In the room, Haruki lay sprawled on the couch, intently studying the Beldum Training Manual.
The more he read, the more it made sense… he really had been wasting Beldum's potential by letting it free-range train.
But the more sense it made, the more it made his teeth ache.
Steel-types were resource hogs!
If raising a Tyranitar meant feeding it a whole mountain, then raising a Metagross would require at least half a mine…
And not just any mountain…
A mineral mine!
Sure, Metagross matured faster than most pseudo-Legendaries, but that came at a cost.
There was no other way to put it: just pay up and cry later.
Right on cue, his communicator rang again.
Seeing Steven's name on the screen, Haruki didn't exactly feel thrilled about answering.
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Nothing urgent. Just wondering if you've gone through the manual. Need me to clarify anything?"
Steven's voice was calm, but Haruki couldn't shake the feeling that he sounded a bit too pleased.
"No questions. Just liver pain."
"Hm?"
Steven sounded confused. Clearly, he had no idea what Haruki meant by "liver pain", after all, money had never been an issue for him…
"Forget it, that's not the point. Actually, I was just about to ask, could you sell me some of the ore Beldum needs for its early stages?"
"Of course!"
Haruki relaxed a little. He was just about to ask about the price when Steven rattled it off like reciting from memory.
"Beldum needs four types of ore during this phase. To reach Veteran-level standards, you'll need roughly 300 tons in total. That comes to 2.8 million Pokédollars. How would you like to pay?"
"…"
After a long silence, Haruki spoke with a drifting voice.
"Could I… pay in installments?"
He knew full well he didn't have the ability to go mining all over the world.
It became increasingly clear that properly raising a Metagross meant he would have to rely on the Devon Corporation's support.
The Training Manual? Sure, Steven could give him that. The locations of rare ores? He'd probably tell him those too.
But was Haruki going to dig them up himself?
If you can, no one's stopping you.
If you can't… well, Steven could help, couldn't he? Deliver it all to your doorstep, spoon-fed. That was the beauty of an open conspiracy.
Sure enough, Steven's devilish voice rang out.
"Actually, there's an even better option for you… Don't reject it just yet. Come downstairs and I'll explain in person."
Haruki sprang up from the couch, eyes darting toward the door.
'What the hell?!' He came right to his doorstep?
Boundaries? Hello?
Five minutes later…
Haruki stepped into the Pokémon Center lounge in slippers and deliberately rumpled clothes.
Steven still looked every bit the noble gentleman and didn't seem to even notice Haruki's sloppiness.
"Tea? Jubilife City's Earl Red is pretty good."
"No thanks. Can't afford it."
Steven chuckled and flipped out a document.
"Take a look at the terms. I got you the best deal possible, any better and I'd be out-ranked."
That got Haruki's attention.
And the fact that he had come down to meet Steven in person meant he was already open to a partnership.
Haruki took the document and began reading carefully. It didn't take long before he abruptly looked up.
"30% of the Grampa Canyon development profits? Are you crazy, or am I blind?"
"I'm not crazy, and you're not blind. That's just part of what I secured for you. It'll be enough to cover every resource Beldum needs until it reaches Elite Four level."
Steven remained perfectly composed, took a sip of Earl Red, and gestured for Haruki to keep reading.
----
[Resources purchased through Devon would be priced at half the standard market rate.]
[Free access to five Training Manuals of any Pokémon species, up to Quasi-Elite Four level.]
[Free lodging at any Devon-owned hotel or apartment.]
[Free use of Intermediate Mimicry Rooms, and upon reaching Quasi-Elite Four level, access to Advanced Mimicry Rooms at no cost.]
----
Haruki's heart thudded with every line he read. Any lingering resistance he'd felt was now completely gone.
It wasn't that he lacked resolve.
The offer was just too generous.
Still, a doubt lingered in Haruki's heart.
"I'm just a powerless, unknown Trainer. Am I really worth all this?"
Steven set down his teacup, eyes fixed on Haruki, saying nothing.
Alright, Haruki got the message. Just like during their first negotiation, he chose to trust his instincts.
And after the Grampa Canyon "incident", Steven's intentions seemed even more resolute.
Haruki set the agreement down and exhaled lightly.
A flicker of pinkish-purple light flashed through his mind, helping him regain his composure.
"The benefits to me are obvious, but the agreement doesn't say what you expect in return."
"I don't need anything from you right now. At least not until you win a Regional League Championship. That's when my investment will start to pay off. When that time comes, all I'll ask is for you to publicly endorse the Devon Corporation."
"…That's it?"
"That's it."
"You're the perfect spokesperson yourself, aren't you?"
"Not exactly." At this, Steven revealed a rare look of helplessness.
"People love to watch the 'underdog' rise, to see ordinary people beat the odds. If I want public approval, I'd have to surpass my father… by every metric."
'So, you decided to become a Champion instead?'
Haruki silently mocked him, but deep down, he understood. That was the burden of rich kids.
Forever living under the shadow of their predecessors, every achievement dismissed as the product of a privileged upbringing.
"And I believe the Regional League is only the beginning. My return on investment will only grow from here."
Haruki's mouth twitched.
"Could you be any more blunt?"
Steven smiled.
"That's what honesty looks like."
In the end, Haruki agreed.
And just like that, Steven pulled out a Spatial Pouch and handed it to him.
"All the ore we talked about is inside."
Haruki was both annoyed and amused, but still accepted the pack with a smile.
The pouch was small and designed to attach seamlessly to his existing Spatial Backpack. Clearly, every detail had been thought through.
With the business out of the way, both of them visibly relaxed, and Steven seemed especially pleased.
"I heard you went to Sandgem Town a few days ago?"
"Yeah. Professor Rowan invited me."
Haruki didn't bother asking how Steven knew. In this world, any organization with real clout had decent intelligence capabilities.
So, Haruki decided to show off a little, he was someone plenty of people had their eyes on.
Steven then pulled out his communicator and tapped it.
"You helped Professor Rowan discover the evolution method for Nosepass?"
"…"
'What happened to all that honesty?'
Seeing Haruki caught off guard, Steven laughed so hard he completely dropped his usual "elegance", then finally explained.
"Professor Rowan approached us for a collaboration. Devon has a lot of experience in geological and mineral research."
"Oh."
Haruki recalled something mentioned before: Research Labs weren't some kind of selfless organization.
They shared research results with whoever funded them.
Once the evolution paths of Probopass and Magnezone were confirmed, prices of relevant materials were bound to spike.
All Professor Rowan had to do was delay the research a bit. Once Devon had stockpiled enough, they could capitalize and recoup their investment.
Just like the Grampa Canyon project, there still hadn't been a single word about it in the News. But the moment Fossil Pokémon went public, Devon would make an absolute fortune.
And Haruki's thirty percent cut? It was definitely going to be more than Steven had let on.
Question: What should you do if you suddenly become rich?
Answer: Stay low-key. Don't get targeted.