Join my p@treon for more chapters
[email protected]/Tempest_29
The following day, Heavenly King Raya arrived in Embermere City aboard her private jet. The sleek aircraft landed at the city's exclusive executive airport, a facility reserved for high-ranking officials and wealthy individuals who required discretion and security for their travels.
Since this was a personal visit rather than official Heavenly King business, Raya had taken considerable care to disguise her appearance. She wore designer sunglasses and an elegant long trench coat that concealed her identity from casual observers. Despite these precautions, her naturally graceful posture and well-proportioned figure made it difficult to completely hide her distinguished presence.
At noon, the Xia family had reserved a private dining room at Embermere City's most prestigious establishment—the renowned Slowpoke Restaurant. This high-end venue represented the pinnacle of luxury dining in the region, catering exclusively to the city's elite clientele and distinguished visitors.
Slowpoke Restaurant had built its reputation on offering the most exclusive and expensive culinary experiences available. The establishment's signature dishes were prepared using ingredients from rare Pokemon species, including delicacies such as blanched Slowpoke tail, Farfetch'd roasted duck, and Kingler hotpot. These exotic preparations commanded astronomical prices that only the wealthiest patrons could afford.
However, in recent years, the restaurant had faced intense pressure from the Pokemon Protection Association and passionate Pokemon rights activists. Under mounting public criticism and legal challenges, Slowpoke Restaurant had been forced to discontinue offering these controversial specialty ingredients to general customers. Now, such dishes were available exclusively to the restaurant's highest-tier members who possessed special privileges and discretionary access.
"Gym Leader Rory," Raya announced as she entered the private dining room, removing her sunglasses with practiced elegance and handing her coat to Zion, who stood attentively nearby.
Zion and his sister were among Raya's most trusted and capable subordinates, handling both personal and professional matters with absolute discretion. The siblings had served the her for several years, earning her complete confidence through their loyalty and competence.
Zion carefully carried two locked silver briefcases, placing them discretely beside his position. The cases appeared to be made from premium materials and bore sophisticated security locks that suggested valuable contents within.
Jacob found himself quietly curious about what might be contained within those mysterious cases, though he maintained his composure and avoided staring too obviously.
After settling into the seat of honor at the head of the table, Raya smiled warmly and addressed Jacob's parents with genuine courtesy. "Please accept my apologies for keeping you waiting. I hope I haven't caused any inconvenience."
Given Raya's exceptional status and influence as an Heavenly King, it would have been completely inappropriate for Jacob to receive her alone. Protocol and respect demanded that Rory and Zoe personally welcome such a distinguished guest, demonstrating the proper level of importance and sincerity that her visit deserved.
The hierarchy within the Pokemon world's power structure was clearly defined and widely understood. While China boasted over six hundred Gym Leaders across its various regions and cities, only twenty-eight individuals held the prestigious title of Heavenly King. The gap in status, influence, and authority between these positions was substantial and carefully maintained through tradition and protocol.
"Heavenly King Raya, we only arrived about ten minutes ago ourselves," Rory replied with a diplomatic smile, demonstrating the kind of gracious hospitality that befitted such an occasion.
In reality, Rory, Zoe, and Jacob had arrived at the restaurant thirty minutes earlier than the scheduled meeting time. However, social etiquette demanded that they minimize any suggestion that their important guest had caused delays or inconvenience. Such diplomatic courtesy was essential when dealing with individuals of Raya's stature.
"Please, everyone sit down. There's no need to stand on ceremony," Raya instructed, her voice carrying the natural authority of someone accustomed to command and leadership.
At this moment, her presence radiated the unmistakable aura of an Heavenly King—confident, authoritative, and completely in control of the situation. Her tone naturally carried the weight of someone who was accustomed to being obeyed without question, creating an atmosphere that was distinctly different from casual social interactions.
However, Raya quickly modulated her commanding presence, allowing a warm smile to soften her features as she continued. "I apologize if I seem overly formal. Please forgive any inconvenience my schedule has caused, Gym Leader Rory. I'm sure everyone must be hungry after waiting, so let's enjoy our meal first before discussing business matters."
"That sounds perfectly reasonable," Rory agreed readily, appreciating Raya's consideration for proper dining etiquette and social protocol.
