Of course, those wild ideas about wishing for Meltan or Diancie were just Chen Shi's unreliable imagination running loose.
Realistically, neither was something Jirachi could simply "grant."
Meltan required hundreds of its kind to fuse before becoming Melmetal. One alone was hardly meaningful.
As for Diancie—it wasn't even a normal evolution. It was said to be a rare mutation born from Carbink. And legend had it that only one Diancie could exist in the world at any given time. Only after the previous Diancie perished would a new one be born.
For all they knew, there might not even be one in existence right now.
And more importantly—
Jirachi's wish power likely didn't involve creating life from nothing.
If someone wished for a Pokémon, chances were it would simply be transported from somewhere else.
Or worse—
Just a projection.
And if it really dragged a genuine Diancie across regions?
Would that Pokémon even listen?
What if it got angry at being forcibly relocated?
That sounded less like a wish and more like self-inflicted disaster.
Chen Shi rubbed his chin, staring thoughtfully at the meteorite.
Still…
Now that Jirachi was right in front of him, he really did need to think carefully about what kind of wish—if any—was worth three hundred million.
Even if Steven had paid for it.
"What are you thinking about?" Cynthia asked curiously.
Chen Shi chuckled. "Trying to figure out what to wish for."
Cynthia gave him a look.
"How are you so sure it'll grant your wish?"
"What if Jirachi ignores you completely? Then all this planning is pointless."
Chen Shi blinked.
…She had a point.
Jirachi wasn't his Pokémon.
It was free.
All he had done was purchase the meteorite it happened to be sleeping in.
From Jirachi's perspective, Chen Shi didn't have any claim over it.
Why should it feel obligated to grant him anything?
Steven leaned back on the sofa and shrugged.
"So this doesn't work, that doesn't work… Then what's the use of Jirachi to us?"
"Can't catch it. Might not grant wishes."
Chen Shi shot him a glare.
"Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean it's useless."
Jirachi truly couldn't be caught.
And wishing…
For reasons he couldn't explain, Chen Shi felt a faint resistance toward it.
But that didn't make it meaningless.
It was a Mythical Pokémon.
Even meeting it once—speaking to it—was an opportunity worth far more than three hundred million.
Carefully, he stored the meteorite away.
No use overthinking now.
Five days.
They would wait for the comet.
"Let's keep watching the auction. We'll deal with this later."
The others nodded and turned their attention back outside.
The remaining items were impressive—but nothing worth their involvement.
Soon, the auction approached its finale.
Lizi stepped forward with a radiant smile.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, we arrive at the three grand finale items of tonight's auction."
"I believe many of you came specifically for these, so I won't waste time."
She clapped lightly.
A staff member stepped onto the stage carrying a velvet-lined box.
When Lizi opened it—
Two stones lay quietly inside.
"The first grand finale item is a Key Stone and a Charizardite."
Her smile turned playful.
"I'm sure none of you are unfamiliar with the name Chen Shi."
"He is the most extraordinary Breeder prodigy in League history, the champion of the World Championships that shook the entire League, and a rising star in the research world."
She paused deliberately.
"But what many may not know…"
"Mr. Chen Shi is also a special consultant of Devon Corporation. The fossil revival breakthrough succeeded with his assistance."
"And later, with his help, our research into Mega Evolution stones was completed, bringing Mega Evolution to the world."
"As a result, Devon Corporation has collected a number of Mega Stones and Key Stones."
"Today, we are offering three complete pairs for auction."
"If you're interested… feel free to compete."
Her lips curved into a knowing smile.
The moment the stones were displayed—
The hall exploded.
"That's definitely a Key Stone and a Mega Stone! I've seen the images in Chen Shi's research paper!"
"Are you stupid? Of course they're real! You think Devon would fake something like this?"
"Devon must be insane! Why auction something like that? Shouldn't they keep it?"
"Who cares why? If it's on sale, we have a chance!"
"You're dreaming. The people upstairs will take it. We're just spectators."
The news of Mega Stones being auctioned had only circulated among the League's upper echelon.
The regular guests had no idea.
And even those in the VIP rooms were barely containing their excitement.
Since Mega Evolution had been unveiled—
Who didn't want that power?
But Key Stones and Mega Stones were absurdly rare.
Even offering sky-high purchase prices yielded nothing.
Anything remotely easy to find had already been scooped up by Steven.
And even if someone found one—
How could they identify it?
Or worse—
They might only have a Key Stone without its matching Mega Stone.
Useless.
Now, a complete pair lay before them.
The temptation was overwhelming.
In VIP Room No.4, Suzuki Yu hadn't blinked since the box opened.
His gaze locked onto the Charizardite.
His ace Pokémon—
Was a Charizard.
If he could secure that Mega Stone—
"If I can't surpass you as a Breeder," he muttered to himself, "then I'll surpass you as a Trainer."
"With my family's resources… once I master Mega Evolution, I'll catch up to you."
"And then I'll defeat you."
A twisted smile spread across his face.
For this Mega Stone—
He would not lose.
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