Chapter 135 ⇾ Den of Luxury

After watching Applin leave, Cole asked Pidove, "Do you know where little Dunsparce went?"

"Coo coo coo~" — Yes, follow me.

Pidove nodded and flew from his arms to lead the way.

Following its guidance, Cole left the courtyard and found Dunsparce lost in thought in a valley behind the mountain.

It was lying on the grass, watching the Frosmoth dance across the grassland. The area near Wyndon had many cold spots, making it the perfect habitat for these ice-loving creatures.

"Dunsparce!" Cole called out to the distracted little worm.

Dunsparce turned quickly at the sound. Upon seeing Cole, it became dejected, remembering the Grade A berry tree it still owed him — the poor thing was feeling quite miserable.

"Are you homesick?" Cole asked.

Dunsparce nodded gently; it deeply missed its homeland, family, and friends.

Cole patted its head comfortingly and said, "We've arrived in Galar, maybe we'll be able to get news about your homeland soon."

Dunsparce wasn't cheered by his words. Galar was vast, and it couldn't properly describe its homeland's location and features — how could they possibly find it!

Dunsparce: (T⌓T) Sigh~

Just then, Cole had an idea.

"Hey! You could watch videos about Galar's natural scenery and tourist spots! Your homeland might appear in them. Even if you can't describe it well, you'll recognize it when you see it, right?"

Hearing his words, Dunsparce's eyes lit up.

What a great idea! It looked at him with sparkling eyes and immediately urged him to help find such videos.

Cole didn't hesitate. After bringing Dunsparce back to the villa, he searched for numerous videos showcasing Galar's natural scenery for it to watch.

In the morning, he and the others had to go out, but Dunsparce wanted to use the time to find clues about its homeland, so it volunteered to stay home and watch videos. Cole had no objections, and Lysandre thoughtfully brought an Indeedee to help, since as a wild Pokémon, it was still unfamiliar with modern devices like computers.

This Indeedee served as the caretaker for all Pokémon in the villa and could assist Dunsparce with any difficulties.

After making all the arrangements, Cole and Lysandre took a Galar Taxi and departed from the villa.

They were heading to a warm-up event preceding the auction.

The auction had attracted many important figures, with some arriving early like Lysandre. To entertain these early arrivals in Wyndon, the organizers had arranged a week of pre-auction activities.

Having arrived in the city later than most, Cole and Lysandre joined on the fifth day of activities. Access was exclusive — only those with formal auction invitations could obtain tickets.

Cole followed Lysandre to a small town nestled at the foot of a snow-capped mountain, where the activities were being held.

A perfectly discreet location!

Several such snow-capped mountains dotted the landscape near Wyndon. Though modest in size, unique climate and terrain conditions kept them snow-covered throughout the year, creating a distinctive regional vista.

The Galar Taxi dropped them at a hotel in town. Upon seeing Lysandre's entrance ticket, the doorman immediately understood his duty.

He led them to an unassuming door at the end of a first-floor corridor.

With a courteous bow and welcoming gesture, the doorman said, "I hope the distinguished guests enjoy themselves."

They nodded in response and stepped through.

The interior was dim at first, but as their footsteps echoed, peculiar chandeliers illuminated the ceiling above. A closer look revealed them to be shiny Chandelure.

Lysandre snorted, "Such unnecessary theatrics."

Cole nodded in agreement — this wasn't meant to be a haunted house.

The corridor sloped downward, and after walking through a curved circular passage, the space suddenly opened up into a magnificent hall blazing with lights. Well-dressed men and women chatted and laughed, creating an atmosphere of merriment.

This was an underground entertainment facility catering to the wealthy — one of those legendary grey areas.

The old Lysandre would never have visited such a place. But as he gradually came to accept certain darker realities of this world, he stopped rejecting these establishments. Had he maintained his former stance, his business wouldn't have reached its current scale.

The facility offered various attractions, with its casino being the most famous. Beyond conventional gambling, it featured Pokémon competition betting.

The betting rules were straightforward: place your bet on either side before the battle, and if your chosen side wins, you receive prize money. The payout depends on your wager and the match odds.

These Pokémon competitions rarely featured official League trainers. Instead, they drew bounty hunters, thrill-seeking adventurers, and desperate speculators seeking quick money. The spectators were typically wealthy individuals looking for excitement.

The battles tended toward violence.

Yet one rule remained absolute — no human or Pokémon casualties were permitted. This was the bottom line that kept it in the grey area rather than the black market. Without this rule, the League wouldn't turn a blind eye.

Lysandre knew the current Galar League Chairman supported this establishment's existence. Through it, Rose had built extensive connections and transformed Macro Cosmos into a powerhouse.

No massive corporation could emerge entirely clean — a truth Lysandre had come to understand deeply over the past two years.

Lysandre showed Cole around several times. His impression was "nothing special" — despite the pervasive air of extravagance, he remained unimpressed.

