As the auction for blue potential Pokémon gradually approached its end, the atmosphere in the auction house grew increasingly intense.
As the Pokémon species presented became rarer, the bidders' offers started to escalate wildly.
At first, the distinguished guests in the second and third-floor private rooms maintained their composure, but as the auction neared its conclusion, they too gradually joined the fierce competition for the blue potential Pokémon.
Although blue potential Pokémon were not as rare as Indigo potential Pokémon, opportunities to acquire them on the market were still exceedingly scarce. Moreover, the sheer number of rare species appearing at this auction was astonishing, with each one being rarer than the last.
Eventually, Pokémon such as Aron, Amaura, Elekid, Togepi, Happiny, and Kangaskhan—each rarely seen—made their appearances one after another.
Ordinarily, any one of these Pokémon appearing alone in public would incite fierce competition among Trainers. Yet, today, they were all gathered in one place at this auction, setting the hearts of the attending Trainers ablaze with excitement.
The appearance of these Pokémon also served as a testament to the profound heritage of YoYo Day Care.
Even without mentioning the long-forgotten glorious past of YoYo Day Care's ancestors, in the eyes of many established Pokémon Day Care, it was a relatively new player in the industry. Its owner was a young man, and no one had expected it to possess such an impressive foundation.
News had already been quietly spread by Yuga about YoYo Day Care owning a self-established Ecopark overseas. Because of this, certain informed people speculated that the high-quality Pokémon appearing in this auction originated from that overseas base.
However, the exact location of the overseas base, when it was built, and its internal workings were secrets beyond their reach.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Due to the continuous appearance of rare Pokémon, the atmosphere in the auction hall became somewhat restless, creating a momentary commotion that prompted Mamoru Ishida to step in and restore order.
"Everyone, please settle down, settle down!"
As Mamoru Ishida tapped his small wooden gavel twice, the previously intense discussions abruptly ceased.
"I wonder if everyone is satisfied with the Pokémon that have just appeared. The auction for blue potential Pokémon is now nearing its end. If you haven't placed your bids yet, gentlemen and ladies, this is your last chance—otherwise, there won't be another!"
Mamoru Ishida fanned the flames of excitement in the hearts of the guests. After a deliberate pause, he continued, "Up next, we present the final blue potential Pokémon of this auction!"
The guests were stunned to hear that the blue potential Pokémon auction was coming to an end so soon. Many who had yet to make a move grew increasingly anxious, thinking: I have to bid now, or I'll miss my chance!
Any Pokémon saved for the end of the auction by Pearl Auction House was bound to be extraordinary, just like the Starter Pokémon and pseudo-legendary that had appeared during the green potential Pokémon auction earlier.
Sure enough, as the big screen lit up, the final Pokémon to appear was none other than a pseudo-legendary Pokémon—Jangmo-o.
The moment this Pokémon appeared, the bidders in the main hall and many distinguished guests in the private rooms could no longer remain composed.
A blue potential pseudo-legendary Pokémon—this was considered by many Trainers to be nearly as valuable as a typical Indigo potential Pokémon.
Some had never seen an indigo potential Pokémon in their entire lives and had no real concept of its immense potential, but the mere identity of a pseudo-legendary Pokémon resonated with them on a much deeper level.
Due to their unique species characteristics, pseudo-legendary Pokémon were always more sought-after compared to other Pokémon of the same grade.
"Everyone must be familiar with pseudo-legendary Pokémon, so I don't need to elaborate on their value. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—don't hesitate!"
By this stage of the auction, Mamoru Ishida was also filled with excitement. As someone relatively inexperienced, it was his first time hosting such a large-scale event, and he was finally experiencing the thrill of being the center of attention.
It was no exaggeration to say that this auction would undoubtedly become a milestone in his career.
As Mamoru Ishida enthusiastically finished introducing the basic data of the Jangmo-o, the auction officially began.
At the same time, the trainers that was specializing in Dragon-type Pokémon could no longer sit still—among them were Elite Four members like Drake and Lance.
Inside Lance's private box on the third floor.
Lance had come to the auction with Clair, and as soon as he saw the Jangmo-o, he was immediately tempted.
"I must win this Jangmo-o!" Lance suddenly declared.
"But the clan leader specifically told you to secure the Indigo potential Pokémon. If you bid on this Jangmo-o, it'll be hard to compete for the Indigo potential Pokémon one later," Clair said with a frown.
"But we don't even know what species the Indigo potential Pokémon is..."
Lance hesitated. He wasn't particularly interested in the Indigo potential Pokémon—unless it was a Dragon-type Pokémon. If it turned out to be a Gyarados, Charizard, or Aerodactyl, then it would be worth it.
But the odds were too low!