After three courses of exquisite cuisine and polite conversation, the atmosphere had relaxed sufficiently for serious business discussions to begin. The premium wine had flowed freely throughout the meal, creating a more informal environment conducive to negotiation and relationship building.
Raya had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol during the meal, yet her face showed only the slightest flush of color. She displayed no signs of intoxication whatsoever, indicating that her alcohol tolerance was exceptional—a valuable asset for someone whose position often required attending formal dinners and diplomatic functions.
"Gym Leader Rory, there are two primary reasons for my visit to Embermere City today," Raya began, her tone becoming more business-like as she transitioned into serious discussion.
"The first matter is quite straightforward. I learned that Jacob was seeking to purchase a Rock Slide TM, and I happened to have one in my collection. I thought it would be appropriate to bring it along personally." She spoke as though discussing something completely trivial, despite the fact that such TMs were incredibly valuable and difficult to obtain.
Zion immediately responded to his employer's subtle signal, retrieving one of the two briefcases and placing it on the table. With practiced precision, he opened the case and positioned it where everyone could clearly observe its contents.
The briefcase contained an impressive collection of single-use Technical Machines, each one representing significant monetary value and strategic importance. Jacob's eyes widened as he identified the items: Rock Slide, Flamethrower, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Earthquake, Heat Wave, Reflect, Light Screen, and Draco Meteor—a total of nine exceptional TMs.
The sheer variety and quality of the TMs left Jacob momentarily speechless. Every single item in the collection was considered rare and precious within competitive Pokemon training circles. These weren't common moves that could be purchased at any Pokemon Center—they were elite-level techniques that most trainers could only dream of acquiring.
Jacob couldn't help but take a deep breath as his mind raced with possibilities. His internal thoughts churned with a mixture of amazement and wariness: "This is what true wealth looks like. This is the overwhelming power of unlimited financial resources. Is this what they mean by 'sugar-coated bullets'?"
"No wonder Asher couldn't resist this kind of temptation. Who wouldn't be completely overwhelmed by such generosity? I can already feel my own resistance crumbling."
Jacob had spent considerable time mentally preparing himself for this meeting during the journey to the restaurant. He had repeatedly reminded himself that there was no such thing as a free lunch, and that Raya's continuous generous gestures undoubtedly concealed some ulterior motive. He had resolved to maintain his guard and avoid being manipulated by her obvious attempts at influence.
However, confronted with such overwhelming generosity, Jacob suddenly found his carefully constructed mental defenses beginning to waver. The practical value of what was being offered made his previous concerns seem almost insignificant by comparison.
His carefully maintained bottom line seemed far less unbreakable than he had previously believed. Jacob recognized with uncomfortable clarity how people gradually compromised their principles step by step, eventually finding themselves walking down paths they had never intended to travel.
In his current state of mind, Raya appeared almost like a tempting demon, offering exactly what he needed most while simultaneously representing everything he should probably avoid. Even though Jacob intellectually understood that Raya had carefully constructed this entire situation as an elaborate trap, he found himself increasingly willing to spring it voluntarily.
There was simply no denying the reality of the situation—she was offering far too much for him to refuse rationally.
"This... this collection is truly too valuable to accept," Rory stammered, clearly shocked by the display of financial power that Raya had casually revealed. However, as a man in his fifties with considerable life experience, Rory maintained enough rationality to recognize the dangerous implications of such extreme generosity.
When circumstances appeared abnormal, there was invariably an underlying explanation. The more an unrelated person invested in your success, the more certain you could be that they expected substantial returns on that investment in the future.
Therefore, despite the obvious temptation, Rory forced himself to swallow hard and reluctantly decline the offer. "Heavenly King Raya, I must respectfully ask that you take these items back with you."
"Gym Leader Rory, please don't be so hasty to refuse my offer," Raya responded smoothly, her reaction suggesting that she had anticipated exactly this response. She smiled confidently and waved her hand dismissively. "I've had the opportunity to observe Jacob's exceptional potential firsthand. He's remarkably young yet incredibly talented, and I'm genuinely optimistic about his future prospects in competitive Pokemon training."
