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"I bid 1 gold coin."
The first person to speak took everyone by surprise.
It was Vegapunk.
He was very interested in this kind of attribute-rich stone, thinking that incorporating such attribute stones as energy sources into his scientific creations could enable those robots to have the ability to shoot fire.
Seeing this evolutionary stone, Vegapunk had already decided to ask Dak for some to experiment with after the auction.
As for this particular one, he intended to use it for testing.
Vegapunk wanted to cut it open to see its internal structure and composition.
It was to satisfy his personal curiosity, so he didn't plan to take it from the Alliance.
"We, the Marines, bid 10 gold coins. We are determined to get this Fire Stone."
Sengoku stepped forward.
The Marines absolutely needed this evolutionary stone. Not only did Zephyr's Growlithe need a Fire Stone to evolve, but they also had Eevee, Vulpix, and Pansear, which all required a Fire Stone for evolution.
Although their research team was trying to find substitutes that could enable Pokémon evolution, they hadn't succeeded yet. They didn't even know the exact components of a Fire Stone, so how could they find a substitute?
"Sorry, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, but we are also quite interested. We bid 15 gold coins."
The Revolutionary Army representative, Dragon, stepped forward, though he didn't reveal his identity, still cloaked in his green cape.
"Humph, then let's compete fairly. 20 gold coins!"
"21 gold coins!"
"25 gold coins!"
Dak sat in the shadows of a corner, watching the scene with amazement.
Someone who didn't know better might think they were at an auction in a fantasy world. It was quite interesting.
A Fire Stone cost only 10 gold coins, or 100,000 Berries, in the Magical Mall. It was just an ordinary item.
But here, it was ultimately bought by the Marines for 200 gold coins, a 20-fold increase.
This was because it was currently the only Fire Stone on the sea, making it extremely valuable.
"Congratulations to the Marines for winning the Fire Stone!"
"Now, let's look at our second item…"
"An Everstone!"
"This stone can prevent Pokémon from evolving and keep them at their current stage!"
The light curtain transformed into a round, gray stone, looking plain and unremarkable, like something picked up from a corner.
"What's the use of this?"
"No idea."
"Don't want it."
"Pokémon should evolve to look cool."
The pirate crowd's 'Pokémon culture' quickly became evident.
Dak had anticipated this. Each world had its own culture.
In the pirate world, most people valued strength and sought power, so they naturally wanted their Pokémon partners to evolve and become stronger.
Only a few trainers who considered Pokémon as family and didn't have excessive demands for their future wouldn't mind whether they evolved or not.
For example…
"The Whitebeard Pirates bid 10 gold coins."
Newgate didn't need to stand up.
Raising his hand was enough to catch Olvia's attention.
"Bzzt~"
Little Egg (Happiny) , sitting on Newgate's head, happily waved his arms.
The reason Newgate bought the Everstone was that Little Egg liked the stone's shape and wanted it as his 'egg.'
As for evolution, Newgate never considered Little Egg's evolution. Whether it evolved or not, it was still his child. Evolution wouldn't change his love for it.
No one else competed for the Everstone, so it was easily bought by Newgate.
This made Dak sigh.
The Everstone was more expensive than the Fire Stone in the Pokémon world, being relatively rare.
But unfortunately, in the pirate world, even if it was rare, it had no market.
"The third item is…"
"A Dome Fossil."
"This is a fossil from another world, possibly part of the shell of an ancient Pokémon that lived in the sea."
Olvia read out the description from the notes.
But she was also puzzled about the fossil's purpose.
It seemed it could only be collected.
Dak was the only one who knew the fossil's true value—it was essentially an ancient Pokémon egg that needed special means to be revived.
As Olvia guessed, the crowd wasn't very interested in the fossil.
Both the Marines and the Revolutionary Army were short on funds and didn't want to spend money on something unclear or unnecessary.
