"Three million—no, four million for the set of three."
Frobo named his price the moment he sat down. Seeing Kashiwagi silently pouring water without responding, he added, "This price is already quite generous. They're fully evolved and their combat strength looks solid, but after all, they've been drugged..."
"So their fundamental value is heavily discounted. I understand."
Kashiwagi nodded, sighing inwardly. Buying and selling Pokémon was common in other regions, but hearing a Pokémon's worth reduced to a specific "price tag" still didn't sit right with him.
"I think I'll pass. Please thank your client for the offer, but it's better for me to keep them," he said with practiced sincerity.
"Someone already reserved them?"
"No, I just don't want to sell them."
"..."
Frobo stared at Kashiwagi's face, trying to gauge if the latter was just playing hardball to hike up the price. Realizing it wasn't a bluff, he tapped his knuckles on the table. "...I know you might think you're not hurting for cash right now, but honestly, ten million isn't as much as it sounds. It looks like a lot, but it disappears fast. Besides, you killed their Trainer. Getting them to accept you won't be easy. Are you planning to keep them boarded forever? That's not a small bill!"
Just as he said, ten million felt like an infinite fortune when it first arrived, but the reality of living "wealthy" compared to living "poor" was starting to sink in. Kashiwagi had at least two more mouths to feed, and they weren't cheap.
"And I heard you haven't chosen a third Pokémon yet. That four million is enough for you to pick some incredibly strong ones with high potential."
Frobo pressed on, "Pokémon that have been drugged have unstable mental states. Even if you manage to tame them, they'll eventually disappoint you. Plus, taking on three at once? You won't be able to handle it."
To be honest, the man's logic was tempting. However, Kashiwagi truly did not want to sell those three poor creatures. He shook his head again.
Frobo went silent, taking a sip of water. "..."
Kashiwagi expected him to leave since they couldn't reach a deal, but after a long pause, the man asked:
"Can I ask what you plan to do with them?"
"Of course." Kashiwagi saw no reason to hide it; word would get out eventually anyway. "I plan to find a few reliable subordinates later on and let them adopt the Pokémon."
"...Adopt?"
"Yeah. You can think of it as a unit benefit. Selling them is off the table."
"..."
Frobo looked at Kashiwagi as if he were a rare specimen. "My client offers four million and you refuse, yet you'd give them away for free to your underlings?"
"You could put it that way."
He met the man's gaze calmly. Let Frobo think his brain was fried or that he was a hypocrite; it didn't matter.
Frobo stood up, his expression incredibly complex, before letting out a deep sigh.
"My apologies. Just act like I was never here."
"Don't say that. I know you meant well. Thanks for making the trip." Kashiwagi saw him out, letting out a long breath once the door clicked shut.
Four million. Truthfully, it had been heart-wrenchingly tempting. He had almost wavered.
Money really can make a person unrecognizable, he thought, shaking his head. He woke Lairon and Chansey up; it was time to move.
During the process, Naruhisa and the old crew from Blue-Iridium Street showed up to help him move his boxes.
"Once our training is over, we're planning to run with you. What do you think?" Naruhisa asked, hoisting a crate and looking at Kashiwagi expectantly.
The others perked up, ears straining to hear the answer.
"What do you mean 'what do I think'? Who else would I pick?" Kashiwagi laughed. "Don't look at me like that, it's gross. We grew up together. You think just because I 'made it' I'd forget my own people?"
Before his predecessor died, he had survived on the kindness of these neighbors until he was ten. They were one of the few lights in his life. They had formed a bond by resisting "the system" together from the start; there was already a deep level of unspoken trust.
Kashiwagi didn't believe he could find anyone more loyal. Of course, money changed people, but wouldn't strangers be just as likely to turn bad? There was no difference. Every person here had already survived Shibata's attempts to bribe and divide them; they had experience resisting corruption.
Hearing his words, Naruhisa and the others let out a collective sigh of relief, their faces breaking into bright smiles. Kashiwagi had risen so fast it was staggering; they had been genuinely nervous about how to talk to him now.
But thankfully, he was the same as always—man of few words, but deep heart.
The group began chatting excitedly.
"If Kashiwagi's turf ends up being Blue-Iridium Street, Ma and the others won't have to work so hard anymore."
"Idiot! Home is poor. We want him to get a turf with some 'oil'! Collecting from the dance halls and Pachinko parlors—one day's take would make you fat! You bring that money back, and your Ma still doesn't have to work!"
"Hahahaha!"
The young men, most barely in their twenties, laughed loudly, their words full of hope for the future.
The New House.
A square, two-story building with a pale yellow exterior. It looked like a self-built home from a rural town in his previous life, but it came with a decent-sized backyard. The yard even had a crude battle pitch.
And a tree.
For Kashiwagi and Lairon, this was a massive surprise. The location was close to the Sand Unit's egg-shaped headquarters, but the area was quiet. There was a respectful distance between the houses, ensuring privacy.
No wonder they say becoming a Squad Leader is like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate. The jump in living standards was massive.
As Kashiwagi explored the interior, he found that while the outside was rustic, the inside was very well-furnished. Likely the result of the previous owner's hard work.
He held a small celebration with his comrades. Once Narusu and the others left for their training classes, the sapling and bonsai Lairon had been waiting for finally arrived.
The deliveryman brought a Sandshrew. After confirming the spot with Kashiwagi, he ordered the Pokémon to dig a hole, and they transplanted the sapling. Lairon was so excited it tried to "help" by digging with its snout, only to get a flick on the forehead from Kashiwagi.
"Here's the cultivation manual. Come again!" The deliveryman left.
"Cultivation manual... Hope we can keep it alive. Well, the big one lived," Kashiwagi muttered, flipping through the pages. He couldn't read most of it, but looking at the existing tree in the yard, he felt there was a chance.
But wait. Will the two trees fight for nutrients? He looked at the trees, ten meters apart, with some concern. He was a complete amateur at this.
"Fertilizing, soil quality... Hey, calm down! Stop huffing like a Tepig!"
Kashiwagi pushed Lairon's massive head away. "Can you even read this? I can't even read it! Pokémon script is way too hard."
Lairon didn't care what his Trainer thought. It began running laps around the backyard, venting the restless energy of its excitement. It let out low, muffled roars as it ran.
"Lair! Lairon!"
Chansey looked at it, completely bewildered. Kashiwagi didn't quite get what was going on either, until a voice called out.
"Oh? Looks like your Lairon is marking your backyard as its territory."
It was Frobo again.
"Uh... what makes you say that?" Kashiwagi asked. He felt this guy was a bit odd. Was he just bored? Why keep coming back? Or did he have an ulterior motive...
"Lairon are very territorial by nature. In the wild, they claim mountains with iron ore and delicious spring water. Pyrite Town doesn't have that, so it's lowering its standards."
Frobo noticed the wary look in Kashiwagi's eyes and sighed. "Brother, I'm still here about this morning. I can't help it; I was born with a 'busybody' fate, running errands and passing messages for people."
"...You're a Squad Leader, aren't you?"
"So what? To the big shots, we're nothing. They tell me to go in person, what am I gonna do?" Frobo's expression turned slightly pleading. "Give me a chance to negotiate?"
Kashiwagi: "..."
He felt something was slightly off about this man, though he couldn't pin it down yet. For the sake of caution, he decided to hear him out. If he snubbed the man and Frobo turned sour, having a "colleague" working against him in the shadows would be a nightmare.