"Besides," she continued with casual indifference, "these TMs have been sitting unused in my collection for quite some time. Since I've already made the effort to bring them here personally, why not give them to Jacob so he can achieve even greater success in the High School Cup tournament?"
After delivering this explanation, Raya paused briefly, allowing her words to sink in before continuing. Without giving anyone else an opportunity to interrupt or object, her tone became noticeably more serious as she addressed the underlying motivation behind her generosity.
"Of course, I must be completely honest about my motivations for offering these gifts," she said with refreshing directness.
"I've already stated that I'm very optimistic about Jacob's future, and my recent cooperation agreements with the Rory family represent strategic investments based primarily on Jacob's potential." Raya spoke with impressive candor, her words carrying the weight of genuine sincerity. "Naturally, I also have sincere intentions regarding our business cooperation—I'm committed to comprehensive, multi-faceted partnerships rather than superficial arrangements."
"I'm prepared to provide substantial funding and resources for whatever research projects or training endeavors you wish to pursue. If you decide to focus on Pokemon training, I can offer maximum assistance and support. In return, I simply hope that you'll approach our cooperation with the same level of sincerity and commitment that I'm demonstrating."
"Furthermore, to demonstrate the depth of my commitment, I have another small gift that I'd like to present," Raya announced to Zion, who immediately understood his cue.
Zion retrieved the second briefcase and placed it carefully on the table beside the first one. The case opened with a distinctive clicking sound, revealing contents that immediately captured everyone's attention.
"Click!" The crisp sound accompanied a dazzling display that nearly overwhelmed Jacob's vision.
The briefcase contained two Evolution Keystones and more than a dozen Mega Evolution Stones, each gem sparkling with an inner light that seemed to pulse with mysterious energy.
"Although I don't fully understand the specific applications of these particular items, I've noticed that the Long family has been quietly acquiring them in large quantities through various channels. This pattern suggests that they possess unique properties of significant value." Raya smiled directly at Jacob, her calm tone belying the impressive demonstration of capability she was providing.
Jacob felt his heart suddenly tighten as he absorbed the implications of what he was seeing. His gaze shifted to study Raya, who continued smiling with breathtaking beauty that concealed potentially dangerous intelligence beneath its surface.
At this moment, she resembled a beautiful but venomous serpent—stunning to behold, yet carrying warning signals hidden beneath her attractive exterior. By revealing these particular items, she was accomplishing multiple objectives simultaneously.
On one level, she was displaying her remarkable financial resources and ability to acquire extremely rare items that most people couldn't even identify, let alone obtain. On another level, she was demonstrating her sophisticated intelligence-gathering capabilities, effectively flexing her investigative muscles while revealing that she was already aware of the secret activities that Jacob and the Long family had been conducting.
Jacob had only recently entrusted the Long family with the task of helping him collect Mega Evolution Stones and Evolution Keystones through discrete channels. According to feedback from Nina, the collection process had been proceeding smoothly, with the Long family successfully acquiring nearly all such items available through market sources.
Under these circumstances, Raya's ability to produce such an extensive collection of Mega Evolution materials was deeply impressive and somewhat concerning. It demonstrated both her exceptional financial resources and her remarkably effective intelligence network, capabilities that extended far beyond what most people could achieve.
Raya was clearly not merely an incredibly beautiful woman—her personal cunning and strategic abilities were equally formidable. Her recent statements had accomplished several complex objectives: expressing her desire for cooperation, presenting Jacob with extraordinarily valuable gifts that would be difficult to refuse, and finally delivering a subtle but unmistakable warning about the extent of her knowledge and capabilities.
This sophisticated approach left Jacob feeling somewhat overwhelmed and uncertain about how to proceed. If he chose to refuse cooperation with Raya, he would likely completely antagonize a powerful woman whose enmity could prove problematic in the future. However, agreeing to work with such a high-EQ, high-IQ individual made Jacob distinctly uncomfortable about the prospect of being constantly outmaneuvered and manipulated.
The exhausting prospect of being perpetually calculated against by someone of Raya's caliber was genuinely daunting. Jacob couldn't help but sigh internally as he contemplated his limited options.
He found himself longing for the company of women like Nina, who approached relationships with gentleness, consideration, and quiet dedication rather than complex strategic maneuvering and psychological pressure.