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Perhaps due to their innate nature, most Dragon-type Pokémon are extremely fond of collecting shiny things—especially high-quality gold coins and gemstones, toward which they have a strong sense of possessiveness.
It's often said that many powerful Dragon-types are incredibly wealthy, and if one were lucky enough to stumble upon their nests, they could make a fortune—provided they manage to escape from an enraged dragon alive.
Just now, Sato had inadvertently spotted a vendor stall belonging to another contestant, where a variety of well-cut, dazzling gems were on display.
The brilliant sheen refracted by the colorful gemstones momentarily dazzled him. It was only then that he recalled the peculiar hobby shared by most Dragon-types.
With that thought in mind, an idea instantly formed in Sato's head—but it was quickly followed by a wave of doubt.
After all, even if Vanna had been raised by Dragon-type Pokémon since childhood, she was still a human at her core. Sato wasn't sure whether she had inherited this rather... peculiar obsession of Dragon-types.
"Whatever. That Reverse Dragon Scale is way too important to me—even the slimmest chance is worth seizing. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I just hope this works."
After pondering every angle and coming up short, Sato clenched his jaw and steeled himself. He walked over to the vendor stall stocked with ancient gold coins and sparkling gemstones.
In fact, Sato originally had a stash of ancient coins and gemstones himself.
Those were loot taken from the Sea Serpent Gang members like Haiduo, but because he had prior knowledge of the competition's rules, he had already stored all those valuables in a private bank back in Cinnabar Island.
Now, he had no choice but to buy them with cold hard cash. Whether it was ancient coins or premium gemstones, these rare valuables that held or increased their worth were always in high demand on the market.
Even though the seller was clearly in need of funds and offering deep discounts, the prices still weren't exactly cheap. Just one shiny ancient coin cost 100,000 PokeDollars—and the gemstones were even more expensive.
After a prolonged and intense haggling session with the contestant seller, Sato finally traded away the treasure map of the mysterious island he'd obtained earlier—valued at a whopping 300 million PokeDollars—in exchange for a massive chest full of ancient coins and gemstones.
He gave it a quick estimate: inside the large chest were around 1,000 ancient coins and over 300 high-grade gemstones. Based on current market value, the whole lot was worth about 300–400 million PokeDollars. So overall, the deal wasn't a total loss.
Still, Sato didn't feel like he'd made a profit at all. If he had the choice, he'd never use money—let alone the mysterious island treasure map—for something like this.
At the end of the day, these items were just a flashy pile of junk that served no real purpose on the island. That money could have been better spent on rare Pokémon food ingredients unavailable anywhere else.
With a mix of hope and nervousness, Sato tucked the chest of ancient coins and gems into his storage equipment and made his way back to the area near Vanna's stall.
Much like earlier, Vanna's odd way of evaluating people—and the fact that her brother, the Kommo-o, stood guard like a stone-faced temple guardian—meant that even though the wares at her booth were clearly valuable, no one dared approach.
Every now and then, a particularly bold contestant would ask for a price, only to be scared off by her aggressive manner.
"Scram, ugly freak! These aren't for sale to you!" Before Sato could even approach, Vanna had already glared at him, baring her teeth and rudely shouting him away.
The moment Vanna spoke, the Kommo-o behind her narrowed his eyes at Sato, folding his massive claws together and assuming a threatening battle stance—clearly ready to strike the moment Sato stepped out of line.
Naturally, Sato didn't dare approach recklessly. He immediately released his strongest Pokémon, Swampert, and slowly walked toward Vanna's stall under its protection.
Swampert's sudden appearance drew both Vanna's and Kommo-o's attention—their eyes locked onto the Pokémon, whose towering form and imposing aura radiated unmistakable strength. A glint of caution flashed in both their gazes.
The strong are always respected. Perhaps because of the pressure Swampert exuded, both Vanna and her brother appeared more hesitant, not actively stopping Sato from approaching.
Of course, aside from Swampert's deterrence, another reason they didn't stop him was because their attention had just been forcefully seized by a few dazzling, radiant gemstones.
As Sato advanced, he clutched a few fine-colored gems in his hand. When he was about two meters from Vanna's stall, he tossed them gracefully onto her display.
Sure enough, just like other Dragon-types, Vanna and her Kommo-o had inherited the species' infamous obsession with all things shiny.
The moment their eyes landed on those glittering gemstones, their attention shifted completely—their pupils practically sparkled in sync with the stones.
There was no denying it—the power of money was simply incredible.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Sato would never have believed that the originally hostile Vanna and Kommo-o would have such an immediate change in attitude just from a few gemstones.
Granted, those gems were worth several million PokeDollars, but still.
Regardless, Sato's plan had clearly worked. He'd won them over by giving them exactly what they liked.
"Do you like them?"
Sato finally stood safely before her stall. With a grin, he pulled out a fistful of ancient coins from his storage and offered them to Vanna, who now held a gemstone in her hand and was smiling in pure bliss.
"Mhm! Mhm!"
The moment Vanna saw the glittering ancient coins in Sato's hand, her eyes sparkled even more. With reflexes that could shame a Quick Attack, she snatched all the coins out of his hand in one swoop.
Then, realizing she might have been a bit too greedy, she gave a sheepish nod and spoke politely.
"I'm glad you like them. Those coins and gemstones are a gift. You too, big guy."
Seeing how enraptured Vanna looked, Sato couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. As he spoke, he grabbed another handful of coins and offered them to Kommo-o, who had been watching with longing eyes.
Hearing that Sato was willing to give away these shiny treasures, both Vanna and her Kommo-o had an instant shift in opinion.
The elders of their clan had always told them that people who gifted shiny treasures were good people—a lesson both Vanna and Kommo-o had taken to heart.
Noticing that their hostility had completely vanished and that they now wore rather friendly expressions, Sato knew this was his chance to strike while the iron was hot.
"Looks like you two really like the gifts I brought. How about this—I'll trade this entire box of shiny treasures for that Reverse Dragon Scale over there. What do you say?"
As he spoke, Sato took out the large chest filled with ancient coins and gemstones. He pointed to the Reverse Dragon Scale displayed on the stall, smiling warmly at Vanna.
With a gentle click, he opened the box. Immediately, a beam of golden light burst forth, spilling over Vanna and Kommo-o and illuminating them like divine statues.
At that moment, both their eyes went wide and their pupils turned gold.