Blenheim of the Whitebeard Pirates was interested, as his stone collection had decreased for various reasons since acquiring Pokémon. But the Dome Fossil was ultimately won by a wealthy merchant living in Alliance City.
This merchant had a passion for collecting ancient items, indulging his personal hobby.
"The fourth item…"
"A Poké Flute."
"This flute can produce a beautiful sound that wakes up sleeping creatures."
In the Pokémon world, it was used to wake up Snorlax blocking paths.
But in the pirate world, someone discovered another use for it.
"The Marines bid 10 gold coins."
"11 gold coins."
"15 gold coins."
The Poké Flute was finally won by the Marines for 70 gold coins.
Most trainers hadn't realized the value of the Poké Flute yet, but the Marines, who had been studying Pokémon battles, were different.
Sengoku and Tsuru knew some Pokémon moves could make targets fall asleep.
Falling asleep suddenly during a battle was dangerous. The Marines' 'Pokémon Special Forces' had used 'Sleep Powder' and 'Hypnosis' to eliminate many criminals.
To prevent falling victim to these moves, they decided to prepare with the Poké Flute just in case.
The auction continued.
One by one, items that hadn't been available in the Breeding House or the Friendly Store were put up for auction.
It was a small eye-opener for everyone.
Dak didn't bring out any rare items, as they wouldn't sell well.
Rare items could only be traded after valuation, which was cumbersome. It was better to use them as prizes for future events.
The auction was still simple.
All items were provided by the Alliance. When more worlds get in his hand, the auction would become more interesting.
For example, Xiao Yan from "Battle Through the Heavens" might auction a Green Lotus Core Flame.
Or Orochimaru from "Naruto" might offer the cells of the First Hokage, Hashirama.
At that time, the auction would gather prominent figures from various worlds, making it very thrilling.
The end of the Alliance Auction marked the official end of New Year's Day.
Alliance City would close in two days, and all visitors would have to leave until the next event.
The next day, Dak immediately began preparing to establish the Pokémon Academy.
This wasn't a simple project, as Dak needed to exchange each component and install it, modifying any unsuitable parts.
It took about a week to complete the Pokémon Academy, costing a total of 300,000 Coins.
The Pokémon Academy was located east of Alliance City, covering almost a third of the central street.
By now, it was January 7th, Alliance Calendar Year 1, with a bit over a month until the Academy's opening.
The enrollment process was ongoing.
Due to the expansion, an additional 150 students needed to be enrolled, with people from the Four Seas and the New World eligible to apply.
During this week, the destruction of the Beasts Pirates was finally discovered.
After an investigation by Morgans, it was quickly revealed to be related to the Pokémon Alliance.
This didn't surprise him.
The Pokémon Alliance was the only force capable of making a faction disappear without a trace.
News of a Breeding House branch in Wano Country also spread.
Pirates worldwide cursed, realizing the Pokémon Alliance was determined to eradicate them, but no one dared to confront the Alliance. They could only lay low.
The number of pirate crews was visibly decreasing.
With fewer pirates, trade between countries and islands became more daring, setting the pirate world on a path to normalcy.
Iceburg and Tom completed the Sea Train project.
Iceburg began building the Sea Train between Alliance City and Fishman City, with many shipwrights helping, so it wouldn't take long.
Tom and Franky, on the other hand, started constructing a 'Sabaody Gym' on Sabaody Archipelago as per Dak's request.
...
Twenty days passed.
The date was now February 1st, Alliance Calendar Year 1, a month away from the Pokémon Academy's opening.
During these twenty days, Dak and Tesoro discussed matters concerning various countries.
The Alliance's manpower expanded as many former Celestial Dragon slaves joined, adding 5,000 reserve members.
Meanwhile, Tom and Franky, after finishing the Sabaody Gym, moved on to build the 'Alabasta Gym.'
Everything was progressing according to plan.
Dak also had another task before the Pokémon Academy opened.
Finding 'Gym Leaders.'
(End of Chapter)