When Kael was raiding the bottom of the Rhydon cave, he was still careful about how he went about it. He didn't leave the place in complete disarray.
After all, this wasn't a smash-and-grab. He would be living on the island for a while. If he left too many obvious traces and the Rhydon discovered that an intruder had entered its cave, such blatant provocation was something no powerful Pokémon could tolerate.
"I knew it. A cave this big—there's no way it wouldn't have something valuable."
Pinching a gleaming golden pearl between two fingers, Kael's lips curved into a satisfied grin.
He had just unearthed it from a corner. It was about the size of a ping-pong ball, with excellent luster and near-perfect roundness. This type of golden pearl was a variety of wild pearl. Ninety percent of its composition was gold, which was why many wealthy families liked to call it a "gold pearl."
Unlike Mystic Water, which could enhance the power of Water-type moves, golden pearls had no additional effects beyond their beauty. They are also produced by a type of giant deep-sea clam, known scientifically as the Golden Clam.
A golden pearl of this size and quality—judging by Kael's trained eye—would fetch no less than 260,000 on the market. A modest little windfall.
With such an auspicious start, Kael's luck seemed to surge. To speed up the process of stripping the cave clean, he released Lulu and Weavile to help.
After tagging along with him for so long, Lulu was practically a seasoned veteran. She naturally understood what kind of treasures Kael was looking for. Weavile, still new to the world, had no idea what these glittering objects were for—but after a quick explanation from her trainer, she enthusiastically joined the treasure sweep.
Lulu worked the fastest. She didn't need to rummage through things by hand. A sweep of her powerful psychic power, followed by precise telekinetic control, and gemstones of every color floated out from the cave's hidden corners one after another.
"We're rich! We're rich!"
Kael stared at the bulging sack of multicolored gems, grinning so wide his mouth nearly split. The feeling of picking up money for free was simply fantastic.
Aside from the various gemstones, the three-member "treasure squad" also found several evolution stones of excellent quality. Not many—just five: two Water Stones, one Fire Stone, and two Leaf Stones. But their color was vivid, and the internal energy was full and pure.
Evolution stones had always been hard currency on the market. In recent years, as multiple large-scale evolution stone veins approached depletion, their prices had climbed steadily year after year.
Many of the gems they found were of mediocre quality and wouldn't be worth much individually. But quantity made up for it. Kael conservatively estimated that the sack's market value wouldn't fall below 9 million. Of course, dumping that many gems into a single trading district would inevitably drive prices down, so he'd need to sell them gradually across multiple cities.
Among all the stones, the most valuable was this cat's eye. Kael turned it over in his hand—a roughly egg-sized stone, amber in color with a black vertical slit running through its center.
From a distance, it truly resembled the pupil of a feline, radiating a warm, faint glow.
Kael wasn't an expert gem appraiser, but as a bounty hunter, you had to possess at least a working knowledge of most precious stones. Otherwise, what if you stumbled upon an extremely valuable gem in the wild and let it slip through your fingers because you didn't recognize it? That would be a devastating loss.
This was a chrysoberyl cat's eye, one of the more common varieties among cat's eye gemstones. The one in his hand was full-bodied and of exceptional quality. This single stone alone could sell for over 2 million.
Compared to his previous life, precious gemstones in this world were still expensive—but next to magical items with special effects, they were nothing.
In the eyes of many powerful Trainers, these luxurious stones were no more useful than pebbles by the roadside. Only noblewomen and young ladies born into immense wealth truly adored such breathtaking jewels.
In any world, women's money was always easier to earn than men's.
...
"Kael, look here! Quick, over here!"
Just as Kael carefully tucked the sack of treasure into his backpack, Lulu's excited voice rang in his mind.
"What is it?" Kael asked—but almost immediately, he guessed she must have discovered something extraordinary. Otherwise, she wouldn't sound this thrilled.
She hadn't made a peep even after uncovering all those gems.
Jogging over, Kael saw Weavile and Lulu standing together before the innermost rock wall. He remembered that a pile of phosphorescent ore had been stacked here earlier, but Lulu seemed to have moved it all aside with telekinesis.
Neither of them appeared to notice his approach. Both stared fixedly at something embedded in the rock, their expressions utterly entranced.
Curious, Kael followed their gaze.
There, set into the rock wall, was a round orb about the size of an adult's fist. Its outer surface resembled artificial glass. Inside, a seven-colored vortex shimmered and swirled like flowing water. Under the glow of the phosphorescent light, it created a breathtaking sight.
"Something's not right."
Kael shook his head sharply. Just now, as he had stared at it, he'd felt himself drifting into a trance. It was as if the strange orb possessed a bewitching charm that captivated the soul.
He had no idea what it was or what it did. But it was undoubtedly a great treasure—very likely some naturally formed magical artifact.
Perhaps this orb, with its swirling rainbow radiance, was the greatest haul of this entire cave sweep.