Pokemon: My Strange Pokemons

Middle-aged William sat upright, speaking seriously:

"We've thoroughly investigated this matter. Those Mankeys mistook the berry tree you were picking from as their territory, which is why they attacked without hesitation and took your precious Liam. However, our Miranda Scenic Area is willing to take full responsibility and offer compensation to you, our esteemed guests, for the fright you experienced."

Aurora shot William a cold glance.

"There's no need for so many excuses. This is entirely your responsibility. Not only is your management lacking, but limiting visitors to a single Pokémon for protection also placed my child in such danger. Don't make it sound like you're doing us a favor."

William offered a sheepish smile.

"Mrs. Aurora, that was not my intention at all. To make amends, you and Mr. Ethan will now be lifetime VIP guests of Miranda Scenic Area, with free access anytime. Additionally, we'll send you an annual berry gift box worth 10,000 Pokedollars. Would this compensation satisfy you both?"

Lying on the bed, Ethan pondered. An annual berry gift box? That actually sounded decent.

If I live for another seventy or eighty years, that's worth a good 700,000 or 800,000 Pokedollars.

Wait, wait! By that time, would someone of my status even care for such petty compensation?

Goodness, the audacity of whoever thought up this absurd repayment method—it must have been dreamed up by someone who deserves to be strung up on a lamppost!

The more Ethan thought about it, the less pleased he felt. He was just about to voice his disapproval when Aurora spoke first.

"I'll give you one chance to rephrase that."

Her sharp gaze and calm tone carried an undeniable authority.

This domineering CEO demeanor was worlds apart from her earlier display of motherly affection.

Ethan mused silently to himself: Aurora must hold a high position in society. I wonder why I even encountered her on a public bus—rich people and their quirks, I guess.

William coughed awkwardly.

"Well, we do have another proposal: a cash payment of 500,000 Pokedollars, along with two Silver Company annual membership cards. These grant an 85% shopping discount for a year. What do you think?"

"That's closer to acceptable," Aurora replied coolly.

William exhaled in relief, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

"That's great. Now, about today's incident, I hope that the two of you—"

Aurora sneered.

"Compensation is one thing, but when did we start discussing hush money?"

William froze.

"..."

He very much wanted to storm out, but the potential fallout from this matter being exposed kept him rooted. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Another 300,000 Pokedollars!"

Aurora lifted her head, resembling a proud swan.

"Are you kidding? If this goes public and gains traction, my brother could gain both fame and fortune from it. Do you think 300,000 Pokedollars suffices for that?"

Ethan, still lying on the bed, muttered under his breath, "Needs more money."

William felt his world spinning. A lifetime of scheming, and he had finally been outmaneuvered. Was this karma for all the wrongdoings he'd done?

In a voice that carried a tinge of despair, he replied, "Another 500,000—really, no more than that!"

Aurora decisively responded, "Deal. That's a total of 1.3 million Pokedollars. I expect to see the transfer confirmed by tomorrow."

William opened his mouth, but in the end, couldn't bring himself to say, I meant an additional 500,000, not 800,000!

Ethan chimed in, "Ah, by the way, your earlier promise still stands, right? I'll need to return to the Pokémon Reserve tomorrow."

William, terrified of further trouble, stammered, "Uh… that place is quite dangerous. It'd be best if you don't—"

Aurora chuckled coldly.

"Mr. William, surely you wouldn't want what happened today at your scenic area to be made public?"

William: "..."

In the quiet hospital room, Aurora's phone chimed. After glancing at the message, she turned and said, "The car's here. Let's go."

The luxury car sped along the lakeside road around Lake Yunzawa. Sinking into the plush interior, Ethan became even more convinced that Aurora was indeed wealthy.

Yet, at this moment, the rich woman no longer carried the haughty air she displayed earlier. Instead, she sincerely expressed her gratitude to Ethan.

"Mr. Ethan, I really don't know how to thank you. Without your help today, I wouldn't have known what to do."

Ethan waved it off.

"If you're grateful, thank Eevee. She was the one who heard Liam's cries and chased after him."

Aurora nodded and turned to Eevee, offering a heartfelt thank-you.

Eevee wagged her tail gracefully, "Eevee~ (It was nothing~)."

Ethan couldn't resist his curiosity.

"Sorry if this is too forward, but why were you only carrying a Torkoal?"

Though it was clear that her Torkoal was powerful, at the end of the day, it was still a Torkoal—famous for being one of the slowest Pokémon. In a situation like today's, it was of little help.

Aurora gave a small, bitter smile.

"Liam… he loves the meat cooked on Torkoal's back. Besides, Miranda Scenic Area is known for its lack of strong wild Pokémon, so I let my guard down. I'll make sure to learn from this experience."

Ethan couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. He hadn't expected such an odd reason.

"Oh, right," Aurora added, "Liam mentioned that you wanted to catch a Feebas. While I can't give you a Prism Scale right now, I can arrange for a high-potential Feebas to be delivered to you."

Aurora truly lived up to her wealthy status—offering a top-notch Feebas worth at least a million Pokedollars as if it were nothing.

But Ethan didn't hesitate to decline.

"That won't be necessary."

Aurora looked taken aback.

"Why not? You saved Liam—this is just a small token of gratitude. Please, don't refuse!"

Ethan explained, "Let me finish. I mean I really liked that Feebas I saw today. I'll catch it myself. Instead, if you could exchange that for five Fairy Gems, that would be much more helpful to me."

Five Fairy Gems were roughly equivalent in value to a top-tier Feebas. Ethan simply didn't want to owe her a favor.

Aurora finally relaxed and smiled.

"My company does business with the Kalos region—it's no trouble at all. If you like, you can always buy from me in the future. I'll sell to you at cost."

"Also, for tomorrow's trip to Miranda Scenic Area, you're welcome to borrow one of my Pokémon. While the wild Pokémon there aren't very strong, it's better to be cautious."

Watching Aurora fuss over him with genuine concern, Ethan smiled slightly. This woman certainly had high emotional intelligence.

Whether her care was genuine or calculated, the effort she put into showing it was real. This trip had not only earned him some significant gains but also helped Eevee forge a valuable connection.

He smiled and nodded along to Aurora's chatter, all while absentmindedly stroking Eevee's head.

Meanwhile, Eevee quietly muttered to herself: What's with this unexpected development? It's drifting further and further away from what happened in my past life.

(Chapter End)