Alex smiled faintly. "That shouldn't be difficult for you. Swallowing this many items is well within the capacity of Lilycove."
Ivy leaned back in her chair, fingers resting lightly against the polished table. "Darling," she replied smoothly, "even the Lilycove Department Store, massive as it is, cannot release this volume of high-grade materials into the market overnight without affecting price stability."
She let her gaze drift over the rows of stones illuminating the room with layered colors—fiery reds, ocean blues, electric gold, pale lunar silver.
Then she looked at him directly.
"If you want this volume moved quickly," Ivy said calmly, "give me a discount."
Alex knew she was not exaggerating. Flooding Hoenn's upper market with dozens of Top and High Grade stones would shift demand curves, especially among elite trainers and private collectors.
But that did not mean he intended to concede easily.
"A discount?" he repeated mildly. "You're still will make money even without a discount."
Ivy smiled. "And you're still gets the money immediately-- at this scale. We both benefit."
A brief silence followed.
Finally, Alex nodded once. "Five percent."
Ivy's expression sharpened slightly. "On this transaction?"
"Yes. In return, you purchase my evolution stones at these agreed base rates from now on. Priority access. No artificial price drops."
For Alex, five percent barely mattered compared to long-term stability. Securing a powerful commercial partner inside Lilycove was worth far more than squeezing every last percentage point from a single deal.
Ivy considered him for several seconds before extending her hand.
"Agreed."
They refined clauses, clarified supply expectations, and confirmed volume thresholds. It took another twenty minutes before both were satisfied.
Then the final numbers were compiled.
----
Final Transaction Summary
(All Evolution Stones include 5% discount from normal sell price)
Fire, Water, Thunder, and Leaf Stones
Low Grade:
91 = 605,150 (6,650 each)
(7,200 shop price / 7,000 normal → 6,650 after 5%)
Mid Grade:
187 = 7,994,250 (42,750 each)
(47,000 shop price / 45,000 normal → 42,750 after 5%)
High Grade:
16 = 4,560,000 (285,000 each)
(320,000 shop price / 300,000 normal → 285,000 after 5%)
Top Grade:
4 = 22,800,000 (5,700,000 each)
(6,200,000 shop price / 6,000,000 normal → 5,700,000 after 5%)
Sun Stones
Low Grade:
60 = 684,000 (11,400 each)
(14,000 shop price / 12,000 normal → 11,400 after 5%)
Mid Grade:
143 = 10,188,750 (71,250 each)
(77,000 shop price / 75,000 normal → 71,250 after 5%)
High Grade:
23 = 10,925,000 (475,000 each)
(520,000 shop price / 500,000 normal → 475,000 after 5%)
Top Grade:
2 = 18,050,000 (9,025,000 each)
(9,700,000 shop price / 9,500,000 normal → 9,025,000 after 5%)
Moon Stones
Low Grade:
162 = 2,308,500 (14,250 each)
(18,000 shop price / 15,000 normal → 14,250 after 5%)
Mid Grade:
313 = 26,761,500 (85,500 each)
(95,000 shop price / 90,000 normal → 85,500 after 5%)
High Grade:
74 = 49,210,000 (665,000 each)
(750,000 shop price / 700,000 normal → 665,000 after 5%)
Top Grade:
23 = 273,125,000 (11,875,000 each)
(13,200,000 shop price/ 12,500,000 normal → 11,875,000 after 5%)
Stardust (100g units)
1,120 = 1,064,000*
Star Pieces
778 = 7,391,000*
(*normal price)
Total Money Earned:436,666,150 Poké Dollars
----
436 million Poké Dollars. Even for Alex, that number carried weight.
It was not something a single expedition can normally produced. The only reason this transaction reached such a scale was because the Salamence Leader had collected so many Evolved Stones and sold nearly his entire evolution-stone reserve in one massive trade.
Without that Trade, Alex would have earned perhaps forty percent of this total—impressive, but nowhere near this level.
He was fully aware of that.
This was not a repeatable outcome.
The Salamence Leader would need months—possibly years—to accumulate such volume again. And Area 31 would not replenish dozens of Top Grade Moon Stones anytime soon.
Mineral concentrations of that density were the result of long-term geological and psychic conditions, not something that reset after a single clearing. Even in the Pokemon world with magical energy it is not that fast.
If Alex wanted comparable gains, he would have to push deeper—into the newly marked zones on the map he had acquired from Team Rocket. Areas labeled only with "???" under rare resources and Pokémon Leader.
Unknown zones meant unknown threats.
If a mid-level Champion Pokémon appeared without warning, the situation could escalate beyond manageable limits.
Meteor Falls was often described as a goldmine of resources, but it was not safe—not even for high-ranking trainers. Historical records mentioned that an Elite Four member had died there years ago during a deep-zone exploration.
That fact alone was enough to anchor Alex's judgment.
At present, the weakest Elite Four member in this wolrd had three low-level Champion Pokémon, which just barely made him a Champion level trainer—just enough to secure his position.
That was the minimum threshold to stand become a Elite Four member and most Elite four members ar strong then this minimum.
Alex, even factoring in Mega Scizor, would likely struggle in a full 6v6 battle against that weakest Elite Four member.
Which meant his current combat strength still fell slightly short of the Elite Four level or the Champion trainer level.
Exploring known sections of Meteor Falls, where maximum threat levels were documented, was acceptable. Pushing into uncharted territory without reliable data was another matter entirely.
And now, he did not need to.
With over 436 million added to his capital, time was on his side.
There were plenty of other places that were less dangerous and Alex, who now had enough money for the time being, didn't want to take any further risks.
After finalizing the transfer, Alex and Ivy exchanged contact information and clarified future delivery channels. The conversation was brief, efficient, and mutually respectful.
Then Alex left the Lilycove Department Store, stepping back into the coastal air of Lilycove.
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