Chapter 343: The Pink Phenomenon and the Terrifying Blade

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If Sato remembered correctly, these pink Pokémon were originally just ordinary ones.

They only turned pink after consuming the fruit of a unique tree found on a certain island in the Orange Islands. That fruit was called the Pinkan Berry.

Once a Pokémon ate this fruit, its body would change color to pink. If it only ate a small amount, the effect would wear off after some time.

However, if a Pokémon consumed the fruit regularly or in large quantities, the change became irreversible. Worse yet, the Pokémon would become addicted, refusing to eat anything else.

This berry was like a drug—Pokémon needed to consume it at regular intervals. If they couldn't get it, they would grow extremely weak, and prolonged deprivation could even lead to death.

These three pink Pokémon had most likely been poached from that special island in the Orange Islands (Pinkan Island).

Because the location was so remote and under the League's special protection, very few people knew about it.

That was why most bidders here were being deceived. Of course, Sato wasn't the only one who knew the truth about these pink Pokémon. However, the few others who were aware remained silent.

Those individuals likely felt the same way Sato did—they were happy to see the clueless bidders wasting their resources on these Pokémon.

This way, when more valuable items came up for auction, they would have an advantage and spend less money unnecessarily.

Before long, the pink Scyther was sold for the astonishing price of 93 million PokeDollars. Next up was the pink Pidgeotto.

Unlike the flashy pink Scyther, the pink Pidgeotto was actually more popular among the bidders.

The reason was simple—Pidgeotto had the potential to become an excellent flying mount.

Once it evolved into a pink Pidgeot, flying through the skies on its back would be far more stylish than driving a luxury car.

As soon as bidding for the pink Pidgeotto began, the competition turned fierce. The starting bid was already a staggering 50 million PokeDollars, and the price kept climbing until it stabilized at 120 million.

In the end, a woman wearing a fox mask won the pink Pidgeotto for a sky-high 140 million PokeDollars.

Among the three pink Pokémon, the one that drew the most attention wasn't the pink Scyther or the pink Pidgeotto—it was the pink Vulpix.

Already an adorably charming species, Vulpix became even more breathtaking when its fur turned pink.

If any Pokémon was perfect for a Pokémon Contest, it was undoubtedly the pink Vulpix.

Moreover, since Vulpix could evolve into the even more stunning Ninetales with a simple Fire Stone, its value increased even further.

Just imagining how beautiful a pink Ninetales would be—and the overwhelming impact it would have in a Pokémon Contest—only fueled the bidders' enthusiasm.

The price for the pink Vulpix skyrocketed to 120 million PokeDollars as soon as bidding began.

"These people sure have money to burn… And this is just a mid-tier auction. If this were a high-tier auction, wouldn't the prices be out of this world? Good thing I know my limits. If I went to a high-tier auction with the money I have, I'd just be a spectator."

Listening to the absurd numbers being called out, Sato couldn't help but twitch his lips in exasperation.

At the same time, he considered something—since these bidders were all wealthy, the pink Pokémon they bought likely wouldn't die from lack of food.

Thinking that, the slight concern he had for the pink Pokémon faded away.

In the end, the irresistibly charming pink Vulpix was sold for an astronomical 430 million PokeDollars to a mysterious woman wearing a black veil.

Whether or not she had exhausted her funds was unclear, but after winning the bid, she quickly left the auction hall.

With that, the first item in the mid-tier auction came to an end.

Thanks to the pink Vulpix's record-breaking price, the atmosphere in the auction hall became even more electrified. The bidders, now fired up, eagerly awaited the next auction item.

"It seems our guests were very pleased with the first item! Let's keep the momentum going—next up, the second auction item is from the Sinnoh region…"

The beautiful auctioneer, Mina, was clearly satisfied with the results of the first auction. Her radiant smile became even more dazzling.

Seizing the current hype, she quickly signaled her Xatu to bring in the next batch of items—less valuable ones this time.

The second through fifth items, while not ordinary, paled in comparison to the first auction item. Still, thanks to the excitement generated earlier, they managed to sell at inflated prices.

However, after a string of less impressive items, the fiery auction atmosphere cooled down again. By the time the fifth item was up for bidding, only a handful of participants were still making offers.

Seeing this, Mina knew that the momentum from the first auction had almost completely dissipated. It was time to unveil something big.

She mentally signaled Xatu, which had been hovering above the auction stage.

In an instant, Xatu's eyes flashed blue, and it vanished. Seconds later, it reappeared—this time carrying an object covered in red cloth.

"Alright! Next up is the sixth auction item. I guarantee this one will reignite your excitement. Let's take a look, shall we?"

Mina smiled with satisfaction. Raising the microphone to her lips, she spoke loudly.

The moment the red cloth was lifted, a blinding crimson light flooded the entire auction hall.

On the stage lay a sword—a magnificent blade adorned with red and blue hues. The intense red glow emanated from its surface.

Embedded in the sword's body was a blood-red gemstone, from which a fiery red energy flowed. The energy encircled the blade before merging back into the gemstone.

The hilt, in stark contrast, was an icy blue, with a similarly colored gemstone set at its tip. A piercing cold radiated from it, causing the crimson patterns along the blade to shimmer with an icy blue tint.

As the sword's red light bathed the hall, an eerie phenomenon occurred.

The moment the light touched the audience, many of them experienced a vision.

In their minds, a towering warrior clad in battle armor stood atop a raging Salamence, facing an endless army of Pokémon.

The warrior seemed to sense their presence and turned his head slightly.

Instantly, a bone-chilling aura surged forward.

Then, with a soul-shaking roar, the vision shattered like broken glass.

"Hah… Hah… Who was that…?"

When Sato snapped back to reality, he found himself drenched in cold sweat, his heart pounding violently. The memory of the vision left him deeply unsettled.

His condition was relatively mild—many of the other bidders had outright fainted. Only a handful managed to stay conscious.

As for the auctioneer Mina, she had clearly anticipated this.

She now wore dark sunglasses to block the blade's light, though her face had turned noticeably pale.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you have all seen it for yourselves. The vision you just witnessed was real. Anyone illuminated by this blade's red light will experience the same phenomenon."

"I believe there's no need for further explanation—its value speaks for itself."

"However, as per the request of the item's owner, anyone who fainted just now is disqualified from bidding. Only those who remained conscious are eligible to participate."

"The starting bid is 500 million PokeDollars. Each increment must be no less than 10 million PokeDollars."

As soon as the blade had been revealed for about five or six seconds, Mina swiftly covered it with the red cloth once more, cutting off the crimson glow.

Holding the microphone firmly, her expression turned grave as she made the announcement.