Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

"Two billion, two hundred million. Don't you plan to bid for the final item?" Clair's voice rang out once more, this time raising the price by a full 90 million.

"Two billion, two hundred and ten million. Your Drako family doesn't need to worry about that." The same male voice responded again.

By now, no one else dared to place a bid.

The price had already far exceeded the real value of this Dratini egg with the move Extreme Speed.

Both parties continued bidding out of pride; after starting a fight, walking away without winning would mean a loss of prestige.

However, raising the price only benefited Team Rocket.

The Drako family had come to the auction under immense pressure, and now that someone had revealed their identity, they were in a compromised position.

Many attendees already knew that the Drako family was in Room Number Three, but they avoided mentioning names to steer clear of trouble. Yet this unknown bidder dared to challenge the powerful Drako family openly, and the audience was enjoying the spectacle.

"Two billion, two hundred and fifty million. If you bid again, it's yours." Clair, clearly advised by an elder, declared firmly.

If this statement had come from a senior member of the Drako family, it would have seemed humiliating. But since it came from a young woman, it was still acceptable.

"Wow, how intimidating. Since you insist, I'll yield. I'm a reasonable person." The man replied with a mocking tone.

It was clear his only goal was to make the Drako family pay more. Now that he had succeeded, there was no need to continue bidding.

The real value of a Dratini egg with Extreme Speed didn't exceed 1.8 billion. While it was valuable, its potential had limits—not everyone could improve its quality.

For the Drako family, however, the situation was different.

They had methods to enhance Dratini's quality, and they also had a special cave for breeding dragon-type Pokémon.

Having a Dragonite with Extreme Speed could produce future generations with the same move, making it a valuable genetic resource.

The main role of this future Dragonite wouldn't be combat, but breeding.

2.25 billion wasn't a trivial amount for the Drako family, but the potential benefits made the investment worthwhile.

"Congratulations to the guest in Room Number Three for acquiring this valuable Dratini Pokémon egg!" The now-radiant presenter announced enthusiastically.

The price had surpassed two billion, erasing the bitter taste left by the previous auction.

"Very well! Let's see what our next item holds," the presenter continued with renewed energy.

Taking advantage of the excitement, it was vital to present the next item before the audience's enthusiasm cooled.

"This item has a unique story. It comes from the newly explored Kalos region. It is a compound object made of two combined pieces."

"One of them functions similarly to a Smooth Rock, helping control sandstorms and supporting rock-type Pokémon. The other part contains a mysterious energy whose function has not yet been determined."

The lack of certainty in the presentation was evident, reflected in the host's tone.

Despite her efforts to remain enthusiastic, those paying attention noticed the difference.

The cart carrying the next item was brought onstage.

Even the presenter looked confused about this item.

An object of uncertain origin and unknown function had been assigned a prime spot in the auction. It seemed like a planning error.

"However," the host continued, "tests have shown that not even elite-level Pokémon can leave a mark on this item. That already speaks to its great value."

She was trying to regain the audience's confidence.

"Additionally, this item is a combination of two pieces. Even if we consider only the function of one, it already represents a powerful resource."

With these words, she removed the cloth covering the object.

It revealed a triangular structure made of sand-colored rock, with a red sphere embedded in the center glowing with a mysterious light.

The object resembled a Smooth Rock, an item that Pokémon could hold.

However, the embedded red sphere raised questions.

If it were merely a Smooth Rock, the audience wouldn't have shown much interest. But the presence of the red sphere made everyone wonder about its true nature.

This time, the attendees weren't skeptical about the item.

The Smooth Rock was already a rare resource, especially valuable for sandstorm-based strategies.

The fact that the Smooth Rock seemed to serve merely as a container indicated that the red sphere must be highly valuable.

"The starting price is 100 million. Each bid must increase by at least 1 million. Let the auction begin!"

The uncertainty in the presenter's voice was obvious.

Although the Smooth Rock was valuable, it didn't justify a starting price of 100 million. Finding buyers willing to take the risk would be difficult.

The presenter's confusion was understandable.

The experts who had evaluated the item couldn't identify the red sphere's function.

The Smooth Rock appeared to be just a complement.

With no clear options, they decided to position the item in a prominent auction slot, hoping someone would recognize its true worth.

If no one bid, they could at least justify their decision by claiming it was too rare to be understood.

Most importantly, the item's provider held high status, and offending them could be problematic.

If the auction failed, they could claim the item was too advanced to be appreciated.

Even if it sold for only the base price, they could argue that it was at least valued at a significant amount.

The key was not to offend the provider, even if it meant sacrificing a prime position in the auction.

(End of Chapter)