Chapter 178:

Cain's cheeks twitched involuntarily. 'For a Pokemon tycoon like you, money shouldn't be a big deal. Isn't it just a number?'

Steven continued, "Tell me what materials you need, and I'll get them ready."

Cain nodded. "We'll need one portion of Soft Gold and one portion of metal-plating base material, Silver Dust. Both are valuable and not easy to collect. As you know, your request is a bit... unconventional, so these materials are essential."

"Hmm..." Steven rubbed his chin, pondering. He wasn't naive, as the heir to the Devon Corporation, he couldn't be easily fooled. Although not a Pokemon breeder, he had some basic knowledge, especially about his favorite Steel-type Pokemon.

To be honest, Cain and Steven had only met once, and although they got along well, appearances could be deceiving. Who knew if Cain would take the precious materials and disappear? After all, the combined value of these materials was two million, and only someone like Steven could afford them.

Cain sensed Steven's concerns and stayed quiet, simply waiting for his response. Trust between people wasn't something that could be easily expressed through words.

"If..."

"I don't..."

Both spoke at the same time, then paused, chuckling as they looked at each other.

Cain laughed. "You go first."

Steven also smiled, not dwelling on the earlier moment. "I thought about it, and I don't have any Silver Dust left. I used it all up. Do you think Silver Particles would work instead?"

Silver Dust was a base material for metal plating and the lowest-quality ingredient for the process. A metal coating made from Silver Dust might prevent a Pokemon from reaching its full potential after evolution, similar to the effects of a basic Evolution Stone.

Silver Particles, however, were a more advanced material. Calling them Silver Particles didn't mean they could be ground into Silver Dust. In fact, both Silver Particles and Silver Dust were powder-like substances.

The powder contained different concentrations of Steel-type energy; a single Silver Dust particle was significantly heavier than Silver Dust powder. A particle of Silver Dust held the same weight as a small cluster of the powder, equivalent to a single particle.

"If you want to use Silver Particles, I have no objections, but the production cost will be much higher," Cain cautioned.

"No problem. Just the other day, my Metang finished eating all of my Silver Dust powder, and I'm only left with the particles. If you hadn't come for them today, they would have been devoured by tomorrow," Steven nonchalantly waved his hand. In his world, Silver Dust powder and particles were akin to snacks.

"..."

Cain realized that calling Steven had been a mistake. He should have just sent a text and asked for the items to be sent directly. He even worried about whether the wealthy Steven was concerned about being swindled.

How poverty had limited his imagination.

Cain wasn't entirely wrong in his assumptions. No one would place their complete trust in someone after only one encounter. Steven wasn't some naive, clueless kid; as the heir of the Devon Corporation, he couldn't possibly be ignorant of such matters. He simply believed Cain had promising talent as a Pokémon breeder, and more importantly, he was intrigued by the Elite Breeder Cain claimed to be associated with.

If such a prestigious breeder truly existed, it wouldn't be a problem to invest a little in advance to curry favor. For a businessman like Steven, it was all about investing in Cain, or rather, the Elite Breeder behind him.

Another factor was that the materials Cain mentioned held little value to Steven. Of course, Cain wasn't aware of these details. Having never encountered an entity as colossal as the Devon Corporation, he couldn't fathom their true capabilities, and his impoverished imagination had indeed become reality.

Steven disappeared from the screen, and Cain faintly heard him instructing his servant to prepare the materials Cain needed. The supposedly hard-to-find items in Cain's world were abundant resources in Steven's household.

Moments later, Steven reappeared on the screen. "Alright, Cain, I've sent everything over to you. If you need more supplies next time, just give me a call. I'll probably be at home, but if I'm not, my servants will answer the phone. You can talk directly to them; I've already informed them."

Cain pondered whether he could simply ask for a high-grade Dusk Stone when Steven wasn't around, and if Steven's servants would give it to him without hesitation. Of course, it was just a thought, and Cain didn't really believe that the servants attending to Steven would be fools.

He collected the package of materials from the transporter and stowed it in his ring. "By the way, do you want me to send you the research funds now?" Steven asked.

"Not yet. Let me consult with my teacher first, then I'll let you know," Cain replied.

"Alright. If there's nothing else, I'll have to go. I have a meeting coming up." Steven didn't insist on sending the money right away, as he understood that research funding was a significant amount and Cain's need to consult his teacher was reasonable.

What Steven didn't know was that Cain had no real teacher to consult and didn't actually need research funds. He was just unsure about how much money to ask for. He initially had a figure in mind, but after witnessing Steven's behavior today, he felt the need to reconsider. He thought that he might not be able to take full advantage of Steven's wealth, which was somewhat disheartening.

"Actually, there is a small favor I'd like to ask of you," Cain hesitated before speaking.

"Oh? Let's hear it," Steven replied, stopping himself from ending the video call.

Cain quickly explained, "You know I developed an intermediate-grade Pokéblock that increases the milk production of Miltank at the Moomoo Farm in Goldenrod City. They've been ordering these Pokéblocks from me on a long-term basis. Initially, I was manufacturing them myself to supply the farm, but with their growing number of Miltank, it's become too much for me to handle, and it's consuming a lot of my time. So, I've decided to sell the formula to them, and I'd like you to act as an intermediary. After all, I've rejected their offers before, and you know how someone like me, without any significant background, might fare…"

"Didn't you mention you have a teacher who's a Senior Breeder?" Steven suddenly asked. Senior Breeders held high status within the Association, and even Moomoo Farm, the biggest ranch in the city, wouldn't want to offend one.

"Wait, you said an intermediate Pokéblock? Not a basic one? You made it yourself?" Steven seemed to have caught another key point. Previously, he'd thought Cain only made basic Pokéblocks while on the Magnet Train. The recipe for intermediate Pokéblocks was an entirely different matter.