When Kalia mentioned having four Toxic Orbs, Sean was genuinely taken aback. Even one is incredibly rare, let alone possessing four Toxic Orbs.
For Poison-type Pokémon, these Toxic Orbs are invaluable treasures, highly sought after as they accelerate their growth significantly.
The price of Toxic Orbs continues to skyrocket due to their scarcity. Creating them artificially requires immense resources, making it economically unfeasible.
"Let's discuss this elsewhere; it's not safe here." Seeing the shock in Sean's eyes, Kalia realized that the Toxic Orbs might be even more precious than she initially thought. Perhaps obtaining all four at once seemed too effortless, leading her to underestimate their true value.
A short while later,
They arrived at a nearby coffee shop close to the Pokemon Hotel, ordered two cups of coffee, and found seats in a corner near the window.
Kalia took a sip of her coffee and began, "I'm not lying; I truly have four Toxic Orbs. They hold no use for me, which is why I approached you, hoping to sell them and make some money."
"If there truly are four Toxic Orbs, we shouldn't sell them casually. I suggest auctioning them one by one to maximize profit," Sean said earnestly. Four Toxic Orbs represented immense wealth; for those who need them, no price would be too high.
"I'm not familiar with auctions." Kalia shook her head. Honestly, she sought Sean's help precisely because she hoped he could facilitate the sale of the Toxic Orbs, as she lacked knowledge in such matters.
"No problem, I'll handle everything. Just give me a small fee for my efforts, and you can relax while waiting for your earnings," Sean reassured her. Most students admitted to the Pokemon Academy came from well-off backgrounds, and Sean himself hailed from a family that owned a Pokemon store, giving him extensive experience in these matters.
Kalia pondered briefly before nodding. "Let's do it your way then. I urgently need the money; my funds have been running low lately."
She wasn't worried about Sean deceiving her. By selling each orb individually, she would only hand over one at a time, receiving payment before providing the next. If Sean attempted any deceit, she would immediately know.
Acquiring a Toxic Orb and gaining insight into someone's character seemed like a fair trade. Although Kalia and Sean were not particularly close, there was no reason for Sean to deceive her. At worst, it could serve as a lesson, making her more cautious about trusting others easily.
"Alright, let's agree on this then. Hand them over." Sean smiled, appreciating Kalia's straightforward nature. Now he had ample opportunity to maneuver his plans effectively.
However, Kalia appeared to be severely short on money and needed funds urgently. Sensing this, Sean suddenly asked, "Are you really strapped for cash? I have some savings; would you consider selling just one to me now?"
By purchasing one orb first, he could quickly turn a profit. If not for his limited finances, he would ideally buy all of them to make an even greater gain.
"If you want to buy one, that's fine. How much are you willing to pay?" In truth, Kalia didn't have a clear idea of the Toxic Orb's market value. Since she obtained it unexpectedly, any reasonable price would suffice.
"I don't have much cash on hand. My maximum right now is 30,000 Alliance Coins. However, I can offer something valuable in addition, although it might not be immediately useful to you," Sean explained. Initially, he planned to gift Kalia the Z-crystal, but with his limited funds, it depended on what Kalia thought of the proposal.
In terms of value, the Z-crystal was comparable to the Toxic Orb. However, without a compatible Z-Ring, the Z-crystal would be useless. Sean doubted Kalia could obtain a Z-Ring, making the offer of three thousand Alliance Coins plus the Z-crystal somewhat disadvantageous for Kalia.
"What is it?" Kalia asked curiously.
The price of thirty thousand Alliance Coins was close to what Kalia had anticipated; she felt that forty thousand would have been reasonable, or even less.
Even if each orb were truly worth thirty thousand, four orbs would total one hundred and twenty thousand, which was a massive sum for Lin Ying, not to mention the actual market value of the Toxic Orbs is higher.
With luck, Kalia might end up receiving as much as two hundred thousand Alliance Coins, transforming her into a small-time heiress.
"You probably haven't heard of this; it's a highly valuable item developed in the Ellie Region. Without the activation device, though, it's unusable." Sean placed the fiery red Z-crystal on the table.
"Although it may not be immediately useful to you, its value is significant. In the future, once you acquire the means to activate it, you'll unlock its true potential." As Sean spoke, he noticed Kalia's eyes sparkling while gazing at the Fire Z-crystal on the table.
"How come? Have you seen one before?" Sean asked curiously, puzzled by her reaction. Fire Z-Crystals were rare in the Sebas region, and the Ellie Region had strict regulations on them.
"Is this a Fire-type Z-crystal?" Kalia hesitated slightly, having only encountered ordinary white Z-crystals, which made her knowledge about them limited.
"You indeed know! This is a Fire Z-Crystal. Where have you seen other Z-Crystals before?" Sean was genuinely surprised and intrigued, as Kalia, being just a beginner Trainer, seemed aware of their existence.
"I saw two regular Z-crystals at the research institute in Rhine City," Kalia replied, omitting that she possessed a Z-Ring. The Dark Guild believed it was confiscated by the League; revealing this to Sean could risk attracting further trouble from them, leaving her with no time to deal with such complications.
"No wonder. Then, you must understand its value. How about I offer these two Fire Z-Crystals along with thirty thousand Alliance Coins for your Toxic Orb?" proposed Sean.
Sean never imagined that Kalia also possessed a Z-Ring; otherwise, he wouldn't have remained so composed. Within the Pokemon Academy, only two advanced students from the Ellie Region owned Z-Rings.
"Deal!" Kalia readily agreed.
"Excellent, very straightforward." Sean smiled, knowing with the Toxic Orb in hand, after some effective promotion, it would surely fetch a high price, allowing him to make substantial profits.
Inside his Poké Ball, Lian nearly burst out impulsively but managed to restrain himself just in time.
He could hear their conversation clearly and caught mention of a Fire-Type Z-crystal. Could it be true? Such luck!
Apparently, Sean was unaware that Kalia had a Z-Ring; if he knew, he might have gone berserk.
Lian felt exhilarated—obtaining the Fire Z-crystal seemed almost too easy. This meant he could now unleash Z-Moves using Z-crystals.
He yearned to step outside and witness everything, but given his current size, appearing in public could lead to unintentional destruction, for which Kalia would bear responsibility. For safety's sake, it's best to wait until later before emerging.