POKEMON : STARTING WITH FLASH METAGROSS

In the room, Rax was lying on the sofa, carefully studying the training manual for Beldum.

The more he read, the more it made sense. Letting go of Beldum before had indeed been a waste of its talent.

But the more sense it made, the more sour Rax felt.

Steel-type Pokémon were such resource hogs!

If training Tyranitar required feeding it an entire mountain, training Metagross would need at least half a mine!

Yes, a mine!

Metagross might grow faster than Dragon pseudo-legendaries, but it came at a steep price.

The reason? Pure expenditure.

Just then, his communicator rang again.

Seeing it was Steven calling, Rax hesitated. He didn't really want to answer.

"Hello, what's up?"

"Nothing much, just checking if you've gone through the manual. Need me to clear up any doubts?"

Steven's tone was steady, but Rax could sense his underlying cheerfulness.

"No doubts, just liver pain."

"Huh?"

Steven sounded puzzled, clearly not understanding the term. After all, he'd never lacked money.

"Forget it; that's not the point. I need to ask—can you sell me some of the ores needed for Beldum's initial training phase?"

"Of course!"

Rax felt a wave of relief and was about to ask about the price when Steven laid it all out.

"There are four types of ore required for Beldum's growth phase. For a decent supply, around 300 tons is needed, costing 2.8 million Pokédollars. How would you like to pay?"

"..."

A long silence followed. Rax's voice eventually came out in a daze.

"Can I... pay in installments?"

Rax knew he didn't have the capacity to mine resources globally at the moment.

If he wanted to properly train Metagross, he'd have to rely on the Devon Corporation.

They were generous enough to provide the manual and share the sources of these rare ores.

But if he thought they'd let him mine it himself? Not a chance.

Sure, he could try—but if he couldn't?

Devon Corporation would gladly "help" and sell the resources directly to him.

This was an open conspiracy!

Steven's devilishly tempting voice soon followed.

"You know, there's a better option... Don't rush to refuse. Come downstairs, and I'll explain in person."

Rax sprang up, glaring at the door.

Why was Steven blocking him like this?

Where was the sense of decorum?

Five minutes later...

Rax arrived at the Pokémon Center lounge in slippers, deliberately unkempt.

Steven, ever the noble figure, seemed unfazed by Rax's disheveled state.

"Tea? The Red Earl blend from Verdanturf Town is excellent."

"No thanks, can't afford it."

Steven smiled and handed Rax a document.

"Have a look at these terms. This is the best deal I could negotiate for you. Any better, and it'd exceed my own benefits."

Hearing this, Rax's interest was piqued.

He took the document and read carefully.

After a while, Rax looked up, astonished.

"Thirty percent of the profits from the Rustboro Valley project? Are you insane, or am I hallucinating?"

"I'm not insane, and you're not hallucinating."

"This is just part of the deal I've arranged for you—enough to cover all the resources required to raise Beldum to the Champion level."

Steven said this calmly, sipping his tea, and gestured for Rax to keep reading.

All resources purchased through Devon Corporation would be at half the market price.

Free training manuals for any five Pokémon, up to the pseudo-legendary level.

Free accommodation at all Devon-owned hotels and apartments.

Free use of mid-tier simulation training rooms, with access to top-tier ones upon reaching the pseudo-legendary level.

Each point made Rax's heart tremble, melting any resistance he had.

It was too tempting.

Still, Rax had doubts.

"I'm just an ordinary trainer with no real power. Why would you offer me this?"

Steven set down his teacup and looked at Rax without a word.

Rax understood.

Like their first negotiation, Steven trusted his own judgment. The Rustboro Valley incident had only solidified his resolve.

Rax put down the agreement and exhaled.

His mind cleared as a flicker of pink and purple light calmed his thoughts.

"The benefits in this agreement are clear, but what do you need from me?"

"For now? Nothing. At least not until you win a regional championship. That's when my investment will start paying off.

When the time comes, all you need to do is publicly endorse the Devon Corporation."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Wouldn't you be the better choice for an endorsement?"

"Not really." Steven's voice betrayed a hint of helplessness.

"People love seeing underdogs rise and ordinary trainers achieve greatness. For me to win public approval, I'd have to surpass my father—completely."

Rax sighed internally, understanding Steven's predicament as a wealthy heir.

Steven's next words carried confidence.

"The regional league is just the beginning. Your rewards in the future will far exceed what you're getting now!"

Rax's lips twitched.

"Do you have to be so blunt?"

Steven smiled.

"That's called sincerity."

Eventually, Rax agreed.

Steven handed him a compact space bag, containing all the ores they'd discussed earlier.

After securing the deal, the conversation turned casual.

"I heard you went to Sandgem Town two days ago?"

"Yeah, Professor Rowan invited me."

Rax teased lightly, playing up his connections.

Steven, however, grinned and pressed a button on his communicator.

"Did you help Professor Rowan figure out how Probopass evolves?"

"..."

So much for sincerity.

Rax rolled his eyes as Steven chuckled and explained.

"Professor Rowan asked us to collaborate. Devon has extensive experience in rock mining."

Rax shrugged. He'd already heard that Rowan's lab wasn't a selfless institution.

Research findings were shared with anyone willing to fund their work.

The evolutionary paths for Probopass and Magnezone were sure to skyrocket the prices of related items.

Like the Rustboro Valley project, Devon would profit immensely once fossil Pokémon hit the market.

And Rax's 30% cut would likely surpass Steven's modest estimate.

Question: What do you do when you suddenly get rich?

Answer: Stay low-key and avoid unwanted attention.