Hiyori Town Farm.
"Olivia?"
The midday sunlight softened as it fell upon her. Light gold hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a pair of square glasses rested on the bridge of her straight nose. The lenses caught the light, blurring the emotions in her eyes into two deep, beautiful pools of amber.
A pristine white lab coat—standard researcher issue—was draped over a figure that defied its utilitarian purpose. It wrapped a plush, delicate body, the fabric shifting with each breath over the soft swell of her breasts, cinching at an impossibly narrow waist before flowing down to a pair of long, stunningly sculpted legs.
Wade's gaze lingered for a moment, recognition clicking into place.
Olivia. In his past life's world, she was a genius from Galar. The researcher who invented the Dynamax Band, ushering in an era, later snapped up by Rose to become the operational vice president of Macro Cosmos—a woman of formidable intellect and even more formidable presence.
Her most memorable traits in that life? Black stockings, endless legs, an enchanting silhouette, and the ruthless efficiency of a corporate queen.
The woman before him, however, seemed to exist earlier in that timeline. Just a researcher for a Sinnoh firm, her legendary ambition still dormant.
"I understand. Let's talk inside."
He nodded and pushed the farmhouse door open, gesturing for her to enter.
"Thank you."
Accepting the tea Rosa offered, Olivia murmured her thanks. The aura she projected wasn't one of future dominion, but of a pervasive, intellectual weariness—the kind accrued from long nights in the lab. She took a careful sip before extracting a neat sheaf of contracts from her bag.
"Mr. Wade, our company's proposal. Please review it at your leisure."
Uncle Yoshino had mentioned a leading Sinnoh dairy company's interest, but had also given Wade full authority to choose the best partner.
"Jiayuan Consolidated Group."
Wade accepted the contract, his eyes scanning the terms. They sought an exclusive purchase agreement for raw milk to be processed into various goods. Their offered price, however, betrayed a lack of ambition or scale: a mere 18,000 League coins per ton.
"You're aware of our milk's quality. This price underestimates it," he said, glancing at the blonde woman beside him.
"Your concerns are valid. Please, state your terms." Olivia leaned forward slightly, her tone professionally open. Her supervisor's orders had been clear: accommodate reasonable demands.
"The price needs adjustment," Wade began, then delivered his line with deliberate calm. "And I want you included."
"Eh?!"
A soft gasp came from Rosa. Her legs pressed together tightly, a glimmer of something anxious and awestruck sparkling in her blue eyes.
B-Big Brother is too much...
Olivia froze. A flush crept from her neck to her cheeks, warm and undeniable.
"That... that sort of transaction is... impermissible," she managed, her voice tight. She felt an unfamiliar heat prickle under her skin. If any other man had said such a thing, the tea in her hand would have been flung in his face already.
Yet, faced with this black-haired youth, the overwhelming sensation wasn't rage, but a flustered, dizzying shyness. Perhaps it was his demeanor—confident but not lecherous—or the curious lack of genuine malice in his eyes. She struggled to rationalize the feeling.
Seeing Rosa practically vibrating and Olivia flushed to her ears, Wade sighed inwardly. His phrasing had been, admittedly, terrible.
"Allow me to clarify," he said, his voice shifting to one of pure business. "First, the price must be raised to twenty-thousand per ton. For that, I will grant you a six-month exclusive contract."
He turned his full attention to Olivia, his gaze intent. "Secondly, my interest is in you, Ms. Olivia. Not as a commodity, but as a mind. I am looking to establish my own enterprise here. I wish to hire you as its agent and director. The compensation and creative freedom would far exceed what you currently have."
Olivia blinked, the professional part of her brain wrestling with the shock. "But... I'm just a researcher. I have no commercial achievements to my name." She looked down at her tea. "If the company weren't so short-staffed, an 'outsider' like me wouldn't even be here negotiating with you."
She was perplexed. The black-haired youth placed an inexplicably high value on her. The sales contract seemed contingent on her involvement—a six-month trial because of her? And was that final remark a veiled attempt at corporate poaching?
"Don't ever underestimate yourself. You are a genuine genius."
Wade's hand moved almost unconsciously, ruffling her soft, golden hair. He smiled, his confidence absolute. To anyone else, Olivia was just another researcher. But to him, with his foresight, she was a future titan of industry. When better to secure such talent than at its genesis, before the world recognized its worth?
Perhaps it was the startling directness of the praise, or the intimate, unexpected contact, but Olivia—a woman who prided herself on her unflappable calm—felt her heart hammer against her ribs. Her thoughts, usually so orderly, scattered into a blank, buzzing static.
"I… I see. May I… have some time to consider?" she murmured, not pulling away from his touch. A deep blush colored her cheeks as she lowered her gaze, her response uncharacteristically hesitant.
"Take all the time you need."
Noting her flustered state, Wade withdrew his hand with a gentle smile, giving her space.
The truth was, the moment he saw her, the plan had crystallized. Hiring Olivia wasn't merely a matter of personal appeal—though her lazy, intellectual beauty certainly didn't hurt—it was a strategic imperative for Hiyori Town Farm's future.
Anyone with a basic understanding of economics knew raw materials were priced at a fraction of the finished product. The Pokémon world was no different. While the offered price for raw milk wasn't trivial, it was pennies compared to the sleek, branded bottles of Moomoo Milk lining store shelves, selling for 100 to 600 League coins apiece. The markup from processing, packaging, and branding was staggering.
Wade's farm possessed a unique, unbeatable advantage: the [Juicy] trait of his Miltank guaranteed a product far superior to any on the market. To simply sell this premium resource to middlemen and let them reap the profits would be the height of foolishness. True wealth lay in controlling the entire chain—processing, branding, distribution.
He had shelved the idea, lacking the time and managerial expertise to build it alone. But with Olivia before him, the blueprint reignited with fierce clarity. This was the woman who would one day helm Macro Cosmos, whose business acumen would dominate an entire region. If he could align her brilliance with his vision, the humble farm could become the springboard for something monumental—a true Pokémon business empire.
On the other side, the flustered blonde researcher wrestled with the offer. She had already considered leaving her current position; the workload was crushing and the compensation meager. Her plan was to return to Galar and seek a proper research post. But now…
After a long silence, Olivia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the motion betraying a slight tremor.
"If… if the terms are agreeable… I would be willing to accept your proposal."
She stood, formalities exchanged, and took her leave, her mind already whirring with calculations and unspoken questions.
"Big brother," Rosa piped up the moment the door closed, her arms crossed and a delicate pout on her lips. "I never heard you talk about building an 'empire' before. Was that all just a fancy excuse to charm Olivia?"
"If you haven't heard of it," Wade said, reaching out to tweak her nose, "it just means you don't know me well enough yet." His tone was light, playfully evasive.
"Then… then how do I get to know you better?" the buxom girl pressed, rising to the bait with adorable earnestness.
"It's very simple."
In the next instant, a faint pink aura of psychic energy enveloped Rosa. With a startled yelp, she was levitated off her feet and telekinetically whisked down the hall toward the bathroom by a grinning, all-too-eager Ms. Gardevoir.
"Eeeeeh?! N-not again!!!"
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