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Outside the Green Valley Gym, the once vast open grassland was now extremely crowded.
Luxury cars of various brands were neatly lined up, and the place buzzed with people coming and going.
"Dad, why did you insist I come here in person? Couldn't you have just sent someone to buy it and deliver it?" A young man stepped out of the car impatiently.
His father followed suit, glancing at him sternly.
"Ralts are temporarily unavailable on the market, but there are still ten left for sale. However, the rule states that the trainer purchasing the Ralts must be present in person—otherwise, they won't sell it!"
"Which breeding house has such a ridiculous rule? If they have money to make, why wouldn't they take it?"
"Shut up!" his father snapped sharply.
The young man immediately fell silent. Though he usually spoke freely in front of his father, he knew that when his father got serious, it meant he had touched upon something or someone beyond his reach.
"It's the breeding house run by the owner of the Mega Shiny Gardevoir you saw online!"
The young man's eyes lit up, and he quickly dragged his father inside the Green Valley Gym.
Inside, the warehouse that had once been used for storing ranch equipment had been cleaned and renovated into a space resembling an auction hall.
There were 500 seats, with 300 already occupied, while the first five rows had been deliberately left vacant.
"Brother, you're here too! I thought you specialized in Poison-type Pokémon. What are you doing here for a Gardevoir?"
"No choice. My daughter saw the Mega Shiny Gardevoir online and now insists on having a Ralts as her starter Pokémon. I must've owed her in a past life because now she wants to train a Pokémon that counters mine. What can I do?"
"And you?"
"Same here. The Mega Shiny Gardevoir is stunning. My son wants one, and honestly, I think Gardevoir is a great starter Pokémon for him. So here I am."
The wealthy attendees and trainers murmured among themselves, sharing similar stories. Whether they planned to train one themselves or their children had demanded one, all had been captivated by the Mega Shiny Gardevoir.
"Everyone, please be quiet!" Denver stood on stage in a suit, reluctantly holding a microphone. All this effort for a half-price discount—he was now working under Chris!
As the one who had spread the news, Denver was somewhat well-known, and his voice was enough to hush the crowd.
Once the hall had quieted completely, Denver raised his hand.
A shadow emerged from the side.
She was elegant and beautiful, dressed in a long black princess-style gown, her short blue hair adding to her charm.
Mega Shiny Gardevoir! She smiled gracefully and gave a slight bow to the crowd.
That radiant smile was like Cupid's arrow, piercing straight through everyone's hearts.
Instantly, the audience widened their eyes, some even standing from their seats to get a better view.
They had been drawn here by their fascination with Mega Shiny Gardevoir, hoping to raise a Ralts of their own. They hadn't expected to see her appear so suddenly—before they had even made a purchase!
Behind Mega Shiny Gardevoir, ten small, shy Ralts followed closely, stepping carefully as they reached the center of the stage.
"Welcome to Chris Breeding House, everyone! I am Chris, the Gym Leader of Green Valley and the owner of Chris Breeding House," Chris announced as he stepped onto the stage in casual attire. He then retrieved Mega Shiny Gardevoir into her Poké Ball.
Only then did the audience reluctantly pull their gazes away, slowly sitting back down to listen to Chris's speech.
Denver, standing off to the side, muttered under his breath—he was nothing more than a glorified stage assistant.
"My breeding house follows a special rule, different from other breeding houses. Here, Pokémon are not simply chosen by people—it is a two-way selection between trainer and Pokémon," Chris declared loudly, ensuring he had everyone's attention.
"You were all informed beforehand—trainers must be present in person to buy a Ralts, or I won't sell them."
"Now, those who wish to become Ralts trainers themselves—not those buying for someone else—please sit in the first five rows."
"In addition, this is not an auction. The price is fixed at 30 million Pokédollars. If you think that's too expensive, you are free to leave now."
As soon as Chris finished speaking, murmurs and whispers erupted throughout the hall.
"Thirty million Pokédollars for a Ralts? He's ripping us off!"
"That's right—one Ralts from a breeding house outside costs ten million, and here, the price has tripled."
Without exception, they were all expensive.
But that was to be expected.
Before the emergence of Mega Shiny Gardevoir, Ralts were rare, but their price was only around two to three million Pokédollars. After all, an ordinary starter Pokémon typically cost only a few hundred thousand.
Even with the price hike, the market value of a Ralts from a breeding house outside was only about 15 million Pokédollars.
Yet here, with Chris, it had doubled again!
At this point, it wasn't just expensive—it was outright ridiculous. It was like outrageousness itself had opened the door, stepped inside, and made itself at home!
It was clear they were being taken advantage of.
And yet…
Many people stirred in their seats, but not a single one left. Instead, they all moved toward the front five rows.
Especially the ones who had been complaining the loudest just moments ago—they were now the first to instruct their sons and daughters to sit up front.
These people weren't foolish. Just by glancing at the expressions of their children, they knew the truth—forget 30 million, even if the price was 300 million, they would still have to pay.
Besides, while 15 million was the supposed market price, the real issue was that Ralts weren't even available on the market. It didn't matter if the price was 15 million or even 150 million—no one was selling them. The only option was to buy one here for 30 million.
And even then, there was no guarantee they'd succeed.
Some tried to voice their outrage, hoping to dissuade others. After all, there were only ten Ralts available today, but at least a hundred Trainers hoping to obtain one.
A one-in-ten chance.
Watching as no one left, some of the wealthier attendees couldn't help but sigh.
It wasn't just the allure of Ralts. It wasn't even about the price anymore.
It was about Chris's cunning.
From the moment he had brought out Mega Shiny Gardevoir, the trainers who had come for Ralts had been completely hooked.
Forget 30 million—if Chris raised the price to 50 million, not a single person would walk away.
Only after ensuring that no one was still wandering around did Chris finally speak.
"Since there are only ten Ralts and far more trainers here today, I will introduce each Ralts individually. Afterward, they will choose the trainer they want to go with."
"Of course, in my breeding house, Pokémon and Trainers choose each other."
"If the Ralts that selects you isn't to your liking, you may choose to reject it."