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Kade was one of the few appraisal masters at the Devon Auction House.
To recruit him from another auction house, the Devon Corporation not only offered him an annual salary in the millions but also catered to his peculiar hobby.
Kade's passion was collecting various kinds of stones. People with such a hobby were often called stone enthusiasts.
Coincidentally, Steven, the heir of the Devon Corporation, was also a fervent stone enthusiast.
Thanks to Steven's influence, the Devon Corporation easily lured Kade to their auction house. However, unlike Kade, Steven was also a powerful Pokémon Trainer, so he couldn't always indulge in stone discussions with Kade.
It had been over half a month since Steven and Kade last t.
Spending his days appraising stones alone, Kade felt increasingly bored, mainly because the stones the Devon Auction House recently collected failed to catch his interest, leaving him displeased.
But Kade felt like today was a special day.
He had encountered a like-minded stone enthusiast—an occurrence as rare as the stones themselves. eting soone knowledgeable about stones was no small feat.
Initially, Kade doubted Sato's expertise.
Yet, after testing him, Kade was astonished to find that Sato not only identified all his prized stones but also accurately described their origins and uses.
This left Kade deeply impressed and overjoyed to find a kindred spirit.
"Hahaha! Young man, you truly have a sharp eye. This Dusk Stone is of premium quality. I discovered it in an underground tomb complex in the Hoenn Desert during my youth. Nearly lost my life back then. Ah, these stones hold my mories and my youth," Kade said, stroking his white beard as he admired the black, glossy stone in his hand.
His gaze toward Sato was filled with appreciation.
"Finally, I made it through. This old man is really hard to please! Thankfully, the system helped; otherwise, I wouldn't have even known the nas of these stones," Sato thought, smiling outwardly while inwardly sighing with relief.
The stone Kade held was the last of his prized collection brought out from his safe.
Sato couldn't help but admire Kade's dedication. The man had spent most of his life hunting rare stones. Each of his treasures not only held imnse value but also encapsulated thrilling adventures from his past—a vivid record of an extraordinary life.
Sato also learned from Kade about another avid stone enthusiast—none other than Steven, the future Hoenn Champion.
Sato was already well aware of Steven's obsession with stones, to the point of it being almost irrational.
How irrational you ask?
Steven was willing to relinquish his Champion title because he found the duties too cumberso, interfering with his stone-hunting passion—a decision that paved the way for Wallace's rise.
Sato's patience in befriending Kade wasn't just out of courtesy; he saw an opportunity. If he could use Kade as a connection to et Steven, the rewards would be imnse.
Steven, after all, was the heir of Devon Corporation—a man of extraordinary wealth. Gaining the favor of soone like Steven, a wealthy heir of Devon Corporation and a future Champion, could be a massive boon to Sato's future as a Pokémon Trainer.
Borrowing so "pocket money" from such a friend in tis of need wouldn't be a problem.
Sato had initially only planned to build rapport with Kade to eventually et Steven. Yet to his surprise, Kade was preparing to reward him handsoly for his efforts in identifying all his treasured stones.
"Young Sato, for soone as knowledgeable as you, the future holds great promise. These stones, while precious to , will be of no use once I'm gone. As your elder, I'd like to give you a gift. Pick one stone from my collection—it's yours," Kade said warmly, placing the exquisite Dusk Stone back on the table.
He looked at Sato with a grandfatherly smile.
"I can't possibly accept this! These stones are the fruits of your hard work, Master Kade. It wouldn't be right for to take one," Sato said, his face showing shock and humility, though his heart was screaming with excitent.
Kade was clearly pleased with Sato's modesty, thinking to himself, "I've chosen the right person. This young man not only has a sharp eye but also a comndable temperant."
"Co now, boy, don't insult by refusing. I said pick one, so pick one. Enough with the formalities," Kade said, pretending to scold Sato with the air of a kind elder.
Seeing Kade's firm deanor, Sato was montarily taken aback. The stones were indeed invaluable, and he feared taking one might backfire if Kade suddenly accused him of theft.
After all, each stone was worth a fortune, and Sato lacked the strength to defend himself if things went awry at the auction house. Yet, he knew refusing any further might offend Kade.
"Then I'll humbly accept," Sato finally said, his voice tinged with reluctance, though his mind raced with nervousness and excitent.
Using the system's appraisal feature, Sato scanned the stones, each a rare masterpiece. If he could truly obtain one, it would be an extraordinary fortune.
While he couldn't guess exactly what Kade wanted, Sato figured it wouldn't be anything too dangerous.
After all, Steven Stone himself could easily handle hazardous expeditions, especially if they involved rare stones.
However, Sato soon realized Kade wasn't planning a dangerous expedition or sending him off to hunt for rare stones. Instead, Kade wished to take him as an apprentice, sharing and passing on his lifeti's worth of expertise on stones.
This unexpected windfall left Sato feeling dazed, as though a giant pie had just fallen from the sky and landed squarely on his head.
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Sorry guys, I'm a bit unwell so I could only update 1 chapter for today.
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