Chapter 344: The Legendary Blade & Changed Times

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"Starting price: 500 million."

The moment Sato heard Mina announce the price, his heart skipped a beat. He slumped onto the couch, feeling deflated.

He only had a little over 200 million left in his assets. Unless his auction items sold for a high price, there was no way he could bid for this treasure.

But Sato was unwilling to give up. Using the system's appraisal function, he discovered that this blade was practically priceless. The reason? It contained the primal power of not one, but two Legendary Pokémon.

(Note: Before anyone gets annoyed that this is turning into some cultivation BS, I assure you, its not. This is just introduced into the story as an energy source for the system to absorb, it plays no further significant role.)

Blade Information:

Item: Argus' Warblade

Effects:

Blessing of the Land – As long as the wielder's feet touch the ground, they receive Groudon's blessing, granting them immunity to all Ground-type moves.

Blessing of the Sea – As long as the wielder is in the ocean, they receive Kyogre's blessing, granting them immunity to all Water-type moves.

Embedded Items:

Groudon's Power Gem – A ruby that accidentally absorbed a trace of Groudon's primal energy, allowing the user to hear the pulse of the earth.

Kyogre's Power Gem – A sapphire that accidentally absorbed a trace of Kyogre's primal energy, allowing the user to feel the breath of the sea.

Description: Originally an ordinary warblade, this weapon was transformed into a legendary artifact through the craftsmanship of its creator and the power of two legendary gems. With this blade, the legendary warrior, Argus, tamed a fierce Salamence and single-handedly cut down 138 Elite-level Pokémon, forging his legend with iron and blood.

From the information alone, there was no doubt—this warblade was indeed a legendary weapon, one that had bathed in the blood of countless Elite-level Pokémon.

Whoever wielded it could potentially gain the ability to fight Pokémon one-on-one.

In truth, even without reading the description, everyone present understood the blade's immense value.

The greatest appeal of Argus' Warblade was its ability to enhance a person's combat strength. Even an ordinary person could likely go toe-to-toe with an Elite-level Pokémon while wielding it.

However, times had changed. The era when humans had to fight Pokémon in direct combat was long past. Because of this, the blade's practical value had diminished considerably.

To modern people, this once-feared warblade was nothing more than a historically significant artifact, primarily serving as a collector's item.

The blade remained as sharp as ever, but the world had moved on. Among the clear-minded bidders present, none were confident in wielding it—let alone daring to claim ownership.

After all, just looking at the blade had nearly caused them to pass out. If they actually held it, it might very well kill them.

The only ones still conscious were seasoned Pokémon Trainers. As for the pampered wealthy elites, they had already fainted from the blade's overwhelming aura.

To prevent disruption, the auction staff had received no instructions to wake them up. As a result, the majority of the audience remained unconscious in their seats.

Spending 500 million on a blade that could only be admired but never used was a terrible deal. Trainers were practical by nature, uninterested in collecting historical artifacts.

Besides, this was only the sixth auction item—there were still plenty more to come. Who knew if something even better would appear later? It would be unwise to blow 500 million so early.

But the real problem was the seller's special condition.

The number of conscious bidders was already low. Add in the fact that none of them dared to wield the weapon, and the atmosphere in the auction hall grew eerie.

Dead silence.

Even after Mina's announcement, no one placed a bid.

"Anyone interested? This is a true legendary weapon! With it, you'll have powerful self-defense capabilities—even without Pokémon, you won't have to fear enemies."

Seeing the lack of response, Mina's expression darkened. She forced a smile and spoke into her microphone, downplaying the drawbacks.

Unfortunately, the bidders still standing were all strong-willed. They wouldn't be swayed by a few words from an auctioneer.

Thus, the silence persisted, leaving Mina awkwardly stranded on stage.

'Now that I think about it, the seller must be an idiot. Why impose such a ridiculous condition? The remaining bidders are all cunning as foxes. How is Team Rocket supposed to sell this at a high price?'

Sweat beaded on Mina's forehead and palms. She kept up her professional smile, but in her mind, she cursed both the seller and the remaining conscious bidders countless times.

The moment she heard about the seller's condition, she had sensed something was off.

However, after experiencing the blade's power firsthand, she had tossed aside any doubts and convinced herself it would fetch a sky-high price.

Yet, the current situation was far beyond her expectations. She racked her brain, trying to salvage the situation, but the more she thought, the more she realized how impractical the blade was. Her heart sank.

With no other choice, Mina resorted to a desperate measure—she discreetly signaled to a few pre-arranged shill bidders who had been unaffected by the blade's aura.

Thanks to their efforts, a few hesitant bidders slowly began placing small bids. The tense atmosphere eased slightly, and Mina felt a bit of relief.

But when the price reached 630 million PokeDollars, the bidding stalled once more. To Mina's horror, that last bid had come from one of the shill bidders.

"Does anyone wish to continue bidding? If not, this divine weapon will belong to this esteemed guest."

Mina maintained her professional, composed smile as she spoke.

But the hand gripping her microphone was slick with sweat, and her back was damp. If no one else placed a bid, this auction lot would go unsold.

If that happened, she dreaded to think what punishment she would receive from Team Rocket. She might never be allowed on this stage again.

"What a dramatic scene. I thought this would go for an astronomical price, but here we are. Then again, no one in Team Rocket is even qualified to wield this blade. Without that qualification, they can't recognize its true worth."

Watching the auction unfold from behind the glass wall, Sato chuckled to himself.

Yet beneath his mask, his smile was bitter. Even though the blade wasn't selling for an outrageous sum, he still didn't have enough PokeDollars to buy it.

"If no one bids, I will begin the final countdown. Once I count to three, this priceless treasure will belong to this guest."

The hall remained silent. Knowing she couldn't afford to wait any longer, Mina forced a smile and prepared to bring the auction to a close.

Just as she was about to strike the small wooden gavel, the communicator in Sato's hand suddenly vibrated.

He quickly checked the message on the screen—his eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope.