Xia Chi and Iono's Private Deal

Chapter 19: Xia Chi and Iono's Private Deal (Monthly votes, please!)

The argument didn't last long. Iono finally ended the subject with, "Oh, forget it. Just call me Iono."

The two of them then got down to discussing Sprigatito's training notes.

Iono: "Speaking of which, Brassius and Geeta have both raised Meowscarada. Whose notes do you want?"

Xia Chi was delighted. I get to choose, too?

Brassius was Paldea's Grass-type Gym Leader. His deep understanding of Grass-type Pokémon like Sprigatito went without saying.

Geeta, meanwhile, was the Paldea League's Top Champion. There was no questioning her strength.

Still, he'd never seen her use Meowscarada in the games, so he had no idea whether it was just a benchwarmer on her team.

Then again, no matter what, Xia Chi wasn't in any position to turn his nose up at a Champion's training insights.

But which of the two should he choose?

Brassius specialized in Grass types, while Geeta was stronger overall.

Both had their advantages.

After spending the past two days constantly facing either-or decisions, Xia Chi found himself paralyzed by choice again.

Wait, Iono isn't some rigid system. Why can't I dream a little and take both?

With that thought, Xia Chi replied, "How about this? Help me compile both sets of Sprigatito training notes, then get a few high-quality Miracle Seeds and send everything over in one package."

Brother Xun had once said that if you wanted to open a window, you should first ask to open a door.

But Xia Chi's request went far beyond opening a door. He was practically asking for the moon.

He'd expected a curt question mark in response.

Instead, Iono's message read:

"Sure!"

Xia Chi leaned back in shock.

Wait, she's accepting a request that ridiculous?

Ms. Iono, don't tell me you've actually got a bit of clown in you?

While Xia Chi was silently snarking, the next message appeared on his screen.

"But you have to agree to two conditions."

Xia Chi wasn't surprised. There was no such thing as a free lunch.

He wanted Sprigatito's training notes, and Iono wanted him to fulfill two conditions in return. That was perfectly normal.

Xia Chi had no intention of refusing. Social relationships were all about give-and-take.

Those exchanges were precisely what brought people closer together.

You couldn't take advantage of someone all the time without ever giving anything up yourself, could you?

Who would want to hang out with you after that?

Besides, when it came down to it...

Who could refuse the friendship of a beautiful young Gym Leader who also streamed with that irresistible wife appeal?

Xia Chi certainly couldn't.

Despite those thoughts, Xia Chi replied, "Don't push it. Two conditions are too many. One at most. I can do without the Miracle Seeds-two sets of training notes for one condition."

Shui's Little Social Skills Class, lesson two: "Dark Psychology."

Don't let the other person get a read on you too easily.

The early stages of a relationship often determined its entire framework.

Although Xia Chi was far behind Iono in both streaming fame and strength as a Trainer...

He still wanted to build a healthier, more equal relationship.

After all, he wasn't used to being on the bottom.

Iono replied, "Relax, I won't ask for anything unreasonable. Just two conditions, and I can send you a Miracle Seed from Viridian Forest!"

In the games, a Miracle Seed was a held item that boosted the power of a Pokémon's Grass-type moves.

In reality, it was the ideal training item for helping Grass-type Pokémon grow.

Miracle Seeds generally grew in remote parts of the Wild Area.

Although the people of Donghuang, with farming practically encoded in their DNA, had developed techniques to cultivate Miracle Seeds artificially, those seeds were much less effective than natural, wild-grown ones.

The finest Miracle Seeds came from Viridian Forest, and a single seed often fetched tens of thousands on the market.

Ms. Iono is being way too generous, isn't she?

Actually, if the money's good enough, being Miss Iono's Growlithe isn't entirely out of the-

No!

Having nearly succumbed to the power of money, Xia Chi gritted his teeth and replied, "Tell me your conditions first. I'll think about it."

Iono: "First, you have to set aside one day every month to play games with me!"

Oh, so she wants a gaming companion. And here I thought she wanted a 'companion.'

That really wasn't an unreasonable request. Xia Chi would essentially be taking a part-time job as a skilled gaming partner.

At once a month, it would only take twelve days a year. Easily over ten thousand a day.

As for how long this "contract" would last, Xia Chi hadn't considered it.

As far as he was concerned, Iono was just enjoying the novelty for now.

Maybe she'd get bored after a few months and wouldn't want to play with him anymore.

Asking exactly how long it would last would only make him seem full of himself.

So Xia Chi replied, "Sure, no problem. What's the second condition?"

Iono: "Haven't thought of it yet. I'll save it for later! (Bellibolt puffing up its belly.gif)"

Xia Chi refused. "No. How's that any different from asking for two hundred more conditions?"

Iono: "Relax. I promise it won't be anything that puts you in a difficult position."

Iono: "If you think it's an unfair exchange, we can discuss it then, or you can just say no."

With Iono going that far, Xia Chi felt that refusing again would be downright ungracious.

So he replied, "Okay, let's do that."

Iono: "It's a deal!"

Iono: "I'll ask them for the training notes tomorrow, and I'll send you the Miracle Seed through Dragonite Express in a bit!"

Dragonite Express wasn't just a flashy name. It was a company run by Kanto's Dragon Clan that genuinely used Dragonite for every delivery.

Xia Chi had heard of it before, but had never used it.

The operating costs alone were outrageous.

Half a box of premium Pokéblocks worth over a thousand for every hundred kilometers-who could afford to burn money like that?

Its customers were people like Iono, who had money to spare.

After giving Iono his address, they said goodbye on Piplup.

Xia Chi washed up and went to bed, too.

He'd caught his ideal starter Pokémon, his streaming career was flourishing, and Iono had even given him a lavish gift.

After such a fulfilling day, Xia Chi slept especially soundly that night.

Early the next morning, he was woken by knocking at his window.

Xia Chi was still groggy at first, but remembering that he lived on the fourth floor jolted him wide awake.

Oh crap, something supernatural!

He was about to call Sprigatito over to fend off the intruder, but when he sat up, he saw an adorably goofy, round orange face.

(Dragonite delivery worker)

It was a Dragonite.

Holy shit, that fast?

Xia Chi was stunned.

Only a dozen or so hours had passed, and it had already brought the package all the way from Paldea to Donghuang?

Clearly, while Dragonite wasn't quite as fast as the Pokédex's claim that it could "circle the globe in sixteen hours," it wasn't far off.

Of course, Dragonite Express charged a hefty price, too.

Even setting aside its efficiency, when an adorably goofy Dragonite fluttered those tiny wings, so out of proportion to its bulky body, and handed you your package...

The sheer emotional satisfaction was worth the price.

All he could say was that the Dragon Clan must have had an expert advising them behind the scenes to come up with a business idea that so precisely catered to wealthy women like Iono.

(P.S. May has just begun, so Juice is asking for a monthly vote~ Monthly votes currently carry quite a lot of weight in the new book rankings. I hope you'll all lend your support!)