Pokemon: The Master Of Monsters

Vermilion City.

Nightfall had settled over the bustling city, and the prestigious Water Flow Auction House was alight with grandeur. Kai and Sabrina stood outside, marveling at the opulence before stepping through its grand doors.

The auction house was not for the faint of heart—or wallet. Entry itself required purchasing an admission ticket costing 20,000 yuan, effectively barring anyone without considerable wealth from entering.

Tonight's event promised an auction of ten Pokémon, all boasting gym-level potential or higher. However, the identities of the Pokémon remained a mystery, with only their minimum potential publicly confirmed.

Anyone hoping to find rare Pokémon here would be disappointed. The Water Flow Auction House prided itself on its legitimacy, meaning the Pokémon auctioned were either common or slightly uncommon species. Pokémon like the starters, Scyther, or even Lapras—which was abundant in the Alola Region—remained classified as rare in Kanto and were prohibited from being sold.

Rare Pokémon could, of course, be acquired on the black market, where even pseudo-legendaries were available for the right price. However, such Pokémon couldn't be registered in official Trainer records and were thus barred from competitive use. Trainers caught using black market Pokémon would be flagged by authorities and faced harsh penalties.

"Welcome, honored guests! I am tonight's auctioneer, Ishibashi," announced the host as the event began at 8 p.m. sharp.

Taking center stage, Ishibashi's voice echoed through the room. "Tonight, we will auction ten Pokémon, all of which possess gym-level potential or above. Without further ado, let us reveal the first Pokémon."

A team of five staff members rolled out a large cage, capturing the audience's attention. Inside was an enormous Pokémon, resting lazily.

"Snorlax!"

Gasps rippled through the crowd, followed by murmurs of disappointment.

"A Snorlax?"

"Who would want that? It's way too greedy and lazy!"

Despite its impressive stature and reputation, Snorlax failed to excite the audience.

Kai, however, was stunned. "They're not interested in Snorlax?"

To Kai, this was baffling. In his experience, Snorlax was a powerhouse. In the Pokémon games, it was often an obstacle that blocked the way, requiring a Poké Flute to awaken. Moreover, Snorlax was a tank, boasting 540 total base stats, with a staggering 160 in HP alone. Combined with moves like Rest and Leftovers, it was practically indestructible in prolonged battles.

He recalled that Ash's Snorlax had one of the highest knock-out rates among his Pokémon, often defeating one or even two opponents in a single match.

But tonight, the crowd's apathy was clear.

Kai soon realized why. While Snorlax was undeniably strong, it was also notoriously lazy, rivaling even Slaking in lethargy. Training it for battle was a monumental task, and its enormous appetite made it impractical for most traveling Trainers. Feeding a Snorlax on the road was nearly impossible unless one had access to abundant food.

For Kai, this wasn't an issue. Thanks to Professor Oak, he had access to special fullness energy cubes that could satisfy Snorlax with just two servings.

However, he couldn't justify bidding on this particular Snorlax.

[LV28 Snorlax♂/Gym]

Its level was too low. Given the number of Pokémon Kai already owned, adding another one would stretch his resources too thin.

"This Snorlax was found in the Orange Islands," Ishibashi announced. "Its ability is Immunity, and it knows Tackle, Rest, and Sleep Talk."

Kai perked up at the mention of the Orange Islands. It reminded him of Ash's Snorlax, which had been captured during Ash's journey there. However, this wasn't the same Snorlax. Ash's Snorlax had elite potential, while this one was merely gym-level.

"The starting price is 3 million yuan, with minimum increments of 100,000 yuan. Let the bidding begin!"

"3.1 million!" called a woman, raising her paddle.

"3.2 million!" countered a man.

Though most attendees weren't enthusiastic about Snorlax, a few recognized its potential and began bidding.

Ultimately, the Snorlax was sold for 4 million yuan.

Next up was a Pokémon that immediately caught the crowd's attention: Horsea.

As the small, blue seahorse Pokémon was rolled onto the stage, a wave of cheers erupted.

Horsea's rarity, combined with its adorable appearance, made it highly desirable. Trainers also valued it for its potential evolution. Once it evolved into Seadra, it could further evolve into Kingdra using a Dragon Scale, gaining the powerful Dragon typing.

"This Horsea has gym-level potential," Ishibashi noted, sparking a fierce bidding war.

Within minutes, the price skyrocketed to 5 million yuan, eventually settling at 6.8 million yuan.

Subsequent Pokémon included Nidoran♂, Totodile, Teddiursa, Shellder, Oddish, Zigzagoon, Bidoof, and Shinx. While some were regional species from other areas, they were all relatively common. Only a few were worth serious consideration for training.

One Pokémon, however, did catch Kai's eye: a Shiny Shellder.

The glimmering Shellder stood out immediately. Kai was reminded of a system task he had been given: capture ten Shiny Pokémon to earn an advanced Shiny Amulet.

Unfortunately, bidding for the Shellder began at an astronomical price, with wealthy attendees vying fiercely for it. The price quickly surpassed eight figures, forcing Kai to reluctantly give up.

While Shiny Pokémon were visually distinct, their stats and abilities were no different from regular Pokémon. Spending over ten million yuan on a gym-level Shellder simply wasn't worth it.

"It's a shame none of the Pokémon here are what we need," Sabrina said with a sigh. She had hoped to find a Slowpoke with gym-level potential but came away disappointed.

"We'll try again tomorrow," Kai assured her. "If nothing turns up, we'll figure out another plan."

Sabrina nodded. "That sounds good."

As the two prepared to leave, the auction house suddenly dimmed. A single spotlight illuminated the center of the stage.

"What's going on?" Kai muttered, stopping in his tracks.

The crowd fell silent, and tension filled the room.

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