Clair understood her cousin's thoughts, and after a moment of thought, she grinned and suggested, "Lance, how about this? You lend me some money, and I'll bid for the Jangmo-o. That way, you can focus on securing the Indigo potential Pokémon. How about it?"
The clan had allocated funds specifically for bidding on the Indigo potential Pokémon. Without those funds, even combining their personal savings, they wouldn't be able to afford the Jangmo-o, let alone the Indigo potential Pokémon.
Raising Pokémon was expensive—raising Dragon-type Pokémon, even more so.
Even a wealthy clan had its financial limits!
Clair wanted to borrow Lance's personal savings; if they pooled their money, they had a good chance of securing the Bgaon, while Lance could still use the clan's funds to go after the Indigo potential Pokémon.
Lance rolled his eyes at Clair. "You really think you've got it all figured out, huh? Why don't you lend me the money instead?"
"Hehe..." Clair gave an awkward smile.
In the end, however, Lance, being the older cousin, decided to give in to Clair's idea. After all, securing the Indigo potential Pokémon was their top mission assigned by the clan leader.
"Seven million!"
"Seven point five million!"
"Eight million!"
"Eight point five million!"
...
The price of Jangmo-o skyrocketed rapidly, reaching ten million in no time. Clair, however, remained patient and didn't rush to place a bid.
"Fifteen million!"
As the bidding continued to soar, a rough voice rang through the venue, making Mamoru Ishida's heart skip a beat.
The bidder was none other than Hoenn's Elite Four, Drake.
Drake was no longer young; he wasn't bidding for himself but for the younger generation in his family.
However, just as his bid was placed, a gentle voice followed.
"Sixteen million!"
The new bid came from Drasna, a member of the Kalos Elite Four, who also specialized in Dragon-type Pokémon.
"Looks like you've got quite a few competitors," Lance said to Clair.
Clair was getting anxious. "Shouldn't we bid now?"
Lance shook his head. "Not yet. Let's wait a bit longer."
By the final stretch, the bidding war for Jangmo-o had narrowed down to just Drake and Drasna, with the price soaring to twenty million.
In the underground auction that Yuga had once attended, a blue potential Growlithe had sold for thirteen million. The Jangmo-o had already exceeded that by more than half.
Drasna, having more drive than the aging Drake, placed the twenty-million bid.
At this point, Drake hesitated. He still held hope for the indigo potential Pokémon—if he spent all his money on Jangmo-o now, then...
Just then, Lance turned to Clair and said, "Now's the time to bid!"
"Twenty-one million!"
Clair's slightly androgynous voice suddenly echoed through the venue, catching both Dragon Elite Drasna and Drake off guard.
They had assumed they were the only competitors left, only for an unexpected challenger to appear out of nowhere.
Drake, who had been hesitating, immediately withdrew from the bidding.
"Twenty-one million once, twenty-one million twice—any other bids?" Mamoru Ishida called out loudly, his voice brimming with unconcealed excitement, clearly affected by the tense atmosphere in the venue.
Drasna pondered for a moment but ultimately chose not to bid again, giving up on Jangmo-o. Her thoughts mirrored Drake's.
If even Drake had such determination, she certainly had her own ambitions as well.
Seeing that no one else was bidding, Mamoru Ishida struck his small wooden gavel and announced, "Twenty-one million, three times—sold! This Jangmo-o now belongs to the guest in Box 16!"
With the successful bid, Clair finally breathed a sigh of relief, letting go of the tension she had been holding onto.
Once Jangmo-o auction concluded, Mamoru Ishida also took a deep breath, smoothed out his clothes subtly, and said, "Alright, with the auction of the blue potential Pokémon concluded, we now enter the highly anticipated segment— the auction of the indigo potential Pokémon!"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the venue straightened up in their seats.
"But before that, we have a special Pokémon up for auction."
Mamoru Ishida deliberately kept the audience in suspense, leaving everyone puzzled.
A special Pokémon? What could that mean?
As a female attendant walked onto the stage carrying a tray, Mamoru Ishida continued, "I wonder if any of you present have heard about Ultra Beasts."
As soon as the term "Ultra Beast" left his mouth, it immediately stirred heated discussions among the guests. The previously settled auction venue erupted into a buzz once again.
Ultra Beasts were rarely seen, with recorded appearances only in the Alola region, leaving most people unfamiliar with them.
"Before we proceed to the indigo potential Pokémon, we will first auction off an Ultra Beast."
As Mamoru Ishida finished speaking, an image appeared on the large screen behind him—none other than Nihilego.
Simultaneously, the attendant lifted the red cloth covering the tray.
Unlike the previous Poké Balls, this time the red cloth revealed an incubator, inside which lay a grayish-white Pokémon egg speckled with purple spots.