Noting his lack of interest in the entertainment facilities, Lysandre asked, "Want to check out the Pokémon arena? You might find the battles there interesting."

Cole nodded, "Let's take a look."

Lysandre waved to a nearby attendant. When they approached, he said, "Get us a box at the arena."

"Very well, please follow me." The attendant replied respectfully.

Following the attendant, they arrived at an exceptionally wide and ornate entrance. Even from outside, they could hear thunderous cheers echoing from within.

Being a VIP customer, Lysandre was led through a special passage where they encountered no other guests. Upon reaching the VIP area, the attendant withdrew, and a hostess guided them to their private box.

"If you need anything, simply press the button on the table." The hostess said before quietly exiting and gently closing the door.

The spacious VIP room lived up to expectations, with tables laden with fruits, snacks, and beverages. A menu offered on-demand ordering for food, drinks, and entertainment options — including the company of hostesses and hosts.

Of course, being upright individuals, Cole and Lysandre would certainly not order such services!

Two upright men: ( •_•)

After settling in, they turned their attention to the battles. The box featured a massive one-way glass wall offering an expansive view of the arena.

Enormous electronic screens flanked both sides of the glass. After surveying the room, Lysandre released several of his Pokémon — Pyroar, Mienshao, Honchkrow, and others.

Though just a hobby due to his busy schedule, he was an enthusiastic battle fan. And naturally, if he was going to watch Pokémon battles, his Pokémon would want to watch too.

Following Lysandre's lead, Cole released his Pokémon as well. Despite having more Pokémon than Lysandre, Cole's companions were smaller and took up less space overall.

The VIP box was quite spacious — they could have released even more Pokémon without feeling cramped (though a Snorlax might have been pushing it).

"Behave yourselves, or you'll have to go back in your Poké Balls." Cole warned his Pokémon.

"Chiko~"

"Helio~"

"Brionne~"

...

The Pokémon all nodded in agreement.

Lysandre observed the energetic Pokémon and said, "I remember two years ago, Chikorita, Larvitar, and the others were in their basic forms. They haven't evolved yet — are they having health issues?"

When the Pokémon heard this suggestion that something might be wrong with them, they all turned to glare at him simultaneously, making him burst into laughter.

Cole laughed too and explained, "They're perfectly healthy. I just gave them Everstones to wear. Since I'm not a proper trainer anyway, there's no rush for them to evolve."

"Ah, I see." Lysandre nodded in understanding.

After their playful exchange, Cole and company turned their attention to the matches in the arena.

The arena was designed like an ancient colosseum but outfitted with state-of-the-art technology. One could only imagine the cost of building such a facility!

Rather than a single battle space, the massive colosseum was divided into dozens of smaller arenas of various sizes and environments. Matches were organized by rank based on participants' victory counts, with higher-ranked battles taking place closer to the colosseum's center.

VIP box guests could select matches of any rank through the table's computer, with the electronic screens providing instant, full coverage of their chosen arena. The sophisticated wall screens created an immersive viewing experience.

The matches were divided into four levels: Novice, Regular, Elite, and Gym Leader.

Lysandre selected a Gym Leader level match, and the screens immediately displayed the battle.

The match was at its climax — a Centiskorch versus a Grapploct, with Centiskorch dominating.

The Centiskorch, possessing the Flash Fire ability, had transformed the battlefield into a sea of flames using Max Flare. It glided through the inferno, its body gleaming with flashing lights that signaled its strengthening Fire-type moves.

Though Grapploct repeatedly fired Octazooka to quench the flames, the inferno around Centiskorch only intensified, eventually burning through Grapploct's ink.

At last, Grapploct collapsed from exhaustion, defeated!

After the match, Lysandre turned to Cole with a smile, "Would you like to try participating?"

"Huh?" Cole looked puzzled, "Customers can participate in battles?"

"Of course!" Lysandre replied confidently, "Customer satisfaction is our top priority here. If customers want to battle, they're more than welcome. It happens frequently."

Some customers found spectating insufficient for their taste and preferred entering the arena themselves. For them, it wasn't about winning or losing — just the thrill of participation.

Lysandre displayed a menu page on the computer, "See here — winners receive prize money and can choose from various valuable Pokémon items as rewards. Though remember, the higher the stakes, the stronger opponents you'll face."

Cole peered at the screen and was astounded by the figures — some matches offered prize money in the tens of millions.

Moreover, rare Pokémon, valuable items, and even pseudo-legendary and regional starter Pokémon were available as rewards — for those who could win!

This place was truly a money pit!

Non-arena participants had to pay a deposit before competing, which the arena would keep if they lost.

As for the contracted arena fighters, they earned prize money based on their victories. The more wins they accumulated, the higher their compensation from the arena. When customers like Cole lost matches to these fighters, the fighters also received a portion of the customer's deposit as commission.

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