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After selecting the Pseudo-legendary Pokémon egg, Jacob didn't rush to leave. Instead, he continued examining the other Dragon-type Pokémon eggs.
After all, visiting the Drakehold Dragon Habitat wasn't easy, and he had already made an enemy. Who knew when he might return? He should take this opportunity to identify any high-quality Dragon Pokémon and claim them.
Meanwhile, the portly supervisor wore a bitter expression. He couldn't stop Jacob at all and had no recourse.
Just then, a figure walked through the entrance.
"One million Pokédollars if you don't choose that egg," the man said, extending a finger to emphasize his offer. He spoke concisely, "I'll also promise you one free favor in the future."
Jacob frowned as he studied the stranger. Though they had never met, Nina had already briefed him about this person on their journey. This was Richard, not one of the Elite Four of the Northwest region, but the person in charge of the Drakehold Dragon Habitat.
With approximately fifty discovered Habitats nationwide, the Elite Four members totaled only 28 people. Therefore, only a few Habitats—primarily the most important ones and newly discovered locations—were guarded by Elite Four members. Most Habitats were still overseen by two or three powerful Champion-level trainers.
Though Richard wasn't part of the Northwest Elite Four, he had ranked fifth in the Northwest Champion ranking competition. Extremely powerful, he had been appointed to oversee the Drakehold Dragon Habitat year-round.
"Sorry," Jacob replied firmly. Even when facing a Champion-level trainer, he wouldn't back down. He would never relinquish a Dreepy egg. Besides, this was a restricted area—no matter how strong Richard was, he wouldn't dare attack directly. "We've already selected our Pokémon egg."
"You can change your mind. As long as you haven't finalized your decision, you can still choose something else. I should warn you—if we can't be friends, then we can only be enemies." Richard regarded Jacob coldly. He urgently needed a high-quality Pseudo-legendary Pokémon to help him secure a position among the Northwest Elite Four. He had set his sights on this particular egg and had invited several renowned breeders to assess its quality. Everyone confirmed that this Dreepy egg's quality exceeded King level, likely reaching Champion caliber.
He had already resolved to obtain this egg, but because his selection priority this year wasn't high, he had to wait for others to choose first. He had spent considerable money asking those with higher priority to exchange their selection rights. However, he hadn't anticipated Jacob's sudden arrival disrupting all his plans. With his efforts likely wasted, he resorted to this last measure: "Two million. Think carefully."
Facing Richard's aggression, Jacob's expression darkened. He was furious at encountering such an unreasonable Champion-level trainer.
But this was how the world worked—the strong preyed upon the weak. Without sufficient strength, even self-protection became difficult, let alone acquiring resources like Pseudo-legendary Pokémon. Ordinary people without connections couldn't even find a foothold to climb upward.
Elite-level trainers nearly monopolized rare resources such as Pseudo-legendary Pokémon, making advancement difficult for the numerous Gym Leader-level and Elite Four candidate trainers.
This explained why Dante had killed an entire family just for a Tyranitar egg!
This was also why Jacob had never dared reveal his Pokémon's true qualities!
The Xia family was relatively weak, and the Lin family came from a research background. Among the entire family, only his uncle was a top-level trainer supporting them, so Jacob needed to become stronger—and he needed to do so discreetly.
Nevertheless, Jacob felt it was worth offending Richard for this Dreepy egg! Still, he needed to be cautious. Even if Richard wouldn't act openly, he would certainly make subtle moves behind the scenes.
"Richard!" Seeing Richard threaten Jacob in her presence, Nina positioned herself between them and fixed Richard with an icy stare. "Are you threatening us?"
"This doesn't concern you or Maximus. I offered him two million out of respect for you and Maximus. Otherwise, do you think a scientific researcher deserves polite conversation from me?"
Richard had managed the Drakehold Dragon Habitat for years. His superior strength had made the Habitat his personal domain, fostering his arrogance and domineering attitude. As he stated, if not for respecting Maximus, he would have expelled Jacob long ago.
Then he would find a staff member to take the blame, offer some compensation, and explain it away as temporary staff negligence.
Nina's expression hardened as she shielded Jacob. This scene felt somewhat familiar to Jacob. Why was it always a woman protecting him? Last time it had been Nina as well. Despite the awkwardness, it felt reassuring to have such formidable protection.
"He's my father's new apprentice. If you have anything to say, speak to me." Nina's declaration made Richard's expression turn extremely ugly.
"Are you sure you want to stand up for him?" Richard's face darkened. "Maximus is overstepping his bounds. I wonder if you can protect him temporarily, or for his entire life? There will always be times when he's alone."
Richard's words made Jacob's expression extremely grim. The man's cruelty exceeded Jacob's imagination, like a cold, venomous snake.
"Ms. Nina, I'll make a call," Jacob said softly, anger underlying his laughter. He understood that Richard's arrogance stemmed from ignorance about Jacob's development of a special Z-Move. The Pokémon Association had announced Jacob's reward but kept the special Z-Move confidential.
Although Jacob disliked using his connections to pressure others, he knew he needed to ask his grandfather to contact the Pokémon Association for an explanation. Truthfully, with Jacob's current research abilities, if he announced his intention to work abroad, numerous organizations would offer substantial sums to recruit him. If pushed into a corner, he could simply relocate his entire family overseas, and no one could prevent it.
He doubted the Pokémon Association would tolerate Richard's behavior.
"Hello, Grandpa..."
Jacob explained everything to Scott over the phone. The elderly man on the other end became furious.
"I'll make a call," Scott said before hanging up.
Richard looked at Jacob with a sneer. "I respect Mr. Scott, but this concerns the future. It's useless for him to intervene. Think about it today. Take the two million and leave. It's better for everyone."
Jacob ignored him, creating a stalemate between them. Recognizing that Scott might take some time, Jacob simply continued examining other eggs. It would be excellent if he could find additional high-quality specimens.
Nina observed Jacob casually browsing around and marveled at his composure. Even in this tense situation, he maintained the energy to evaluate Pokémon eggs.
Remarkably, Jacob discovered two eggs with King-level qualifications, but his standards had clearly risen. After brief consideration, he passed on both options.