Jubilife City, Coronet Day Care.
The place was decked out as though it were New Year's, with a sign by the entrance advertising 30% off everything.
Coronet Day Care was a well-known chain, with branches in all of Sinnoh's major cities and towns.
But only ten were company-owned stores. The rest were franchises.
The Coronet Day Care in Jubilife City was a franchise.
As a franchise owner, the manager, Baru, didn't need to report to the regional manager before running a big promotion.
On Saturday morning, Baru put on a new custom-tailored outfit and welcomed new customers with a broad smile.
The employees at Coronet Day Care did the same, lining up in a V formation in their new uniforms as if they were expecting customers to come pouring in.
To motivate his employees, Baru had even increased their commissions.
They earned commissions for getting customers to top up membership cards, selling Pokémon Eggs, and adding extra services.
Baru had always been a miser, and his commissions had been pitifully low.
With the higher commissions, the employees were eager to get to work.
The past few days had gone well enough. The discounts had indeed brought in more customers.
Baru was prepared to take a loss this time, but he could use the opportunity to wipe out the other Pokémon Day Cares, including the Breeding Center, in one fell swoop.
In Baru's eyes, the losses were only temporary. As long as he could crush the other Pokémon Day Cares,
wouldn't he have the final say over Jubilife City's market afterward?
The Coronet Company's warehouse automation, blockchain, and centralized purchasing and distribution system were what gave Baru his confidence.
They provided an enormous cost advantage.
What made Coca-Cola and Pepsi powerful wasn't their formulas, but their efficient supply chains.
They could