Hearing the guarantees given by Kanto's major families, Ash Ketchum couldn't help but let a relaxed, satisfied smile surface.
After all, the only reason he was willing to cooperate with these people—who cared about nothing but self-interest—was the security they could guarantee.
Using the excuse that he was currently swamped handling Magikarp skill-learning orders, Ash politely declined their invitations for now, saying he would definitely visit once he had time. The heads of those families all responded with warm smiles, assuring him he'd be welcome whenever he came.
With cooperation talks concluded and both sides pleased, Ash also had Rotom contact a large, reputable law firm. All the electronic contracts sent by the various families were forwarded to the lawyers for review.
After negotiating and revising several clauses to eliminate potential issues, the families confirmed that the paper contracts would be sent immediately.
Two copies per contract.
Once the families signed both copies, they would mail them to Ash. He would then sign both, keep one, and return the other—simple and clean.
…
With new orders officially open and partnerships finalized with Kanto's major families, Ash began handling the follow-up logistics.
He opened Excel and created a detailed spreadsheet:
Which families he had signed contracts with
How many orders each family placed
How frequently batches of Magikarp would be sent
Priority levels for skill learning
Scheduling—whether to complete one family at a time or process multiple families in parallel
Although contracts were signed, managing large batches of Magikarp—feeding, timing, order priority—still required careful planning. Thankfully, none of it was especially difficult.
With Rotom's assistance, these seemingly tedious tasks were handled methodically and flawlessly.
…
However…
While Ash calmly organized his affairs—and while Kanto's upper-class families celebrated securing cooperation with him—
Far away, in Seafoam Island · Tsuchihara Family Estate, a storm was raging.
...
Seafoam Island · Tsuchihara Family Residence
BANG!!
"That damned brat—how dare he! How dare he reject us again and again!!"
Inside a lavishly extravagant hall, a middle-aged man with a rather unpleasant appearance slammed his palm on the table, roaring in rage.
"Before, he could still use the excuse that the trial orders weren't completed. But now all three trial orders are finished! The data is complete, the process mature—large-scale orders are clearly possible!"
"And yet now that he's officially taking new orders, now that even the League and Kanto's elite families have partnered with him—he tells us that orders are 'full' and he's not accepting more?!"
"That little bastard is clearly targeting the Tsuchihara Family—!"
"Enough!! Shut your mouth!!"
The furious shout came from the seat of honor.
The Tsuchihara Family Head glared like a thunderous storm.
"Do you have any idea what state our family is in right now?"
"Our rise was too fast. We have no foundation, no heritage, and no top-tier Trainers backing us."
"On the surface, Kanto's upper society seems to accept us—but behind our backs, they all call us nouveau riche. From the very beginning, we were never truly accepted."
"We built our fortune selling Magikarp. Then we shifted our goal to breeding high-potential Magikarp. And now—now that Ash can teach Magikarp Tackle—this is a chance that could change our family's destiny!"
"If we seize this opportunity, if we mass-produce Magikarp that have learned Tackle and stabilize the inheritance—"
"Then not only would Kanto's elite treat us like honored guests, but across the entire Pokémon world, the Tsuchihara Family would finally have a seat at the table!"
"Given enough time, we could evolve from a Magikarp-breeding family into a Gyarados-breeding family!"
"At that point—who would dare look down on us?!"
"And yet, faced with such a heaven-sent opportunity, you idiots let short-term profit blind you and offended Ash!"
"Why do you think he refuses to work with us?! Do you really not understand?!"
"He announces he can help Magikarp learn Tackle—and you immediately rush out to dump Magikarp on the market!"
"Yes, you made a fortune riding the wave—but didn't you think about how that made him feel?!"
"And worse—those high-potential Magikarp the family painstakingly raised—you sold them to other Kanto families!"
"Are you trying to dig our own grave?! To rip out the Tsuchihara Family's roots with your own hands?!"
The family head's beard trembled as he roared, eyes blazing.
"Our family rose too recently. Even those of us inside the League are stuck in the lower and middle ranks—we don't have anyone in real positions of power."
"And Ash—do you have any idea what kind of Trainer talent warrants an SSS-class classified evaluation by the League?"
"What kind of talent makes the League deploy that many personnel to protect Vaniville Town?"
"What kind of talent attracts Team Rocket attacks?"
"And what kind of talent makes those arrogant Kanto elites suddenly lower their heads and curry favor?!"
"Have you ever used your brains to think about that?!"
"Ash doesn't just hold an opportunity to change our family's fate—he himself is a Trainer with boundless future potential!"
"You offended him over petty profits—causing us to miss our chance, and possibly even creating a future enemy for the Tsuchihara Family!"
"Are we lacking money?! Or are you just used to being petty merchants, unwilling to become a true great family?!"
"If you insist on selling Magikarp so badly—then get out of the Tsuchihara Family!"
"Go back to being street vendors selling Magikarp on your own!!"
The Tsuchihara Family Head, Tsuchihara Hiken roared like a rampaging Gyarados.
Below him, those who had been calling Ash "that brat" just moments ago now sat with heads bowed, necks tucked in, not daring to utter another word.
The storm had spoken.
And somewhere far away, Ash Ketchum continued moving forward—unaware, or perhaps uncaring, that even the waves of resentment were beginning to churn beneath him.
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T/N:
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