When Aoki saw that no one was bidding anymore, he pressed the button on his chair.
If he didn't act now, the people in front would just keep shouting without reaching a conclusion, which would be too troublesome.
"One million six hundred thousand! From Room 108!"
After Aoki placed his bid, the other bidder had already offered ten and a half million, so they weren't going to back down over a mere hundred thousand.
The two continued bidding against each other, but no matter how high the other party went, Aoki always raised the price further.
The amount wasn't even enough to build a proper bathroom.
It was a steady, calculated move—no waste at all.
In the end, Aoki secured the Dragonite's reverse scale for eleven and a half million Pokécoins.
It was a worthwhile investment for the future evolution of his Horsea into Kingdra.
The auction moved swiftly from one item to the next, as if there wasn't enough time to linger on any single lot.
None of the items up for auction were low-value. While not all surpassed the initial dragon scale in worth, none sold for less than five million Pokécoins.
Even items originally valued below five million were bid up beyond their actual worth—such was the nature of auctions.
Some bidders got so caught up in the competition that they willingly paid double or even triple an item's true value.
This was how sellers and Team Rocket profited immensely.
During this time, Aoki also purchased several materials—key components for the potential-enhancing potions needed for Horsea, Bagon, and Ralts.
Whenever he spotted something useful, he placed a bid. And once he did, no matter the final price, Aoki always won.
Fortunately, these materials weren't highly sought-after at the auction, so few competed with him.
Including the Dragonite scale, Aoki had now spent nearly fifty million Pokécoins.
This covered the main ingredients for the potential potions for his Bagon, Horsea, and Ralts, as well as some rare supplementary materials.
No matter the cost, as long as he secured everything needed to maximize his Pokémon's potential, Aoki considered it money well spent.
Wealth was meaningless if it just sat unused—only by converting it into strength could its true value be realized.
That said, Aoki hadn't yet seen the core ingredients for Lairon and Pupitar's talent potions, or he would have bought those too.
The last time he sold a batch of rare Pokémon, he had made a fortune.
Even after distributing funds to the Sky Hunters, purchasing equipment from Team Rocket, and preparing talent potions for Pupitar, Lairon, and Combusken, he still had plenty left.
He hadn't counted precisely, but he estimated around one to two hundred million Pokécoins remained.
That might sound like a lot, but it wasn't enough to buy a truly rare Pokémon.
For a pseudo-legendary like Pupitar, even one with light-blue potential would cost far more than a hundred or two hundred million.
Even those with lower potential—light-green, the bare minimum possible for pseudo-legendaries—would still be exorbitantly priced.
Because such Pokémon were so scarce, many were willing to pay a premium just for the chance to raise one.
Rarity alone drove up prices—potential was only part of the equation.
"The next item up for auction is another Pokémon, but this one is… special."
The auctioneer standing at the center podium glanced at his card, which listed the next lot. A flicker of surprise crossed his face.
"No need for suspense—let's reveal it now!"
With that, he wheeled out a machine from backstage—a common sight whenever Pokémon were auctioned.
The Poké Ball resting on the machine was the centerpiece of the auction.
Then, the details of the Pokémon appeared on the large screen overhead.
Gasps!
The crowd erupted into murmurs, especially those seated on the first floor.
"That's right! This isn't a young Pokémon—it's fully matured, one that has reached Champion-level strength! A Cofagrigus!" the auctioneer announced loudly.
The Pokémon being auctioned was none other than the Champion-level Cofagrigus Aoki had submitted!
As a Pokémon that had reached Champion-tier, its value was undeniably high. However, since it was already fully trained, taming it would take considerable effort. Even then, a Trainer might never fully synchronize with it.
But one fact remained undeniable—this was a Champion-level Pokémon!
"I'm sure you're all eager, so let's begin! Starting bid: 100 million! Minimum increments of five hundred thousand!"
A Champion-level Pokémon spoke for itself. Despite its flaws, its power was undeniable.
The bids soared rapidly.
Given the current market, this Cofagrigus could easily sell for over a hundred million Pokécoins.
After all, there were plenty of wealthy collectors. While a fully trained Pokémon was harder to integrate into a team, it still served as an instant powerhouse.
Additionally, not many Trainers specialized in Ghost-types like Cofagrigus, and even fewer knew how to battle with them effectively.
Most of the bidders here were from underground organizations, making them more open to Pokémon like Cofagrigus. In the broader market, its value would have been much lower.
Aoki sat quietly, waiting for the bidding to conclude.
The final price settled at one hundred eighty million, slightly higher than expected. Aoki was satisfied—after all, he had caught these Pokémon randomly, and now they were netting him a fortune.
In addition to the Cofagrigus, there was also a pseudo-Champion-level Chandelure and three Cofagrigus at Elite strength.
All were Ghost-types, and together they fetched another hundred million Pokécoins.
The Chandelure sold for thirty-five million, while the three Cofagrigus combined for sixty-five million.
Elite-level Pokémon weren't as valuable as Champion-level ones, especially since they were already fully trained. Their use was limited to immediate battle strength.
But because their potential was high, they still sold well.
So far, Aoki had spent fifty million but earned two hundred eighty million in return—a massive profit.
Now, it was time to spend. He didn't want to leave with all this money—it was better to convert it into resources.
So he began bidding more aggressively. Sometimes he won, but often he was outbid by wealthier participants.