Hearing those words, Cain immediately frowned. This was very rude behavior, especially for breeders.
Each breeder has their own experiments and creates formulas that are entirely their own. Asking in that way was already invading a breeder's privacy. If it had been someone with great power or influence, they might have reacted very negatively.
"Grandpa!" Cain didn't say anything, but next to him, Whitney was the first to speak up.
She wasn't a child who didn't understand the situation; she knew how disrespectful her grandfather's words had been. Besides, Cain was a friend she had brought home, and now her own grandfather was interrogating him as if he were a criminal.
Whitney's grandfather paid her no mind; he just kept his eyes fixed on Cain, waiting for his answer.
"Hmph! Grandpa, I won't speak to you anymore!" Whitney, seeing that her grandfather ignored her, huffed angrily and crossed her arms, pouting.
Cain looked at him directly, without showing any emotion in his eyes.
This is the disadvantage of trainers without power or influence: when facing a great family, they don't have the same standing. Even a mid-level breeder has only a slightly higher status than a common trainer, but it's hardly a difference.
"It's a formula I created myself," Cain replied coldly.
Anyone would be annoyed if treated this way, so the old man didn't get angry at the coldness in Cain's response.
The old man observed him closely, as if trying to memorize every detail of Cain.
"Haha, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. When one gets old, sometimes one asks meaningless questions. Young man, don't take it the wrong way," said the old man, suddenly changing his tone and showing a friendly attitude, as if he were a kindly grandfather.
Cain, however, only smiled to himself. Although the old man apologized, Cain understood clearly what his true intentions were.
"Oh, by the way, my name is Howard, I'm the current Gym Leader of Goldenrod City and Whitney's grandfather."
Howard coughed a couple of times to ease the tension in the room. At his age, he had already seen it all.
"I've already heard about the deal between you and Whitney, and I've tried those mid-level Pokéblocks. Truly, they're very suitable for our Miltanks; after eating them, their milk production increased by 30%."
Howard praised the effectiveness of Cain's Pokéblocks, surprised for the first time to hear about a Pokéblock that could specifically increase a Pokémon's milk production.
"I want to ask if you'd be willing to sell me the formula; I'm willing to pay you 30 million Pokédollars for it," Howard said after circling around the subject, revealing his true purpose.
30 million Pokédollars!
For an inexperienced trainer, that would be a fortune. With those 30 million Pokédollars, he could invest in raising a Pokémon and, hopefully, become a quasi-Elite level Trainer.
Then, he could participate in League missions, perhaps even changing his fate and becoming a League trainer, although the difficulty in achieving this is what stops 99% of Pokémon trainers.
Cain shook his head without hesitation. Although 30 million Pokédollars was a considerable sum, he knew that, if he worked steadily, he would earn much more. Besides, he didn't need that much money; with the items he already possessed, his assets exceeded 30 million.
Howard was somewhat surprised by Cain's refusal. For a commoner, 30 million Pokédollars is a significant sum.
But he didn't have many options. He couldn't just take it by force, as if anyone found out, his enemies in the League would seize the opportunity to attack him, and he knew many resented his control over the Miltank.
After thinking for a bit, Howard proposed, "Then let's do this, young man. No matter how many of those Pokéblocks you make, we'll buy them all. As a condition, we'll pay you 120 Pokédollars for each one."
They raised high-quality Miltank, which needed to consume many Pokéblocks daily to produce milk with high nutritional value, intended for exclusive clients.
The common MooMoo Milk sold on the market came from Miltank that only ate grass and had a much lower nutritional value.
The profits they earned couldn't compare to those simple 20 Pokédollar differences, so Howard was a good businessman.
"I want a training manual for Miltank," said Cain.
When it came to raising Miltank, no one in the world knew more than this family. Even though what they would give him wouldn't be their most prized technique, even the basics would be more useful than what Cain could figure out on his own.
There was no need to be so direct about what he wanted, but since Howard had proposed an exchange, Cain wasn't going to refuse.
As for great families, they tend to be very cautious. Even a seemingly unbacked commoner like Cain wasn't someone they would attack thoughtlessly. They preferred to resolve things peacefully, as long as their core interests weren't touched.
"Alright!" Howard agreed to Cain's demand without hesitation.
After all, it was only a basic training manual. Howard knew Cain wouldn't expect to receive their most valuable techniques.
"Hmph! Are you done? Satisfied? Finished talking? Cain, let's go!" At that moment, Whitney jumped out of her seat and grabbed Cain's hand, pulling him along.
Cain didn't resist and followed her. He knew the true nature of this seemingly kind old man. People like him were everywhere in the League, controlling half of its power.
It could be said that the corruption in the League was largely their fault; they were a plague upon the League.
After Whitney and Cain left the room, the butler, Sebastian, entered and looked at Howard, asking quietly, "Sir, is this alright?"
Howard stopped smiling and pulled out a detailed report from his desk. If Cain had been there, he would have seen it was a complete report of his identity within the League. In just one afternoon, they had investigated everything.
"It's just a small amount of money. That boy is interesting. Today's young ones in the League are truly remarkable.
"From that boy of the Dragon Tamer clan to this boy, they're hiding something, but even with our power, we couldn't uncover his true origin. It's best not to be too aggressive," Howard said, reflecting on Cain's report.
(End of chapter)