Ironvale Family — The Aftermath
Inside the Ironvale mansion—
The atmosphere was suffocating.
"DAMN IT!"
A glass shattered against the wall.
Cassian Ironvale stood stiffly, head lowered.
His father's voice was cold with fury.
"Because of Leon Ashford, we lost our standing in the black auction."
"Blacklisted."
"Mocked."
"Our connections are questioning us."
The elders of the Ironvale family exchanged grim looks.
Removing their name from the blacklist would take years, favors, and enormous compensation.
Cassian clenched his fists.
"…Father, Leon didn't know he couldn't pay."
"Silence."
His father's eyes burned.
"I don't care if he knew or not."
"From today onward—keep your distance from Leon Ashford."
Cassian's heart sank.
Leon had just lost another pillar.
Runcandel Mansion — Morning
Sunlight streamed through the grand dining hall.
Alex walked in, refreshed and relaxed.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Alex."
Victor, Evelyn, Darius, and Selene were already seated.
Victor smiled widely.
"So? How did your training go?"
Alex chuckled lightly.
"It went quite well."
He released his Pokémon.
A metallic hum echoed as Metang floated into the air.
BZZZZ—
The room froze.
"…Metang?"
Selene's eyes widened.
"In just three days?"
Darius laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! As expected of my grandson!"
Victor stared in disbelief.
"Son, do you know how hard it is to evolve a Beldum?"
"You didn't just evolve it—you stabilized it!"
Alex smiled modestly.
"It's thanks to good guidance."
Everyone knew—
That wasn't modesty.
That was talent.
Black Market Gains
Victor crossed his arms.
"You mentioned you went to the black market."
"What did you buy?"
Alex placed two items on the table.
A cracked ancient recipe.
And—
A gleaming Dragon Tooth.
The moment Victor saw it—
He froze.
"…This is—"
"A high-quality Dragon Tooth," Alex said calmly.
"You can use it on Garchomp to break through."
Victor sucked in a sharp breath.
Then—
He burst out laughing and pulled Alex into a hug.
"Hahaha! That's my son!"
Smack.
A kiss landed on Alex's cheek.
"Papa—!" Alex protested.
The room erupted in laughter.
Even Darius chuckled.
A Business Is Born
Alex turned to his mother.
"I also bought this recipe."
Evelyn picked it up and read carefully.
Her eyes widened.
"This is a high-quality Pokémon food recipe."
"No—this is elite-grade."
She looked at Alex sharply.
"Son, do you know what this means?"
Alex nodded.
"This will be the first product of my company."
"I want the Runcandel Group as a partner."
Evelyn smiled proudly.
"What do you need?"
"Fifty percent profit goes to the Runcandel Group."
Evelyn laughed softly.
"Even if you gave nothing, the Runcandel Group is already yours."
Alex nodded.
Still—
He wanted it fair.
Ownership Transfer
Alex asked, "What about the D-rank dungeon?"
Evelyn glanced at Chisato.
Chisato placed a document on the table.
"The ownership transfer is complete."
"It's yours now."
Alex accepted it calmly.
"…Thank you."
A Dragon's Breakthrough
Victor stood up, holding the Dragon Tooth.
"Come."
He walked outside.
Alex followed.
Victor released Garchomp.
The massive dragon roared happily upon seeing Alex.
Victor smiled.
"Look what Alex got for you."
Garchomp's eyes lit up.
It rushed forward—
And hugged Alex tightly.
Alex laughed.
"Easy, easy."
Then—
Garchomp swallowed the Dragon Tooth.
A terrifying pressure erupted.
BOOM—!
Dragon energy surged violently.
The ground cracked.
Winds spiraled.
After a few tense minutes—
Garchomp roared to the heavens.
Champion-Level Aura Unleashed
Victor froze.
"…It worked."
Darius laughed thunderously.
"Hahaha! Now you have three Champion-level Pokémon!"
Victor turned to Alex, eyes shining.
"With one more, I'll qualify as a Dragon-Type Pokémon Champion."
He hugged Alex tightly.
"Thank you, son."
Alex smiled.
This—
This was what family meant.
Behind the scenes—
Leon Ashford lost allies.
Ironvale lost face.
And the Runcandel family only grew stronger.
Alex looked at the sky.
"Next…"
"My own path begins."