Chapter 56. Richmont
Vermilion City, villa district.
"You're telling me this is your house?"
"Yes, this is my house."
"Just started the renovation?"
"Mm, yes."
"Excuse me, please make way." A worker guided a Machamp past them.
"Natsume," Honora began, but he cut in, "if you want me to meet your father, you don't need an excuse.
Just say so."
Honora froze, as if he'd been seen through, and tensed up again.
"Ah—mm, okay."
So we didn't need to buy a whole house as a pretext, huh.
"All right, take me to your father."
Natsume looked at Honora.
Honora's expression tightened, and he clapped his hands.
A black luxury car parked nearby rolled forward.
Soon, the two of them were delivered to a large hotel.
Honora, practiced and at ease, led Natsume straight to the top floor.
"Mr. Natsume, Miss Honora, please come in."
Natsume followed Honora inside.
The room was lavish, with a faint aroma of incense drifting in the air.
By the floor-to-ceiling windows sat a slightly plump middle-aged man with a kindly face.
"Dad." Honora stepped up and gave him a hug.
"Hahaha, you must be Natsume.
Just call me Richmont," Richmont said, extending his hand to Natsume.
"Honora, what do you see in him?" Richmont asked in a teasing tone.
Honora instantly tensed up.
"Maybe because I'm handsome," Natsume said, rubbing his nose.
Hearing that, the flushed Honora stiffened and covered his face.
Richmont's smile froze for an instant; he felt this person had a very thick skin.
Looking closer, though, Natsume's features were clean-cut, and there was a hint of his own youthful bearing between the brows.
With that kind of confidence, it wasn't so strange.
"Dad, did you bring the thing?" Honora looked to Richmont.
"I did. Of course I did!"
Saying so, Richmont produced a Luxury Ball.
A flash of red light.
A Rotom appeared before Natsume.
This Rotom's potential was excellent—almost on par with the one granted by his system.
Natsume raised an eyebrow.
"Mr. Natsume, I asked my dad to prepare a Rotom for you.
We could—"
"That's thoughtful of you."
The next second, the Luxury Ball that had been in Richmont's hand was slipped into Natsume's pocket.
Honora's latter half of "we could raise it together" stuck in his throat.
Across from them, Richmont looked at Honora, utterly baffled:
The researcher you're following used to work for Team Rocket?
Creak! At that moment, the soft sound of a door opening came.
"Master Ryujirō, please come in," the attendant announced from the doorway.
Natsume turned his head and curiously sized up Richmont's other guest.
The newcomer had gray-blue curls combed into a retro slicked-back style.
Behind silver, round-rimmed glasses, his gaze was sharp.
He held an ivory cane.
From his breast pocket hung a pocket-watch chain engraved with a clover motif.
Every step he took seemed to tap the code of aristocratic propriety with his heels.
Seeing that familiar face, Natsume blinked.
Isn't that James's dad?
"Richmont, long time no see."
The man greeted the host first, then turned his eyes to Natsume.
"Hello, Mr. Natsume. I am Ryujirō Ijuin.
You may call me Ryujirō."
"Sure, Uncle Ryujirō.
Could you settle a bill for your son?
He owes me 100,000,000 Pokédollars in pocket money."
As Natsume spoke, he had his Rotom Phone play a video.
"Oh? You know that good-for-nothing boy of mine?
That makes this even easier."
Ryujirō, unexpectedly pleased, cheerfully handed Natsume a card.
"There are 200,000,000 here."
Natsume's assets doubled again, reaching the 400,000,000 Pokédollar mark.
Holding the black card embossed with a Master Ball, Natsume felt a little odd.
He really hadn't expected the other party to be so straightforward—and to add an extra 100,000,000.
"Honora, go order us a few drinks."
Richmont shot Honora a look.
Honora blinked and immediately realized they were sending him out.
Hmph.
And what is there that I can't hear?
He huffed, cheeks puffed, and left.
Clack!
The door shut, and Natsume dropped onto the sofa.
"So then, what do you two want with me?" Natsume went straight to the point.
"Mr. Natsume, I've heard the League has a major move in the coming days," Ryujirō said, eyes narrowing as he sounded him out.
"Yes.
It's about Dynamax."
Natsume said it directly.
Given the two before him, they had probably already received some word from the League.
With Natsume's confirmation, the two men's eyes lit up.
"We don't know when Dynamax will begin wider rollout.
We'd like to make preparations in advance," Richmont said.
Natsume suddenly fell silent.
Seeing they hadn't gotten anything, Richmont and Ryujirō exchanged a look.
"Mr. Natsume, I'm willing to trade one percent of Kanto Pharmaceuticals Group for the concrete timeline on constructing the Dynamax system," Richmont said.
"My holdings are numerous," Ryujirō followed, "and every year at year's end, I'm willing to allocate one percent of total profits to you."
Only then did Natsume give a slight nod, as if he had expected this, and handed each of them a USB drive.
"Leave a contact.
When there's news, I'll inform you at once."
These two had enormous assets.
Even one percent would amount to several billions per year.
And Natsume had already looked into it.
Each of them held around twenty-five percent of their respective empires.
Being able to carve out a sliver for him showed sincerity.
Natsume also understood very well why they were willing to pay such a price to exchange for the progress of Dynamax research.
In industries related to Pokémon, aside from the Pokémon Center operating at a loss, almost everything else was a windfall.
All the more so when a new battle system was to be promoted in the Kanto region.
Someone would have to manufacture the Dynamax-related tools, right?
Trainers' Dynamax gear would need to be manufactured, too, right?
Special training grounds, Dynamax energy wells—surely the League would put contracts out to bid, right?
In there, any one of those would be an inexhaustible vein of wealth.
At a time like this, being the first to grasp cutting-edge updates on Kanto's Dynamax rollout was crucial for every enterprise in Kanto.
Natsume had no plans to start his own company.
Rather than wait until that kind of information depreciated later, it was better to sell it to these two now.
"Hahaha! Mr. Natsume is truly young and promising!"
At the end, Ryujirō stopped Natsume as he was about to leave and slipped a card into his hand.
"There's 5,000,000,000 in here."
Ryujirō glanced around and lowered his voice.
"That's my assistant's father," Natsume also whispered.
"Price goes up."
Ryujirō: "…"
"Not that.
I mean my son, James."
Ryujirō pulled out a handkerchief and actually dabbed at his eyes.
"That unfilial boy—Mr. Natsume, if you meet him out there, please look after him.
Don't let him be bullied."
"Do you have your household's butler uniforms?" Natsume suddenly asked Ryujirō.
"What do you need those for?" Ryujirō looked puzzled.
"Don't worry about it.
Just prepare a few sets for me."
"All right.
I'll have them rush the order and deliver them tonight!"
By the time Natsume and Honora arrived at the Vermilion Gym, it was nearing dusk.
Along the way, Natsume did a rough calculation.
Even if he only took two percent of the profits, that would be nearly 10,000,000,000 Pokédollars a year.
Then how high must their original profits be!
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Vile capitalists.
Fortunately, this world has Pokémon, and productivity is high enough that most people's needs can be met.
Otherwise, who knows how many times a workers' uprising would have broken out.
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