Serena pouted, "It's not my fault! Who would have thought I'd run into a shiny Caterpie and not have a single Poké Ball on me?"
Carl paused for a moment before realizing why. As a beginner in Viridian Forest, it's tough to gather enough Poké Balls. It seemed Serena missed out on yet another shiny Pokémon, which explained her frustration.
He couldn't help but chuckle.
Serena blushed, relieved she hadn't confessed something even more embarrassing—that she encountered a third shiny Caterpie only to have it knocked out in one hit by her Bulbasaur.
"Get some rest. I'll call you when breakfast is ready," Carl said as he got her settled before leaving.
But lying in bed didn't make Serena sleepy. Instead, she felt more awake and stealthily pulled out her gaming console. Just as she powered it on, the door swung open. "By the way, what would you like for brea—" Carl's voice trailed off.
Serena wished she could disappear into the floor.
Meanwhile, Carl hummed a tune as he strolled out of the villa, only to be taken aback by the chaos in the front yard. The magnetic field area was a mess, with holes scattered everywhere. If he couldn't sense the rocks still there, he might have thought they'd been stolen.
Just as he was about to check the security footage, an explosion echoed from beyond the wall. Through his aura abilities, he saw a group of Magnemite surrounding an Electabuzz.
Electabuzz? Carl's eyes lit up. This was an unexpected find.
Electabuzz had significant potential, especially when evolved into Electivire, far surpassing ordinary Electric types. Although evolution required an Electirizer, many trainers were willing to invest because it allowed precise control over the evolution timing.
Training Electabuzz to a high level before evolving it could result in a direct breakthrough to elite status—a quick way for trainers to boost their strength.
This particular Electabuzz had impressive talents, boasting excellent base stats and mastering powerful moves, including the rare Ice Punch.
Though Carl wasn't sure why Electabuzz had a conflict with the Magnemite trio, he decided to intervene. He had his Blaziken use Fire Punch, and before Electabuzz could react, it was knocked down, feeling both frustrated and ambushed—who attacks with such strength and sneaky tactics!
In the villa's backyard opposite Summit Gym, under the influence of the World Tree, Electabuzz quickly recovered. Carl sternly asked, "Now do you understand the consequences of stealing?" After a brief exchange, he understood what had transpired.
Carl had suspected that the Electabuzz was drawn by the magnetic rocks. After the rocks intensified their electromagnetic waves yesterday, it had come from afar. Unlike others that flew directly into the magnetic field, it chose to hide and observe first.
Electabuzz was wary of humans but couldn't resist the magnetic rocks, so it decided to steal them. Its plan was meticulous, intending to lure away the guarding Magnemite trio in the dead of night and then quietly dig out the rocks.
Unfortunately, it didn't realize that the magnetic rocks were treasures Carl obtained from the World Tree and couldn't be stolen. Not only did it fail, but it was also discovered and surrounded by the Magnemite trio, leading to its capture by Carl.
With a gentle tap on Carl's chest, Electabuzz indicated its willingness to accept him as its trainer.
"Stick with me, and you won't have to resort to such things again," Carl said with a smile, producing a Poké Ball. "Rest up for now. I'll introduce you to the others later."
Watching Electabuzz return to the ball, Carl continued up the mountain. Upon reaching the World Tree sapling, he performed his usual offering. After a burst of magical light, a glowing orb appeared before him.
With a pop, the orb burst, dropping a gem into his palm. This precious stone could aid a Pokémon in mega-evolution, allowing specific Pokémon to temporarily evolve into a stronger form during battle.
The price of mega-evolution stones varied significantly based on the rarity of the Pokémon and market demand. Stones for pseudo-legendary Pokémon like Salamence and Garchomp fetched high prices due to wealthy owners and market speculation. Starter Pokémon stones also faced high demand, often exceeding supply.
The special mega-evolution stone in Carl's possession was unique, compatible with any Pokémon. Although exchanging it for a pseudo-legendary's stone could fetch a hefty price, Carl wasn't in need of money. He decided to keep this valuable stone for his Blaziken, eliminating the need to seek out a specific stone.
After checking on the growth of Pokémon eggs and nature mints, Carl left the garden. Not long after, Evan Cross arrived, out of breath, carrying breakfast from Havenport's east and west sides.
"Boss, I've got all the breakfast you wanted," Evan Cross said with a pained expression. He had hoped to taste some of what he imagined was Serena's cooking, but instead, he was sent on a morning breakfast run across the city.
Carl accepted the breakfast with a grin. "Your physique could use the exercise. I'm doing you a favor." Evan Cross rolled his eyes, thinking he'd ridden a Rapidash here—no need for weight loss.
"Come on, don't sweat the small stuff. Making money with me isn't good enough?" Carl bit into a steaming meat bun, nodding in satisfaction. The familiar taste lifted his spirits.
"Thanks a lot, boss," Evan Cross said earnestly, bowing deeply.
His family's game company was small, mainly producing standard fare, and in Fairfield, they had to compete with the Guo family. The annual profit was only about a million. But working with Carl on this project, the professional team estimated a monthly income of at least a billion. Even with just a 20% share, it was a huge boon.
"Is it that serious?" Carl nearly choked on his soy milk. It was an offhand remark, yet Evan Cross took it so seriously.
In this Pokémon world, creating games with Rotom's help wasn't hard; the key was creativity. But starting a company, hiring, and marketing were tedious tasks. If not for Evan Cross mentioning his family's company hitting a bottleneck, Carl wouldn't have considered getting involved. Evan Cross's father was especially generous, offering 80% of the shares and the major profit share.
"It's crucial!" Evan Cross said, rubbing his lower back. "We landed a big order last night."
"How big?" Carl asked nonchalantly.
"Ten million units!"
Carl spat out his soy milk. "How much? Who's that rich?"
"The Oak family in the Kanto region ordered ten million XY consoles."
Carl's eyes widened, incredulous as he rubbed his ears. An order for ten million consoles, even at a profit of a dollar per unit, amounted to millions in revenue. Not to mention the profit margin on consoles—this deal promised billions in profit.
And that's just the hardware sales. Future game software could continue generating income. With such a massive investment, the Oak family was sure to promote it heavily, expanding his user base. This wasn't just business—it was like manna from heaven.
"The news is absolutely reliable." Evan Cross eagerly rubbed his hands together. "The electronic contract is signed. When their representatives visit Fairfield, you'll have to meet them personally. The Oak family already sent over a deposit—ten billion. My dad was too excited to sleep."
As he spoke, Evan Cross instinctively rubbed his backside. That morning, he had joked about his father being too excited, only to be kicked out to find Carl with the news.
"This is unbelievable." Carl couldn't help but shake his head. Initially, Professor Oak's free endorsement was surprising enough, and now this situation was even more baffling. He couldn't help but wonder: did he have some special connection to Professor Oak?