The bustle and noise of the banquet were replaced the next morning by a heavy, solemn atmosphere.
In the Kudo family manor, inside the study that was normally used only for storing ancient books and handling core family affairs, the air felt as dense as lead.
At either end of the priceless red sandalwood table, Kaito and Hanae sat upright and rigid, their gazes locked on the thin, yet crushingly heavy, paper report lying in the center.
It was the perfect aptitude appraisal for the Champion-potential Gible.
Every single figure and every single conclusion written on it was like a heavy hammer, pounding over and over on their hearts, overturning the decades of breeding knowledge they had accumulated.
"Haah…"
Kaito slowly let out a long breath, trying to calm the violent pounding in his chest, but his voice still carried an uncontrollable tremor.
He exchanged a glance with Hanae, and in the depths of each other's pupils they both saw that indescribable shock—and, beneath it, a faint, complicated feeling of having been utterly outdone by the next generation.
Their son, Shiba, had created a miracle using a method they could not comprehend at all.
A miracle that could change the entire future course of the Kudo family.
"The usual training plans are no longer worthy of Shiba's Gible."
Kaito's voice was low but powerful, each word landing with a decisive weight.
He pushed the report aside, laced his fingers together, and his gaze sharpened to a frightening degree.
"I just got off the phone with my father."
The "father" he referred to was Kazuma, the spiritual pillar of the dragon-tamer Kudo family, a Champion-level Trainer.
"His opinion can be summed up in one line—no matter the cost."
"From this moment on, every connection, every channel, every resource the family possesses gets directed toward Shiba alone!"
Kaito's tone was firm and absolute, backed by an authority that brooked no argument.
"I'll immediately cash in every favor I've stored up in the League Champion Committee to hunt down those Dragon-type treasures that are supposed to exist only in legend! Whether it's the Dragon Scale said to awaken Dragon bloodlines, or a Dragon Fang slumbering in some ancient hidden ruin—no matter the price, no matter how hard it is to get, we must secure them for Shiba's Gible in the shortest time possible!"
"What we're going to build for it isn't a 'good' plan, and it isn't just a 'top-tier' plan. It's a… perfect plan."
Across from him, Hanae—who was usually as gentle and soft as flowing water—now had the same unshakable resolve shining in her eyes.
She nodded lightly and took over the conversation.
"That's right. I'll take personal charge of its training."
"For its Pokéblocks, I'll invite the very best breeders in the League to reverse-engineer a custom recipe based on Gible's genetic profile, to make sure every last drop of energy can be absorbed perfectly."
"As for nutrient serums, we go straight to the highest-grade military special-issue line. We do not allow even the slightest impurity that could affect its growth to appear, not once."
Sentence by sentence, the couple rapidly sketched out a grand blueprint for Shiba's future.
No one understood better than they did what it meant if a pseudo-legendary with Champion-tier potential grew up smoothly.
It meant that, after Kazuma and Kaito, the Kudo family was destined to welcome a third Champion.
Or even a peerless powerhouse whose strength far surpassed them all—an unprecedented peak existence.
Shiba sat opposite his parents, fingertips unconsciously tracing the smooth, cool grain of the tabletop.
A warm current spread from his heart through his entire body to the very tips of his fingers and toes, banishing the last trace of morning chill.
He did not interrupt. He simply sat there and listened quietly.
This heavy, unconditional family love, given without any thought of return, condensed into the firmest light in the depths of his eyes.
He slowly clenched his fist, feeling the power rising simultaneously from the depths of his blood and from the depths of his soul.
This was what it meant to have a family.
This was his strongest backing.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the study door, and the butler's respectful voice sounded from outside.
"Kaito-sama, Hanae-sama, Shiba-bocchama, Takai ojou-sama—Yuko-sama—has arrived."
The sharpness in Shiba's gaze softened at once, and he rose to his feet.
"Tou-san, Kaa-san, I'll go see her for a bit."
"Go, go," Kaito said with a big wave of his hand. The stern look on his face had already been replaced entirely by a smile. "Perfect timing. Let her soak up some of our family's good fortune."
When Shiba stepped into the living room, his eyes were immediately drawn to a slender, elegant silhouette.
The girl wore a light blue one-piece dress, her long hair flowing over her shoulders, a faint smile on her face. She looked like a lily quietly blooming in the morning light—fresh and beautiful.
"Shiba, congratulations on Kaito-ojisan breaking through to Champion tier!"
Yuko's voice was clear and pleasant, full of genuine joy.
"Haha, same here, same here!"
Kaito's hearty laugh carried over from the study. In such good spirits, he came out as well, and when he looked at Yuko, his eyes held the fond approval of an elder.
"You just keep getting prettier, don't you, girl?"
After a bit of simple small talk, the atmosphere relaxed.
Yuko turned to Shiba and explained why she had come today.
"Shiba, are you free today? I wanted to ask you to come with me to the Pokémon Egg Breeding Base in Magic City."
She tilted her head slightly and went on.
"My Machop is really strong now, but in battles I've found my team's offensive coverage is still a bit one-sided. So I want to pick out a new partner—preferably one with good Special Attack—to round out my team's composition."
The moment Yuko finished speaking, Shiba's breath hitched.
Pokémon Egg Breeding Base.
Those words seemed to carry a special kind of magic, instantly sparking a thought in his mind.
Countless unhatched Pokémon Eggs, countless futures not yet set…
For someone like him, who possessed the Prophecy System, that wasn't just a breeding base.
It was a treasure map with gold scattered all over the ground.
He had just been fretting that his own team still had several key positions unfilled. Gible needed time to grow, and he also needed stronger immediate fighting power.
This was like someone showing up with the softest pillow just as he was nodding off.
"Sure, no problem."
Shiba answered without the slightest hesitation, straightforward and decisive.
"Actually, I've been wanting to go have a look too—to see if I can dig up any interesting little guys."
A small, subtle smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He even found himself wondering whether that walking "opportunity detector," that "treasure-hunting Rattata" who always managed to step right on top of big luck—Kaoru—might also show up there.
And if he could swipe a few more good things from under Kaoru's nose…
Then this trip to Magic City really would be perfect.
(End of Chapter)
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