At this moment, whether it was the crowd below or the big shots in the private boxes upstairs, even Wen Qi, who was here for the first time, understood the situation clearly—whatever was in that cage was bound to be something extremely important.
Through the system, Wen Qi discovered that the four Machoke were all yellow-quality, level 40 Pokémon, not just for show; they were likely serving as security personnel. However, those four Machoke weren’t the most formidable—the most powerful was the Alakazam that appeared later, green-quality, level 50, already at the peak of the elite tier, just one step away from advancing to the gym level. Moreover, even an ordinary gym-level Pokémon might not necessarily win against a Psychic-type Alakazam. The Alakazam’s presence was probably to prevent other Ghost-type or Psychic-type Pokémon from suddenly using Teleport to snatch the Pokémon in the cage.
Seeing that the cloth covering the stage still hadn’t been lifted, the people below grew impatient and couldn’t help shouting, “Why haven’t you opened it yet? Let us see what the good stuff is...”
On stage, Wu Li sensed the atmosphere was heated enough and waved her hand. One of the Machoke beside her swiftly pulled off the cloth. A Dratini appeared inside the cage. The scene below instantly fell silent—the once noisy crowd became dead quiet.
Wen Qi didn’t understand what was happening. Shouldn’t seeing a Dratini spark excitement? Why was the current situation leaving him baffled? He also noticed that Li Xiang beside him seemed off, as if he wanted to leave immediately. Some in the crowd below had already stood up, apparently ready to go.
Perplexed by this, Wen Qi directly asked Li Xiang, “What’s going on? It’s a Dratini—don’t they want it?”
Li Xiang smiled bitterly and said, “Who wouldn’t like a Dratini? But the force behind it—none of the people here can handle it. You know the Evergreen Forest in the southwest region, right? In the core area of Evergreen Forest, there’s a Dragonite family that’s basically the overlord of the forest. The Dragonite living there start at the gym level, many are at the champion level, and it’s said the patriarch is even at the champion tier. Wen Qi, think about it—if those Dragonite find out there’s a Dratini here, what do you think the consequences would be?”
Only then did Wen Qi realize why everyone had reacted that way, even Li Xiang wanting to leave. He had been a bit tempted earlier, but now he was left with only fear. Can’t afford to mess with that, really can’t—should he make a quick escape?
At that moment, Wu Li on stage saw the situation below and knew that if she didn’t explain, everyone might leave. “Don’t worry, everyone. We’re auctioning this Dratini, so its origin is definitely clean. It’s not from the Evergreen Forest, not lost from there, so those Dragonite won’t bother with it. As for where it came from, I can’t say—we have to protect the seller’s information. Anyway, it’s not from Evergreen Forest, so rest assured.”
Those who were about to leave, upon hearing that the Dratini wasn’t from Evergreen Forest, still felt some risk remained. But who in an underground auction was a saint? Earlier, not knowing the situation, it was too dangerous. Now, though still risky, no one was willing to give up on a Dratini, especially the big shots in the upstairs boxes.
Wen Qi, while interested in the Dratini, wasn’t that keen because he saw it was only green-quality, and he didn’t lack green-quality Pokémon. Plus, Dratini grew slowly and required too many resources. He already had many Pokémon to raise, and adding one he didn’t particularly want wasn’t necessary. Li Xiang, on the other hand, suddenly felt tempted, but he knew he didn’t have enough money. So he called his dad to explain the situation—Wen Qi didn’t know what was said on the other end. After hanging up, Li Xiang stared intently at the auction stage, waiting for the bidding.
On stage, Wu Li’s voice was clear and firm. She nodded slightly and said, “Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, let’s continue the auction. Next, we’ll auction this green-quality Dratini. Its adorable appearance and latent power—I believe you’ve all seen. Starting bid: ten million!”
As soon as she finished, a wave of excitement swept through the crowd below. Many longed to own this Dratini, but due to the high price, few could actually bid. Among the crowd on the first floor, only a handful were eager to try, their eyes full of desire and anticipation. However, the real heavy hitters were in the upstairs boxes. Those seated there were people of status, influence, and wealth. They didn’t worry about money, only about getting what they wanted. This time was no exception.
“Eleven million!” A man’s voice came from one box, tinged with arrogance and provocation.
“Twelve million!” Another box didn’t back down, immediately raising the bid.
Thus, the price soared. Each increase drew gasps and murmurs from the crowd, who speculated about who would end up with the Dratini. Li Xiang also joined the bidding. He sat in his seat, eyes fixed on the Dratini on stage. He knew that although it was only green-quality, its potential was immense—if raised properly, it could become a powerful Pokémon.
“Fifteen million!” Li Xiang finally couldn’t hold back. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was full of determination.
However, Li Xiang’s bid didn’t last long. Soon, someone in the upstairs boxes raised it again. “Sixteen million!” “Seventeen million!” The price climbed higher, and Li Xiang’s face grew more serious. He knew his dad’s financial support was limited and he couldn’t compete with the tycoons upstairs. Yet, he really didn’t want to give up on this Dratini.
After a fierce round of bidding, the Dratini was finally bought by the person in Box No. 1 for a high price of fifty million. This amount far exceeded the market value of a green-quality Pokémon, but for the person in Box No. 1, it was just a small sum. Li Xiang watched the Dratini being taken off the stage, feeling a bit disappointed.
Wen Qi comforted him, saying, “It’s okay. Not getting this Dratini is fine—that price was ridiculous. Even many blue-quality ones aren’t that expensive; it’s really not worth it. Besides, you’re not in a good position to raise a Dratini right now. You know how slow they grow. Even if you’d won the bid, this Dratini might not have truly been yours. Not getting it might actually be a good thing for you.”
Hearing Wen Qi’s consolation, Li Xiang felt there was some truth to it. Since the auction was over anyway, he let it go.