The Celadon City Underground Market was a chaotic tapestry of humanity, quite different from Saffron City's organized underground. Here, the layout was messy; legitimate shops and street peddlers were jammed together on narrow, unpaved dirt roads.
Feng Che scanned his surroundings, a slight frown touching his brow. However, one key difference caught his eye: the sheer volume of herbs and berries. Celadon was a city of gardens and greenery, and local peddlers often brought their wares here to escape taxes.
But I have to say, these street vendors are just as black-hearted as Team Rocket, Feng Che thought. These herbs have been soaked in chemical preservatives to look fresh. Anyone foolish enough to buy them raw would lose everything.
Feng Che passed several stalls, noticing the common tricks of the trade. One-year-old herbs were treated to look like three-year-old specimens; cheap weeds were packaged as expensive tonics. He shook his head and kept walking.
The auction house was easy to find. In the very center of the market hung a massive sign: Celadon Auction House. Two hostesses in elegant qipao dresses and Pikachu masks stood at the door. From the Persians lounging lazily at their feet, Feng Che could tell these women were no mere receptionists; they were capable trainers.
Having found nothing of value on the streets, Feng Che presented his invitation and was immediately led by a waiter to a private sixty-square-meter booth.
"Honored guest, please peruse the list of tonight's items," the waiter said, handing him a tablet. "If you wish to put an item up for auction, you have until 3:00 AM. Press the button if you need anything."
Feng Che scrolled through the digital catalog until his eyes locked on a specific entry: Phoenix Quill Flower.
The Phoenix Quill Flower resembled the crown of a Ho-Oh and grew only on sun-drenched, sheer cliffs. It was exceptionally rare and highly effective at boosting the speed of Flying-type Pokémon. Unlike the street vendors, the auction house's items were verified by master appraisers.
Suddenly, Feng Che's eyes widened as he saw three familiar vials in the catalog. Old Hu... you actually put my potions up for auction here? He chuckled to himself.
Feng Che pressed the call button. When the waiter returned, Feng Che said through a voice modulator, "I have an item to auction."
He reached into his storage ring and produced a palm-sized blue gemstone—a treasure recovered from the sunken ship.
"Please wait. I will summon our Chief Appraiser."
Shortly after, a small, smiling old man entered. "Greetings. I am Aoi Kinoshita, the director of this establishment."
The moment Aoi saw the gem on the table, his smile froze. His face turned pale, then flushed with sudden heat. "Good heavens... is this... the legendary Heart of the Sea? And in such perfect condition?!"
Aoi scrambled to put on white gloves, pulling out a magnifying glass. "Look at this cut! Sixty-four facets... and through each one, you can see a different flower carved inside. This is the long-lost 'Hollow Carving' technique!"
He let out a pained sigh. "It's a pity. An item of this caliber requires months of promotion to reach its true value. If we auction it tonight, we won't hit the ceiling. Guest, would you consider leaving it with us for three months? I estimate a base price of 10 million League Dollars, but with proper marketing, 20 or 30 million is entirely possible."
Feng Che's heart thudded against his ribs, but he kept his expression stony. He had four or five more gems like this in his ring.
Am I going to be a multi-millionaire overnight?
"No. Too long," he replied via the modulator. Three months was an eternity in his line of work.
"Then how about this?" Aoi said, teeth gritted. He didn't want the auction house to lose such a prestigious piece. "Leave the Heart of the Sea with us. I will give you an immediate advance of 10 million Dollars. Once it sells, we will pay you the remaining balance, minus our 15% service fee."
"Agreed," Feng Che said. "But how do I collect the balance without exposing myself?"
"Simple," Aoi said, handing him a gold-embossed card. "This is a Supreme Membership Card, reserved only for clients dealing in the tens of millions. We have branches in every major Kanto city. Present this at any branch to collect your funds. We will pay you via anonymous, untraceable bearer cards. Furthermore, as a Supreme member, we will personally source any rare herbs, Pokémon, or items you require."
Hook, line, and sinker, Feng Che thought.
"Very well. Do you have Phoenix Quill Flowers and Aeolus Grass in stock?"
"We do," Aoi replied instantly. "I can sell them to you at our acquisition cost." He logged into his account on the tablet, showing a private inventory.
Feng Che scrolled through the list. "I want all your Phoenix Quill Flowers and Aeolus Grass. Also, I need three high-grade Fire Stones, three high-grade Water Stones, three high-grade Ice Stones, and one high-grade Thunder Stone."
"High-grade we have in plenty. Master-grade is rare, but these will serve almost any elite Pokémon," Aoi noted.
"Fine. Give me 1 million in untraceable cash cards now. Keep the rest of the advance on my account here."
3:00 AM
The auction officially began. The atmosphere was electric. "Ladies and gentlemen," the auctioneer, Nakagawa, announced. "Tonight's centerpiece is a Legendary-grade Salac Elixir, crafted by an anonymous Master Pharmacist!"
The crowd went wild. Feng Che watched from his booth as a Horsea with a strong Dragon-lineage sold for 400,000 Dollars. He noted the auctioneer's clever use of "marketing fluff" to hide the Horsea's mediocre potential.
Finally, the Salac Elixir came up.
"The starting bid is 1 Dollar!" Nakagawa shouted. "Any increment is accepted!"
Clever, Feng Che thought. Starting at one dollar triggers a psychological feeding frenzy.
The screen immediately jumped to eight figures. One bidder tried to end it early with a 10-million-dollar opening, but tonight's crowd was prepared. The price climbed steadily, eventually slowing down as it hit the stratospheric height of 36 million Dollars.
A single bottle for 36 million... Feng Che leaned back. A single Salac Berry could produce twenty such bottles, but its rarity and the "Legendary" quality tag made the price explode.
I can only do this once, Feng Che mused. If I flood the market, or do this too often, every major power in the world will hunt me down to lock me in a basement and make me brew forever.
He took his newly acquired herbs and evolution stones, exiting through the private VIP tunnel.
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