"Ahem~ It seems I don't need to explain—this Pokémon has already revealed itself."
Seeing the crowd reacting to the barking inside the cage, the rabbit auctioneer stopped teasing and pulled away the red cloth.
"Woof—Awooo!"
The small Pokémon inside didn't cower. Instead, it let out a loud howl, trying to appear fierce.
"Woof! Woof!"
I'm a fierce Houndour! No way I'd be scared…
…even if its slightly trembling legs said otherwise.
After all, it was only a mid-stage newborn Pokémon—being surrounded by so many people was still intimidating.
"It's a Houndour! I thought it was a Growlithe!"
"Houndour's good too—it doesn't even need a Fire Stone to evolve."
"Yeah, Fire-types are limited anyway. This one's pretty solid."
Looking at the half-meter-tall black canine, most people showed clear interest.
A Houndour could handle many of the same roles as a Growlithe—tracking scents, hunting enemies, and assisting in the wild.
On top of that, its Fire/Dark typing made it especially effective against Psychic and Ghost-type Pokémon.
Of course, in terms of looks and prestige, Arcanine was still king. Compared to that, Houndoom felt more like a "budget version."
But the reality was simple—getting a high-quality Growlithe from Officer Jenny's network was nearly impossible.
So for most people, riding an Arcanine was just a dream.
A Houndour, on the other hand, was far more practical.
"…When will I finally stop thinking about 'cost-performance'…"
Icarus sighed inwardly.
Even though he was earning more money, it somehow always felt like it wasn't enough.
At the center stage, the auctioneer continued:
"This Houndour comes from an elite-level Houndoom lineage. While its aptitude is only high-grade, it has inherited a special move—Thunder Fang!"
"That means it can naturally counter Water-type Pokémon!"
"No need to say more—its potential speaks for itself! Starting price: 800,000 Pokédollars! Minimum increase: 10,000!"
"850,000!"
Someone immediately raised the bid.
"1,000,000!"
Without hesitation, Icarus jumped straight to one million.
He had already made up his mind—this Houndour was the best fit for him right now.
No hesitation. No slow bidding. End it fast.
"1,010,000!"
"1,050,000!"
The competition continued.
Icarus calculated quickly:
"A normal mid-grade Houndour costs around 60,000…
A high-grade one should be about 500,000+ in theory…"
"I have 1.04 million… plus Airi's 500,000…"
"That should be enough."
"Even with Thunder Fang, it shouldn't exceed 2 million…
If it were a long-range Electric move, maybe—but close combat lowers its value."
Everyone here understood that. No one was blindly overvaluing it.
Soon, the price reached 1,500,000.
Only a few bidders remained—including Icarus.
"1,510,000!"
"1,550,000!" — Icarus immediately jumped the price again.
The aggressive increases made others hesitate.
"1,550,000, first time!"
Just as the hammer fell—
"1,560,000!"
Someone else raised their paddle.
"1,600,000!"
Icarus didn't hesitate and raised it again.
Silence followed.
"1,600,000, first time~"
The auctioneer paused deliberately, then started hyping again:
"This is a high-grade Houndour! With proper evolution, it has a chance to reach elite level!"
"It's also an excellent tracking partner—perfect for survival in the wild!"
Icarus's expression darkened.
"…So this is what that Moon Stone guy felt earlier."
If this were the wild, he'd seriously consider shutting her up permanently.
"1,610,000! Bid from the VIP box!"
The second floor lit up.
"…Damn it. 1,650,000!"
He immediately countered, raising it sharply.
"Anyone else?! This is a future elite Houndoom! Elite!"
The auctioneer kept pushing.
But this time—
No one followed.
"…Elite isn't that easy to reach."
Icarus smiled coldly.
"1,650,000, first time."
"Second time…"
The auctioneer dragged it out—but no one bid again.
"Third time! Sold! Congratulations!"
Finally—
It was his.
"Let's go, Airi. We'll collect the Houndour and head back."
Suppressing his excitement, Icarus called her over.
This—
was his third Pokémon.