Scarlett was taken aback when John asked his question.
"Why join a research team?"
John was the first person to ask this in response to her invitation.
"Or is there any benefit for me to join your research team?" John asked again, more directly. He knew exactly what he was after.
He had come to Riverstone University specifically to study breeding and eventually earn a breeder's license so that he could open his own facility and raise Pokemon on his terms.
So, was there a benefit to joining Professor Scarlett's research team? Would it help him get his breeder's license? Or maybe help him train a powerful Probopass?
The problem was, John didn't even have a Nosepass, and he wasn't particularly interested in raising one either.
There were no extra points toward his breeder's license, and he had no desire to own a Probopass, so why should he join Professor Scarlett's team to study it?
He could be spending his time doing other things—like playing his Gameboy. Maybe he could even catch a shiny Nosepass with perfect IVs and get to work training it right away. No matter how he raised it, it would become the strongest Nosepass.
"Benefits..." Scarlett was surprised by John's pragmatism. In her experience, most students weren't so blunt, especially not a freshman.
She suddenly remembered the calm demeanor John had shown when they first met. It was so different from the typical fresh-faced student. He was the kind of person who knew exactly what he wanted and wasn't afraid to say it.
"Ha." Scarlett chuckled softly before saying, "Joining my research team will give you access to a special business card. After graduation, whether you stay in the country or go abroad, you'll be welcomed by a number of prestigious research institutions."
"I'm not interested in research institutions," John replied bluntly. "And becoming a Pokemon researcher isn't part of my career plan."
It seemed John wasn't interested in fame or recognition, either. Scarlett was taken aback again. This was no typical student; his responses were refreshingly realistic and pragmatic.
Scarlett took a deep breath and tried again.
"My research team has an annual budget of 500 million. Team members earn at least a million Pokedollars a year, and even junior members get benefits like twice-yearly research trips. If you hold a higher position, your salary and benefits can be even greater."
"I'm not short on money," John said, shaking his head slightly.
A million dollars? That wasn't much more than pocket change for him.
As for the 500 million in research funding... how much of that would he actually have access to? Probably not much.
Scarlett was speechless. Yes, a top-tier institution like Riverstone University had its share of funding, but John clearly wasn't swayed by money or prestige.
Still, there had to be something John wanted, right?
Scarlett thought for a moment, then asked directly: "Then what do you want?"
A spark flashed in John's eyes. This was the moment he had been waiting for.
"A channel to access rare resources," John said, his tone firm. "I want a way to purchase high-quality Pokemon items at normal prices—items that are normally reserved for top-tier trainers."
Now it made sense. After seeing that John was interested in joining the team for his Nosepass Breeder project, Scarlett realized he wasn't after fame, money, or glory. John wanted something far more practical.
In the world of Pokemon, there were all sorts of items, but only a select few were considered "treasures"—items that exceeded the limits of normal equipment.
For example, a regular Black Belt boosts Fighting-type moves by 1%-20%. But a Black Belt with a bonus higher than 20% was something extraordinary. And, unlike in games, where bonuses had limits, in the real world, these treasure-level items could exceed the usual caps. A Black Belt with a 21% bonus would permanently lower the bonus to 20% after being used by a Pokemon for a while, but the extra 1% would be transferred to the Pokemon itself, permanently boosting that Pokemon's stats.
These kinds of "treasure-level" items were highly coveted because they were rare and gave Pokemon long-term advantages. However, finding them was nearly impossible. They didn't appear on regular platforms, and they were often bought before they could even be sold to the public.
John wasn't interested in fame, and he could make his own money. What he needed was access to these rare Pokemon items—items that could only be obtained with the right connections.
If he could access these "treasures," it would give him a huge edge in strengthening his Pokemon. The sooner he gained that kind of access, the better.
"A channel..." Scarlett repeated the word as she considered it, then looked up at John with new understanding.
The young man in front of her didn't act like an 18-year-old college freshman—he was more like someone in his mid-thirties: a pragmatic adult who cared about tangible benefits.
"I can give you that channel," Scarlett agreed, then asked, "But what can you offer me in return?"
With that question, the dynamic shifted completely. No longer was this a typical student-teacher relationship; it had become a negotiation between two equals.
John exhaled in relief. He hadn't seen Scarlett as a mentor in the traditional sense, and he was glad that Scarlett wasn't treating him like a student either. If this were an old-fashioned professor, they'd probably have lectured him on respecting his elders.
"I can provide you with all of my research on Nosepass," John said. "Including the Breeder strategies I've gathered"
"I also have access to a large number of Nosepass Pokemon," John added. "From what I understand, Nosepass are fairly rare in the country, so you probably don't have a lot of them on hand."
Scarlett's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You have access to Nosepass?"
John simply smiled, neither confirming nor denying it.
"Alright," Scarlett said decisively. She passed the contract to her assistant, asking them to make a few adjustments. Then she turned to John. "If you can get me a hundred Nosepass within a week, the channel will be open to you—permanently."
When the revised contract was placed before John, it was no longer the standard student-teacher agreement. This was now a contract between two business partners.