"As you can see, this is a Nihilego Pokémon egg."
"I believe many of you here might not be familiar with Ultra Beasts or Nihilego, so allow me to provide some information."
"Ultra Beasts are special Pokémon that exist only in Ultra Space. Encountering them is extremely difficult, but they are incredibly powerful. Some these unique Pokémon can even rival legendary Pokémon, and even regular ones are no weaker than what we call pseudo-legendary Pokémon!"
"The Nihilego you see here is one of the most formidable Ultra Beasts. It is a Rock and Poison-type Pokémon..."
While Mamoru Ishida continued his explanation confidently, the audience below was in an uproar. For some, this was their first time even hearing of Ultra Beasts.
Inside the private box of Wallace and Robert, Robert turned to his senior brother in surprise and said, "I never thought Yuga had such a valuable treasure hidden! If I had known earlier, I would have tried to buy one from him privately! He definitely has more; otherwise, knowing his character, he wouldn't put this egg up for sale!"
It had to be said—Robert knew Yuga quite well.
Wallace responded, "Even if he does have more, it wouldn't be many. Don't ask him privately, you might put him in a difficult position."
Although Wallace usually appeared carefree and playful, he maintained a serious demeanor when dealing with his junior, ensuring the authority of his senior status.
"I got it," Robert replied, then added, "In that case, I won't hold back on bidding for this Nihilego egg!"
Given their status, they were somewhat aware of Ultra Beasts and their special nature, understanding that they were no less valuable than Indigo potential Pokémon.
However, hearing about them was one thing; seeing them firsthand was another.
In reality, Wallace and Robert were overthinking it. Yuga hadn't told them about Nihilego's existence not only because there weren't many of them, but if Robert had genuinely asked for one privately, Yuga wouldn't have minded giving him one.
After all, being good friends comes with privileges.
"You want it? What if I want it too?" Wallace said in surprise after hearing Robert's words.
Unlike Lance, who would readily yield to his younger sister, Wallace wasn't nearly as gentle when it came to his junior.
"Don't you want an indigo potential Pokémon anymore?" Robert asked discontentedly.
It was obvious that this Nihilego egg wouldn't be any cheaper than an indigo potential Pokémon. The two could only choose one unless they had an endless supply of money.
But for high-level Trainers like them, how many actually had enough money to spend as they pleased? The stronger their Pokémon, the more expensive it was to maintain them.
"Compared to an indigo potential Pokémon, I think Nihilego suits me better!"
"Then let's rely on our own abilities!" Robert didn't want to argue with his senior anymore.
Meanwhile, in the private room next to Wallace and Robert's.
"Grandma, do you know about Ultra Beasts?"
The speaker was Salem, the Gym Leader of Viridian City, who had previously met Yuga once. He was also the grandnephew of Agatha, a member of Kanto's Elite Four.
The "grandma" he was referring to was naturally Agatha herself.
"I've heard a little about them, but I never expected to see an egg of such a Pokémon here today. This Gym Leader from Verdanturf Town is truly extraordinary!" Agatha said slowly.
"Is this Nihilego really that powerful?" Salem asked with a surprised look.
Salem didn't have the same level of knowledge as Wallace and Robert, so he was unfamiliar with Ultra Beasts.
"Of course it's powerful! Compared to the unknown indigo potential Pokémon, I would rather buy this Nihilego egg."
The species of the indigo potential Pokémon was unknown, but Nihilego was a confirmed Poison-type Pokémon. Although Agatha was known as a Ghost-type Elite Four, she was also skilled in raising Poison-type Pokémon.
However, she wasn't bidding on Nihilego for herself but for her grandnephew, Salem.
Agatha was even older than Drake of the Hoenn Elite Four and had long passed the stage of striving for personal growth. Instead, she hoped the younger generation could achieve success.
Among the younger members of Agatha's family, Salem was the most talented child, so she often mentored him personally.
"Alright, I'll listen to you, Grandma. Let's see if we can win this Nihilego egg." Salem knew his grandmother wouldn't deceive him.
"… In conclusion, Nihilego is a Pokémon that is in no way inferior to indigo potential Pokémon. Buying it won't disappoint you, and you won't be tricked. Don't hesitate—this is a one-time opportunity!"
At this moment, Mamoru Ishida finally finished his introduction of Nihilego. As his passionate speech ended, the auction was about to officially begin.
To be honest, Nihilego was indeed stronger than the indigo potential Spinarak and Budew. The reason Yuga arranged for it to be auctioned first was solely because Ultra Beasts were less well-known than indigo potential Pokémon.
But from today onward, these special Pokémon known as Ultra Beasts would officially enter the radar of certain Trainers!