The debate didn't last long.
In the end, the topic concluded with Iono's casual remark—
"Forget it. Just call me Iono."
Only then did the two of them finally get serious about Sprigatito's training data.
Iono: "By the way, both Brassius and Geeta have trained Meowscarada before.
Which one do you want?"
Aarav's heart leaped.
There was actually such a luxury option?
Brassius was Paldea's Grass-type Gym Leader—his understanding of Grass-type Pokémon was naturally profound.
As for Geeta, she was the Chairwoman of the Paldea Pokémon League and the region's top Champion.
Her strength went without saying.
Though Aarav had never seen her use Meowscarada in the games, who knew whether it was just warming the bench in her lineup?
But no matter how you looked at it, a Champion's training experience was something Aarav had no right to complain about.
So… which one was better?
Brassius specialized in Grass-types.
Geeta possessed overwhelming strength.
Each had their own advantages.
Having just spent the past few days trapped in endless "either A or B" dilemmas, Aarav's indecisiveness struck again.
Wait a second.
Iono wasn't some rigid system interface.
Why was he even limiting himself to one choice?
With that thought, Aarav typed:
"How about this—help me organize both sets of Sprigatito training data,
and also pack a few high-quality Miracle Seeds for me and send them over."
The great Lu Xun once said:
If you want to open a window, you must first propose tearing down the wall.
But Aarav's request wasn't just tearing down walls—he was practically asking to ascend to heaven.
He expected a blunt question mark in response.
Instead, Iono replied:
"Sure!"
Aarav leaned back instantly.
Wait, what?
She actually agreed?
Iono-sensei… do you really have some McDonald's-level generosity coded into your DNA?
As he was silently shocked, he saw the next message appear.
"But you have to agree to two conditions."
Aarav wasn't surprised.
There was no such thing as a free lunch.
He wanted Sprigatito's training data, so Iono wanted something in return—perfectly reasonable.
He didn't plan to refuse.
After all, relationships between people were built through mutual exchanges.
You couldn't just take everything without giving anything back.
Who would want to stay friends with someone like that?
And besides—
Who could possibly reject the friendship of a beautiful Gym Leader who was also a top-tier streamer?
At least Aarav couldn't.
Still, he replied cautiously:
"Don't go too far. Two conditions are too much.
One condition max. Worst case, I'll skip the Miracle Seeds—two training datasets for one condition."
Lesson two from Water-sensei's Social Skills Classroom—
Dark Psychology Edition.
Never let the other party grasp your bottom line too easily.
The initial stage of any relationship often defines its long-term structure.
Even though Aarav was far inferior to Iono in both fame and Trainer strength, he still wanted their relationship to remain balanced and healthy.
After all, he didn't exactly enjoy being on the receiving end.
Iono replied:
"Relax~ The conditions won't be excessive. Just two.
And I'll even send you a Miracle Seed from Viridian Forest!"
Miracle Seeds, in the games, boosted the power of Grass-type moves.
In reality, they were among the best cultivation materials for Grass-type Pokémon.
Naturally occurring Miracle Seeds were usually found in remote wilderness areas.
Although Eastoria had developed artificial cultivation techniques, their quality still couldn't match wild-grown ones.
Among them, Miracle Seeds from Viridian Forest were the highest grade.
A single one could sell for tens of thousands on the market.
Iono was really going all out.
For a moment, Aarav almost surrendered to the power of money.
Honestly… being Iono's Growlithe doesn't sound that bad—
No!
He snapped himself out of it.
"Tell me the conditions first. I'll think about it."
Iono replied:
"First condition:
From now on, you must set aside one day every month to play games with me!"
So it was just being a gaming partner?
Aarav had thought it was something much more dangerous.
Once a month—twelve days a year.
That was basically a part-time job with an absurdly high daily wage.
As for how long this "contract" would last, Aarav didn't bother asking.
In his mind, Iono was probably just enjoying the novelty.
Maybe in a few months, she'd get bored and stop asking him to play.
If he asked for specifics, it would only make him look overly sentimental.
So he replied:
"Alright, that's fine. What's the second condition?"
Iono answered:
"I haven't decided yet. I'll save it for later!
(Bellibolt puffing cheeks.gif)"
Aarav rejected immediately:
"No way. That's basically the same as you reserving two hundred conditions."
Iono replied:
"Relax, I promise it won't be anything that puts you in a difficult spot."
"If you think it's unfair later, we can negotiate—or you can just refuse."
At this point, Aarav felt that if he kept refusing, he'd just look petty.
So he finally agreed:
"Okay. Deal."
Iono responded instantly:
"It's a promise!"
"I'll get the training data for you tomorrow,
and I'll send the Miracle Seed via Dragonite Express right away!"
Dragonite Express wasn't some marketing gimmick.
It was a real logistics company run by the Draconid Clan in Kanto,
literally using Dragonite to deliver packages.
Aarav had only heard about it before—never actually used it.
Just the operating cost alone was terrifying.
Flying a hundred kilometers consumed half a box of premium energy cubes worth thousands.
Ordinary people simply couldn't afford it.
Its customers were basically people like Iono—who didn't care about money at all.
After sending his address, the two said goodbye on Bubbles.
Aarav washed up and went to bed.
He had captured his ideal starter Pokémon.
His streaming career was taking off.
And Iono had just given him an enormous gift.
After such a fulfilling day, Aarav slept exceptionally well.
The next morning, he was woken by knocking on the window.
Still half-asleep, he suddenly remembered—
He lived on the fourth floor.
Something's wrong.
Aarav jolted upright.
Is there some kind of ghost outside?!
He was just about to call Sprigatito for backup when he looked up—
and saw a round, orange, adorably stupid face pressed against the glass.
It was a Dragonite.
A delivery Dragonite.
Aarav was stunned.
That fast?!
It had only been a little over ten hours since Iono sent it!
So this was the speed of Dragonite?
Maybe not quite "circling the globe in sixteen hours" like the Pokédex claimed,
but it was definitely not far off.
Of course, the price of Dragonite Express was just as outrageous.
But honestly—
When a chubby Dragonite flaps its tiny wings and personally hands you a package…
That emotional satisfaction alone was worth the money.
The Draconid Clan really knew how to exploit the psychology of rich customers like Iono.
Behind this business model, there was definitely a mastermind.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/lucarioTL