"A high-grade Water Stone. Opening bid three hundred thousand, minimum increment five thousand."
On the platform a beautiful woman in a cheongsam carried a tray, and on the tray lay a deep blue stone: a Water Stone.
"Three hundred and ten thousand!"
A bid came from the floor at once.
"Three hundred and ten thousand from this gentleman. Are there other bids from our honoured guests?"
"Three hundred and fifty thousand."
"Four hundred thousand."
............
"Too low. Let's save ourselves the trouble — seven hundred thousand."
After seven hundred thousand the room went a good deal quieter, and few followed it.
"Seven hundred thousand. The gentleman at number twelve bids seven hundred thousand. Any further bids? This Water Stone is of fine quality and has an enormous effect on a Pokémon's aptitude. No further bids? If none, it goes to that gentleman."
The auctioneer called it out loudly, her face flushed, sweeping her eyes over the crowd seated below.
The crowd sat in their own groups, and each table had a number in front of it.
Vance and his two sat in a corner, at number 99, watching the auction.
"Three! Any further bids from our honoured guests? Two! If nobody, it goes to that gentleman. One... Congratulations to the gentleman at number twelve, who takes this Water Stone at seven hundred thousand."
The auctioneer worked hard at it, pushing for bids right to the last. The Water Stone, once sold, was carried off, and soon another pretty young woman came up with a blue Pokémon Egg in her hands.
"Most of you are Trainers, and of course you all know the starters. This Egg is a Water-type starter."
The word "starter" caught the room's interest at once, and every eye went to the Egg in that young woman's hands.
"Allow me to introduce it to our honoured guests at leisure..."
"Never mind introducing it, just say it straight. What Pokémon is it? Give us the opening bid, that's all we need."
A big man below called it out impatiently, cutting straight across her.
"Hee. The gentleman is in a hurry." The auctioneer laughed lightly, with none of the awkwardness or annoyance of a woman interrupted, and went on. "This is a Totodile Egg. Our experts have examined it: the aptitude is high, the potential rated at Gym-class, with hopes of Elite-Four-class. Opening bid eight hundred thousand."
"Oh—Elite-Four-class."
Below, apart from the few at the front tables, every table exclaimed; hands were rubbed together all round at the thought of taking this starter.
"Vance, we should bid on it too. It's a good Pokémon — getting hold of a starter out here isn't easy."
Emery had spoken up, urging Vance to take the Egg.
"He's right, boss. We could pool our money and see whether we can win that Pokémon."
Ambrose thought the chance a rare one too, and said so.
"We'll try, then."
Vance nodded with a smile. If he could win the Egg, another starter would be no bad thing, and with what he had he could afford to keep it.
"A million. I bid a million!"
"A million from this gentleman! Anyone else?"
"A million and you think you'll have it? Dream on. One million one hundred thousand!"
"Not enough. One million two hundred thousand!"
"One million three hundred thousand!"
............
"One million nine hundred thousand!"
"Two million!"
After two million came out the callers thinned out a great deal, but there was still competition.
"Two and a half million. Gentlemen, I want this in earnest. My budget is adequate and my child happens to need it, so I mean to have it."
A middle-aged man with the look of a company owner called it, putting the price up half a million in one go.
"Is that so. As it happens, I need this starter as well. Two million six hundred thousand."
"Ha, ha, ha. The aptitude on this one is good; I shan't give it up either. Two million seven hundred thousand."
"Two million eight hundred thousand!"
"Three million! I bid three million!!"
...........
The bidding raged, but the few at Odette's table wore easy faces throughout.
"Miss Quillon is in earnest, I see, to have brought so many good things together. You must have great confidence about moving into this Celadon market."
The man who said it, smiling, had a square face and the look of an upright sort.
"Hee. Small measures, all of it. To you, Chairman Tate, mere parlour tricks." Odette laughed behind her hand, modestly.
"Ha, ha, ha. If that counts as small measures, then nothing on earth counts as large ones." Tate laughed, and then his face turned serious. "Since Miss Quillon intends to move into Celadon, we welcome it; but we do hope you will observe certain 'rules' of ours and not make too special a case of yourself. That does nobody any good — after all, everyone here has to eat."
"Naturally." Odette gave her word on it.
"Good, good." Odette spoke for the Quillon house, and Tate had no wish to offend her; with her word given, he was satisfied.
The fight over the starter up on the platform had reached its end: the Water starter went at three and a half million to a man with the look of a wealthy merchant.
Vance bid a few times to test it and then let it go, because the value was not there and the men against him plainly had money to burn.
The Egg reached that price on the name of the starters, yes, but also on its rated potential, and that potential had stirred a good many of them.
"An Axew. A Dragon-type Pokémon — and the strength of Dragon types is known to everyone, so I need not describe it. Our experts have assessed this Axew as having Gym-class aptitude, and with the right raising, Elite-Four-class is within hope."
After the Totodile starter, a small green dragon was brought up onto the platform, and this was said to the room.
"This Axew was born only recently, which makes it the perfect time to build a friendship with it. Opening bid one million!"
"One and a half million!"
"One million six hundred thousand!"
............
The room stirred again, every eye hot on that Axew.
This was a Dragon type; in value it gave nothing away to a starter.
Dragon meant power and style. Of the pseudo-legendaries known so far, most were Dragon types, and even among the Legendary Pokémon the Dragons made up the largest share.
Owning a Dragon type did a man's face no end of good, and so the Axew drew competition — fiercer, even, than the Totodile had.
In the end it went for four and a half million.
"A pity. We're poor, we can't afford it."
Vance shook his head with a smile, without any disappointment in his face.
"Hey, hey, hey, boss. What do you reckon the Rhydon will go for? It sounds like a dragon, at any rate."
Ambrose spoke up then.
"A million or so. The Rhydon isn't a hatchling and isn't an Egg; its temperament is already formed, how far it can be raised is quite limited, and it isn't suitable for a low-grade Trainer."
"Oh. As little as that."
"That isn't little."