After enjoying hot pot with Mark, they both headed home. But before doing so, John made a quick stop at Emerald Fields, the nearby breeding house. He'd already planned to get Pokemon rations for Torchic and Zigzagoon, but now he wanted to add Froakie to the list.
The breeding house, named Emerald Fields, looked inviting enough. 'I'll have to check out their Mareep and Houndour too.' John thought.
"Hello! What can I help you with today?" a sweet-faced girl greeted John. She wore a white turban and an apron adorned with the breeding house's logo.
"I'm looking to buy some Pokemon rations. What are your prices?" John asked.
With a warm smile, the girl explained, "Our Pokemon rations come in three levels: low, medium, and high."
"The low-end rations are based on your Pokemon's attributes and are 200 Pokedollars per serving," she continued. "Mid-range rations are customized by species and cost 1,000 Pokedollars per serving."
"For high-end rations, our experienced breeders conduct individual tests to create custom-tailored rations, which range from 5,000 to 30,000 Pokedollars."
'Whoa!'John thought. 'That's a bit outrageous. At four servings a month, just the mid-range rations would cost 4,000 Pokedollars—a whole month's salary for a regular worker. No wonder Trainers can barely afford Pokemon!'
"If I went for premium rations for a full team of six Pokemon…" John mused. 'I'd need a small fortune.'
"Alright, let's go with the high-end rations for both of my Pokemon," John finally decided, allowing himself to splurge a little.
'Good thing my family owns some mines, he reminded himself. Zigzagoon's item-finding skills are priceless!'
But he planned to buy some low-end rations for Zigzagoon after leaving. Zigzagoon's gonna be okay, John thought, smiling to himself.
"Please wait a moment while I call the breeder," the girl said, eyes lighting up at the high-end order. She quickly left, offering John tea, coffee, or water as she went.
Two minutes later, a young woman around John's age entered, bringing a cup of green tea.
"Hello! I'm Lily, a junior breeder here. I'll be working on the Pokemon rations for you. Could you please release your Pokemon so I can take a look?" she asked.
John released Torchic and Froakie.
"Jeep! o(^▽^)o" Torchic chirped happily, bouncing with energy.
"Kalu!! ←_←" Froakie, just caught, was calmer. He stood with his arms crossed, observing Torchic's playful movements, his expression serious.
"Your Pokemon are adorable!" Lily said, eyes sparkling as she examined them. "Torchic's fur is so soft, its color healthy, and its muscles firm—it's full of vitality. You must've put a lot of work into training it."
'I've been trying.' John thought, feeling proud. 'Hope it shows!'
"To customize the rations, we'll focus on your training goals: speed, strength, or move power?" Lily asked.
Turning her attention to Froakie, she continued, "This Froakie was recently caught. It's strong, but it has a few small injuries, likely from its time in the wild. Its powerful hind limbs suggest impressive speed."
'Looks like Froakie had a rough time out there, John thought. I'll make sure it gets the care it deserves.'
"If you want rations for Froakie, I'd recommend focusing on nutrition first, then adjusting the diet for training," Lily suggested confidently.
'She knows her stuff,' John reflected. 'I should've thought through Torchic's training a bit more. Thank goodness Miss Joy at the Pokemon Center took good care of him.'
"I'll go with your suggestions for Froakie. For Torchic, let's focus on strength," John said, thinking it through. 'This should help maximize their strengths and IVs. Start with strength, adjust later if needed.'
"I just hope I can afford this…" he muttered under his breath.
"For Torchic, the rations will be 22,000 Pokedollars, as we use some rare berries," Lily explained.
"Froakie's rations will cost about 10,000 Pokedollars. The ingredients are top-quality, and the prices are stable for now."
'Not as bad as I feared.' John thought, relieved.
"If you'd like to proceed, I can offer you a discount: 30,000 Pokedollars total," Lily added.
'That's still a big hit to my wallet'. John considered, but it was manageable.
"Alright, let's go with that. Please prepare the rations. I'll take two high-end servings for each Pokemon and ten low-end Normal-type rations as well."
"Got it! Please wait about half an hour while I prepare today's meals," Lily said as she got to work.
The receptionist processed his payment and took down his address for future deliveries.
Half an hour later, John received two large meals made from berries, supplemented with meat and herbs.
'This doesn't look too fancy. I could probably make something similar myself' John thought, inspecting the meals. 'The 20,000 Pokedollars for Torchic's food seems high, considering the ingredients are probably worth half that.'
'Still, half of that probably goes to the breeder's "consultation fee" and "matching fee.'
John realized that becoming a breeder might actually be a promising career.
'If junior breeders charge these prices, the advanced or master breeders must be making a fortune!'