From Volkaria's perspective, Julian could understand why they did it. Faced with a new incubation fluid capable of enhancing the overall strength of their nation's trainers, any country would be tempted. If Volkaria had developed this, Drakoria would have also tried every means to get their hands on it. Having shared all he knew with the Elder Council, Julian considered the matter closed. Whether Drakoria could still maintain its alliance with Volkaria would depend on how the leadership of both sides talked it out. This was beyond Julian's control, and he had no desire to interfere. Anyway, if it came to war, his role would simply be to eliminate Volkaria's Champions. Just as he ended the call with the Grand Elder, his phone rang again. He saw that it was his grand-uncle James calling. "Hello, Grand-Uncle." "Julian, you performed exceptionally well on this mission," James's appreciative voice came through the phone. The Elder Council had initially believed recovering the data was nearly impossible but still assigned the task to Julian, not only because they believed in his ability to work miracles but also as a last-ditch effort. And Julian had truly pulled it off—in less than a day no less. Not only did he recover the data, but he even discovered which nation was behind it. The fact that it was Volkaria came as a surprise to the Elder Council as well. However, James wasn't calling about that—he was calling about the new incubation fluid. "Did you make a backup of the new incubation fluid data?" "I had Metagross back it up. Is there a problem?" Julian replied. He hadn't had any ulterior motives in having Metagross create a backup—it was just a precaution. "The Elder Council has decided that the production of the new incubation fluid will be a joint venture between the nation and the Walker family. The nation will take a 70% share, and the Walker family will take 30%." "A new company will be established. The nation will handle the land, equipment, construction, and personnel. The Walker family will be responsible for daily management, promotion, and sales." Julian's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing there was more to this. He understood the immense significance of the new incubation fluid. Such a tool, vital to national interests, should be firmly controlled by the state. Why, then, was the nation willing to let the Walkers take a share—and a 30% share at that? Once the new incubation fluid successfully hit the market, even at a high price, many would still purchase it. The profits would be enough to make the company a new Fortune 500 enterprise. Yet the nation was willing to share these benefits with the Walkers. Was it because the Walker family had two Champions? Or because he was the one who recovered the data? If it was only for these two reasons, it still didn’t quite add up. "Grand-Uncle, what’s the real reason the state is willing to share the profits?" Hearing Julian's question, James replied with great satisfaction, "Julian, the fact that you can think to ask this already puts you far ahead of your grandfather, that single-celled organism." Julian: '…I’ll just stay quiet.' "Since you can already tell there’s more to it, why don’t you guess what the reason is?" Here, James was deliberately testing him. Although the Walker family had two Champions and a member on the Elder Council, making them seemingly untouchable, the higher they rose, the more cautious and sharp they needed to be. "Is it to balance the distribution of interests between the aristocratic families and the civilians?" Julian didn’t need to think long before answering. "Hahaha, correct! The fact that you thought of this puts my mind at ease about leaving the Walker family in your hands in the future," James laughed heartily over the phone. The majority of Cyan-grade Pokémon were controlled by aristocratic families and top breeding companies. This wasn’t unique to Drakoria—it was the same in every country. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽 As a result, civilian trainers, unless they possessed exceptional talent or luck, rarely had access to Cyan-grade Pokémon. Over 90% of Elite-level trainers in every nation came from aristocratic families. The chances of a civilian trainer reaching that level were extremely slim. It wasn’t that civilian trainers lacked talent or weren’t hardworking. There were far more civilian trainers than aristocratic ones, and within such a large pool, there were always those with both great talent and relentless effort. Yet the number of Elites that emerged from them was pitifully small. The reason was simple: they had no access to Cyan-grade Pokémon. Now, with the emergence of the new incubation fluid, the chances of Green-grade Pokémon advancing to Cyan-grade would rise. Even if the increase was small, it still represented hope for civilian trainers. Most aristocratic families would not be in favor of the rise of civilian trainers because the "pie" of resources was only so big. For every civilian trainer who rose, a share of resources must be allocated to them. And that raised the question: whose resources would be taken away to make room? The new incubation fluid wasn’t particularly impactful for aristocratic families. Even the weakest minor clans could manage to acquire one or two Cyan-grade Pokémon. But for civilian trainers, without significant opportunity or strength, obtaining a Cyan-grade Pokémon remained a distant dream. The new incubation fluid primarily boosted the strength of civilian trainers. While this was good for Drakoria as a whole, it wasn’t necessarily welcomed by aristocratic families. Especially for the mid- and small-sized clans, since most resources in the country were already monopolized by the major families like the Walkers, Drakes, and Hearths. The mid- and small-sized clans only held a small portion. Once civilian trainers began to rise, they would inevitably first compete for the resources held by these mid- and small-sized clans—making them the first to be affected. So if the new incubation fluid were to be promoted, it would definitely face resistance from the mid- and small-sized families. Once these families banded together, the pressure would be immense. As for the major families, while they might not be immediately affected, if civilian trainers continued to rise, they would eventually encroach on their interests as well. The balance between aristocratic families and civilians was on the verge of being disrupted by the emergence of the new incubation fluid. If handled improperly, instead of strengthening the nation, it could potentially lead to internal turmoil. Thus, how to manage this situation was the most critical issue. The Elder Council's solution was to appoint a spokesperson—someone with both overwhelming strength and unquestionable prestige. The Walker family, with two Champions and one peak Pseudo-Champion, naturally caught the Elder Council's attention. If the Walker family took the lead in promoting the new incubation fluid, the resistance would undoubtedly be much smaller. Many families would have no choice but to give the Walkers face. However, if the Walkers mishandled this, it could lead to dissatisfaction from both civilian trainers and major aristocratic families in Drakoria. The benefits were enormous, but it was also a hot potato. One wrong move, and they might find themselves stuck in a quagmire. "Later, I will convene a meeting with representatives from various aristocratic families to discuss this matter. Julian, your focus should be on improving your strength. As long as you are strong enough, the Walker family's position will remain unshaken." Julian nodded. No matter the circumstances, in the end, one’s own strength was always the most crucial foundation. Upto 30 chapters ahead on :-