"VIP Room No.1 bids three hundred million. Any higher offers?"
Though Lizi sensed something unusual in the air, her professional composure never wavered. She directed her gaze toward VIP Room No.4 on the third floor.
No response.
She brought the gavel down decisively.
"Three hundred million League Credits, once!"
Silence.
"Three hundred million, twice!"
The entire hall held its breath.
"Three hundred million, three times! Congratulations to VIP Room No.1 for winning the meteorite!"
The tension finally broke. Murmurs rippled through the auction hall, most people discussing the astronomical price of a seemingly ordinary rock.
Chen Shi ignored the chatter and turned to Steven with a bright smile.
"My dear brother, I didn't bring that much money today. You'll handle the payment for me, right?"
Steven: "..."
"Wait. You're serious? You really think I'm your personal ATM?"
His voice was calm — but his eye twitched.
Three hundred million.
For a meteorite his own father didn't even care about.
And now he had to pay for it.
Steven felt a rare urge to say something very un-Champion-like.
Chen Shi spread his hands innocently.
"I really didn't bring money. What can you do about it?"
He wasn't lying.
He hadn't cared about this auction at all.
Who could've predicted that Jirachi would show up as a surprise bonus?
A knock came at the door.
Two staff members entered carefully, carrying the meteorite on a reinforced tray and placing it on the table.
One of them asked politely, "May we confirm who will handle the payment?"
Steven let out a long sigh and shot someone a sideways glare.
"Put it on my account. I'll settle it afterward."
"Yes, Young Master."
The staff withdrew.
From the moment the meteorite entered the room, Chen Shi's gaze hadn't left it.
On the surface, it truly looked ordinary.
Large. Well-preserved.
That was it.
Without the system interface, even he would've overlooked it.
Steven folded his arms.
"Old Chen, what exactly is so special about this thing? I'm supposed to be the stone expert here, and I see absolutely nothing."
Cynthia, Leon, and Diantha were equally puzzled.
Chen Shi smiled mysteriously instead of answering directly.
"Five days from now… isn't there a comet scheduled to pass by?"
Steven, Leon, and Diantha exchanged looks.
They had been fully immersed in the World Championships. None of them had paid attention to astronomical events.
Cynthia, however, nodded slowly.
"There is. A rare comet will pass in five days. But what does that have to do with this meteorite?"
Chen Shi's smile widened.
"It has everything to do with it."
He hadn't known about the comet either.
He had only asked after seeing the system countdown.
Five days until awakening.
And now—
Five days until the comet.
He exhaled softly.
"When the comet passes… it will awaken from its thousand-year slumber."
His voice carried a strange note of awe.
"This is an opportunity that comes once every thousand years."
"And it only lasts seven days."
Seven days awake.
A thousand years asleep.
The thought alone felt unbearably lonely.
Inside his sleeve, Mew peeked out quietly, eyes shining with excitement. Jirachi was an old friend.
It was happy.
Steven and the others stared at the meteorite in disbelief.
"Wait… you're saying… this meteorite is a Pokémon?" Steven muttered.
Cynthia's eyes widened suddenly.
"A thousand years… seven days…"
She recalled an ancient Hoenn record.
"Are you saying this is… Hoenn's mythical Pokémon — the one said to grant wishes?"
Chen Shi nodded.
"Yes. It's Jirachi."
Steven blinked.
"That's impossible… How could Father have just—"
Chen Shi glanced at him with mock disappointment.
"And you call yourself a Hoenn native? Didn't even recognize your own region's Mythical Pokémon."
"..."
Steven scratched his head awkwardly and wisely shut up.
Leon and Diantha were still processing.
"Grant any wish?" Leon repeated slowly.
That was… terrifyingly powerful.
His thoughts drifted to Galar.
Wild Dynamax incidents were still troubling rural communities.
If Jirachi truly had that kind of power—
Could one wish stop wild Dynamax Pokémon from attacking civilians?
Leon voiced the question immediately.
Chen Shi stared at him.
Leon really was straightforward.
He considered his words carefully.
"Legends exaggerate. Jirachi's power isn't unlimited."
"And the source of Galar's Dynamax phenomenon runs far deeper than a simple wish could solve."
He didn't say the name.
But he was thinking of Eternatus.
A being whose raw energy rivaled even Rayquaza.
Jirachi limiting that?
Unrealistic.
Leon sighed but didn't argue.
It had been a hopeful thought, nothing more.
Steven, however, had already moved on to something else entirely.
"So… it can grant wishes, right?"
He leaned forward eagerly.
"Can I wish for a Hisuian Goodra like Cynthia's?"
Chen Shi: "..."
Cynthia: "..."
Chen Shi glared at him.
"I swear you look more like a Goomy than a Goodra."
Technically, that wish might even be within Jirachi's capability.
But for some reason—
Chen Shi felt a faint resistance toward the idea of wishing.
He couldn't explain it.
Maybe it was pride.
Maybe instinct.
If he was going to wish for something…
Was a Goodra really the best option?
If you were dreaming big—
Why not Meltan?
Or Diancie?
He shook the thought away.
First things first.
Five days.
Jirachi would awaken.
And the real question wasn't what they could wish for—
But whether they should.
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