The meeting with the Blackthorns left a sour taste in Gladion's mouth that refused to go away.
The good mood he had been carrying after making such massive amounts of money from the auction had completely evaporated.
He rubbed the back of his neck and let out a long, frustrated breath.
'What do those fucking Blackthorns think about themselves?' he complained internally. 'They strut around like they still own the entire Indigo region just because their ancestors rode dragons a thousand years ago. News flash, grandpa, the world moved on. You can't just walk into someone's auction house, threaten them with old war stories, and expect them to hand over a Salamencite like it's a participation trophy.'
'Who the hell threatens a gym leader and businessman in the middle of his own building? That elder has the balls of a Wailord and the brain of a Magikarp. And Clair just sat there nodding like a good little soldier. I thought she was supposed to be the reasonable one. Turns out she's just as stuck in the past as the rest of them. Arrogant pricks, the whole lot. They act like the league should bow to them, but the only thing they're ruling these days is their own delusions.'
Gladion shook his head, a bitter half-smile tugging at his lips despite the anger. 'And the best part? They offered "gratitude" of their clan. Like I'm supposed to feel honored that the mighty Blackthorns won't actively try to ruin my life if I give them what they want.'
He took a deep breath and tried to push the irritation down. "I thought Clair was cool in the anime," he mumbled under his breath. "But damn, that woman has the arrogance of Donald Trump and the fragile ego of the same person. One wrong word and she looks ready to sue the entire region for hurting her feelings."
"She sat there like a statue while the elder ran his mouth, then jumped in to defend the clan's honor like it was the most important thing in the world. Give me a break. If your honor is that easy to bruise, maybe stop picking fights you can't win."
Gladion stopped in front of the next meeting room door and composed himself. "At least I earned five hundred million Pokedollars for free," he muttered. "And I am pretty sure they would still want a Salamencite. But I should have a word with Lance so there is no love lost between us if his clanmates go to complain to him. As a Champion he could really make my life difficult after all, no matter the influence or power I have."
He took one more deep breath, straightened his coat, and opened the door. "Let's hope the Draconid people are better with their attitude and are more reasonable with their deal."
Inside the room, the two women from the Draconid tribe sat waiting. Most of their faces remained covered by hoods and cloaks.
Gladion closed the door gently and offered a genuine smile. "Hello, ladies. It is a pleasure to meet the legendary Draconid people."
"It is our pleasure to meet you too, Gym Leader Gladion," the older woman replied, her voice calm and measured. "Your tales have reached even our isolated village. We have heard much about the trainer who commands Latios and Latias."
Gladion nodded politely. "I hope the stories were kind. Traveling all the way from Meteor Village must have been quite the journey. I am honored you accepted the invitation."
"We came because the opportunity was too important to ignore," Aster said. "The world is changing quickly. We cannot remain hidden forever if we wish to protect what matters to us."
The conversation stayed light for a few more minutes. They spoke about the beauty of the auction, the impressive performance by Wallace, and the excitement of seeing so many powerful people gathered in one place.
Zinnia asked a couple of curious questions about the revived fossil Pokemon. Gladion answered patiently, appreciating their genuine interest.
Then the women moved to the main point.
"We would like to have a Salamencite if you have another one," Aster said directly but without aggression.
"I do have one," Gladion replied with a small smile, "but for the right price."
"We understand," Aster continued. "We would offer two billion Pokedollars. It is the most our village could do. And the rest of the amount we would cover with other things. To start, we would be willing to give you a very strong Bagon. Do you have anything that you want from our clan, considering that you know about us already and should know what all we have?"
Gladion considered the offer carefully.
'A Bagon. Hmm, my team is lacking a dragon type outside of my two legendaries,' Gladion thought.
"While that is a good start," he said aloud, "Bagon is at most thirty million Pokedollars worth."
The older woman nodded slowly, thinking. Gladion kept his expression neutral while his mind worked.
'Hmm, I am quite surprised that they really want the mega evolution stone. Heck, I was surprised they even came here. Draconid people should have a lot of mega evolution stones themselves since a meteor fell on them. Do they not know about the stones that are buried near the village? Well, something that I could take advantage of if that is the case.'
"I would like to have excavation rights of any metals and gems near your village," Gladion said.
The woman thought for some time before answering. "You can have those rights for only a period of one year. We cannot let you access our village more than that. Along with that, we would want you to make your honored Latios and Latias visit our village and meet our villagers."
Gladion thought for a while, weighing the terms. Finally, a big smile spread across his face. "Deal."
The two women looked at each other, a hint of uncertainty in their eyes as they tried to figure out if they had been scammed or not.
'It should have felt bad to take advantage of people who are not knowledgeable enough. Well, it sucks that I am not a very good person either,' Gladion thought.
-----Author Notes------
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