darren, "Teacher is also a breeder, and he has the title of a Master among breeders."

A Master breeder!

Getting this information was expected but also unexpected. Darren was surprised too. A top breeder should be considered one of the more prestigious people in this world, right?

What does this identity represent? How could he not know? Who could bear the title of Master?

The Elite Four, the Local Champions, the well-known Professors in various regions, as well as the Top Coordinators, and besides them, there are only the Master breeders.

The status of a Master Breeder, who can be called by the same title as those people mentioned earlier, is extremely high.

Even a single comment from a Master breeder about a Pokemon is worth its weight in gold.

"Excuse me, Master!" Darren expressed his regret for his previous rudeness. Any Master is deserving of respect, and he must have misunderstood the old man.

The other party's curiosity should only be a concern for a junior...

"Haha, it's just a small matter. So, you're the child that Willow mentioned. I was wondering how it was such a coincidence to meet so many talented juniors in a row. It seems like you also have some skill." Master Shozo teased.

"I was just lucky." Darren told the truth.

However, to the other party, this statement sounded modest.

"I have already had my teacher evaluate it, and it was indeed my mistake." Willow did not hide her mistake and said it candidly.

"Willow has many things I can learn from her. I still haven't been able to figure out the principles behind many of the potions she has formulated until now." Shaking his

ad, Darren's past experience told him to be more low-key in this situation.

"Hahaha, that's only natural. Willow has me to teach her, plus she has natural talent, which is why she was able to reach the level of a junior breeder at the age of ten. However, this is what makes you different, young man." The comment from a top breeder gave Darren a clear understanding of himself. His four years of hard study must not have been so unbearable. A ten-year-old breeder is perhaps a real miracle.

After all, Darren had been a student for more than ten years in his previous life, and learning and analyzing came easily to him, ingrained in his bones. This is a great advantage for any child under ten years old, compared to their peers who are still playing with mud and hide-and-seek. What can they use to compete with someone who has gone through more than ten years of exam-oriented education?