One of the three legendary birds, Moltres!
Aoki stared at the Poké Ball on the table, the Poké Ball that was no more than half a meter away from Apollo.
Team Rocket had prepared such a significant move. No wonder so many powerful figures had gathered this time.
Even a pseudo-legendary Pokémon like Larvitar or the Extreme Speed Dratini would pale in comparison to this legendary creature.
Moltres is classified as a third-tier legendary Pokémon, but this title should not be underestimated.
While its base stats may not rival those of pseudo-legendaries, its true power cannot be measured by statistics alone.
Aoki felt a chill down his spine.
Team Rocket's ambition knows no bounds.
No wonder Apollo, one of their executives, had delivered this personally.
Aoki activated his system and scanned the Pokémon inside the Poké Ball.
Pokémon: Moltres (Light Blue)
Gender: Genderless Find the newest release on novel-fire.net
Basic Moves: Wing Attack, Flame Charge, Fire Spin, Agility, Endure, Ancient Power, Flamethrower, Safeguard, Air Slash, Sunny Day
Learnt Moves: Tailwind, Heat Wave, Snore, Steel Wing, Sky Attack, Defog
A Moltres with pseudo-Champion-level strength!
Its capture was no small feat.
Who would willingly auction such a Pokémon?
"It seems every major faction here is vying for this Moltres," Aoki murmured, settling back into his seat.
Though impressed, Aoki had little personal interest in this legendary bird.
While formidable, this Moltres was still untamed—its training would demand excessive time and resources without guaranteed results. It's battle habits have already been formed and it would take a lot of time and resources to fix it.
Given the fervent bidding, its price would skyrocket beyond reason.
This was a spectacle, not an opportunity.
Sour grapes? Perhaps.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the legendary bird Pokémon needs no introduction!" Apollo's voice boomed through the auction hall.
"This Moltres was captured within the crater of an active volcano. It was alone and rest assured you will not face revenge from the divine Moltres!"
Moltres, like Articuno and Zapdos, were rare but not unheard of in the Pokémon world.
Across regions, trainers had been known to wield these legends—Nolan of the Battle Frontier, for instance, has an Articuno, while Hoenn's League Inspector Joy also possessed one.
Moltres and Zapdos were no different.
The screen behind Apollo displayed certification documents, stat analyses, and aptitude verification—all confirming its legitimacy.
"Furthermore," Apollo continued, "our Team Rocket evaluators have confirmed this Moltres's aptitude exceeds elite thresholds, reaching Champion-tier potential! With proper training, it may ascend to Champion-level!"
Light Blue aptitude—Team Rocket's benchmark for Champion-caliber Pokémon.
"Starting bid: 1 billion Pokédollars! Minimum increments of 100 million!"
"Let the auction begin!"
An astronomical sum, yet fitting for a legend.
While most attendees reeled at the price, the VIPs wasted no time.
Bids escalated like wildfire, each outdoing the last. Aoki observed impassively, a spectator to the frenzy.
The true measure of wealth in this world.
By 3 billion, the momentum barely slowed.
At this point, only the mightiest factions remained.
Aoki mused that with such funds, he could elevate his team to the strength of the current Elite Four effortlessly.
Yet here, money was a tool for the already dominant.
The final competition was extremely fierce, and many people even called out each other.
The names of some forces were directly called out.
The Dragon Tamer family that was already known before.
What surprised Aoki was that the Stone family also sent people.
Aoki wondered if Steven also came here. But probably not as then he would be the most suitable person for this mission.
Unexpectedly, the winner of the bidding hailed from Sinnoh's Bellrich Dynasty—a 200-year-old lineage of Pokémon researchers, their influence spanning continents.
Final bid: 5.5 billion Pokédollars.
A sum exceeding Moltres's practical worth, yet justified by its academic value.
After all, the Bellrichs' ambition was to unlock the secrets of the gods themselves.