The deal so far had been good, but Gladion was not done. He had no intention of letting Devon encroach on his fossil revival business without paying a real price.
Gladion thought carefully. 'Since you are going to encroach on my business, it is only fair that I do the same to yours.'
Giving away the fossils meant Devon Corporation would perfect their own revival machine. Once they succeeded, they would start selling revived fossil Pokemon too.
Vortex Corporation would no longer hold the monopoly in the market. Profits would drop. Revenue would shrink. Gladion refused to accept that outcome without fighting for every advantage he could get.
He would still take a hit in the long run, but he planned to take as much from Steven Stone as possible right now. The price Steven had agreed to pay for each fossil was fair for the transaction itself.
But the real cost, the price of Devon entering Gladion's territory still needed to be settled.
Gladion leaned forward slightly and spoke in a calm voice. "I would want some more mega evolution stones that you have. And I know that you would have them. You are a stone collector after all. Let's say about two thousand more."
Steven paused. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a few seconds, his eyes narrowing as he considered the request. After a moment, he nodded slowly. "I agree. But the stones of which Pokemon I would give would be at my discretion."
'Hmm. This means that he would try to keep mega evolution stones for Pokemon that most trainers have and stones of pseudo-legendary Pokemon,' Gladion thought. He understood the strategy perfectly.
Steven would hand over common ones like those for Charizard, Blastoise, or Venusaur. He would hold back the rarer ones tied to powerful species like Metagross, Tyranitar, or Salamence. It was a smart move to protect Devon's own battling interests.
Gladion kept his expression neutral. "I agree with that."
He continued thinking. 'He would probably also give me evolution stones for Pokemon that are not found in the current three regions. But I am happy with that. The borders would open someday and then I would already have something that I could sell in those regions. I already have enough stones for Pokemon outside of Indigo and Hoenn.'
The future looked promising. When Sinnoh, Unova, and other regions connected fully with Indigo and Hoenn, demand for rare mega stones would explode. Having a stockpile ready would give Vortex Industries a huge head start in those new markets.
Gladion decided to push one more item. "And finally, from Devon Corporation's farm of Beldum that you have, I would want five of them."
Beldum were extremely rare. Devon Corporation was the only reliable place to obtain them.
Very few existed in the wild, and no one knew the exact locations of any wild populations. Gladion had actually received his own Beldum, now evolved into Ultron from Devon years ago. They had offered it as the first-place reward for the Indigo Championship, which Gladion had won easily.
Steven's eyebrows rose. "This is too much. You are asking for Pokemon that are exclusive to us."
Gladion met his gaze without flinching. "And I am giving you fossils that, when revived, would have only been exclusive to me. To me, it sounds like a fair deal."
Steven leaned back in his chair. He stared at the ceiling for a full minute, clearly running numbers and possibilities in his head. Finally, he exhaled slowly. "Fine. But only two Beldum. That is the best I would go for."
Gladion shook his head. "Three more Beldum for this." He reached into his coat pocket and placed a single Poke Ball on the table with a soft click.
Steven looked at the Poke Ball curiously. "And what is this?"
"You can check it out. But do it in a place with a little more room," Gladion said with a smirk.
Steven's curiosity won out. He picked up the Poke Ball and stood. "Give me a few minutes." He walked out of the office and headed toward one of the larger training rooms on the same floor. Gladion waited patiently, sipping the last of his coffee. He knew exactly what Steven would find.
A few minutes later, Steven returned. His face lit up with pure excitement. His usual calm demeanor had cracked, replaced by the eager look of a true collector who had just discovered something extraordinary.
"Where did you find this? Wow. I never thought I would see such a rare specimen of an Onix."
Gladion smiled. "It is not just a shiny Onix either."
Steven nodded vigorously. "Yes, it is a mutated version of Onix. An Onix not made of rock but crystal. A crystal Onix."
"Exactly," Gladion confirmed. "It is also resistant to Water-type moves compared to other Onix."
He carefully refrained from mentioning that the crystal Onix was weak to Fire-type moves. No need to spoil the deal with unnecessary details.
Steven paced a little, still holding the Poke Ball like it was a priceless artifact. "This is incredible. The crystal structure alone would be worth studying for years. The durability, the light refraction, the potential applications in armor or energy conduction. And the resistance to Water moves opens up so many battling possibilities."
Gladion watched Steven's enthusiasm grow. "We have a deal then? Three more Beldum for this Onix."
Steven stopped pacing and looked Gladion straight in the eye. "We have a deal. Three more Beldum for this crystal Onix."
Gladion nodded, his internal smirk growing wider. 'And anime knowledge strikes once again.'
The crystal Onix was something Ash Ketchum would have discovered in the Orange Islands in the future, according to the old anime episodes Gladion remembered.
But Gladion had not waited for fate. A year ago, he had made a private trip to the Orange Islands. He had explored hidden caves and underwater tunnels until he found the unique specimen.
After catching it, he had handed it over to his father for research. Ben Vortex had studied the Pokemon carefully and concluded it was a rare mutation. The crystal body would not pass on to any offspring through breeding. It was a one-of-a-kind collectible.
And who better to appreciate it than Steven Stone? The man loved rocks, gems, and steel-type Pokemon. A crystal Onix fit perfectly into his collection.
For Gladion, trading it for three additional Beldum was an excellent bargain. Beldum were living assets, powerful, rare, and evolving into Metagross lines. The crystal Onix, while beautiful and interesting, had limited practical use beyond display and research.
It looked like Steven was just as happy with the deal. His eyes still sparkled with excitement as he placed the Poke Ball carefully in his pocket. "This has been one of the most productive meetings I have had in a long time."
Gladion stood up and extended his hand. "Likewise. Look forward to the fossils arriving at your labs soon."
Steven shook his hand firmly. "And I will have the mega stones and Beldum prepared for shipment. We will handle the logistics through secure channels."
The two men shared a final nod of mutual respect. The deal had been struck.
-----Author Notes------
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