"Miss Mary, could you bring out your Vulpix for a moment?" asked the spiky blond-haired Sparky, turning toward the purple-haired beauty standing closest to him.
"Hehe~" The short-haired beauty named Mary let out a soft, charming laugh before replying, "Of course, Sparky. Come out, my baby!"
"Vulpix~"
A flash of white light flickered, and a small fox Pokémon appeared before the crowd. Its body fur was a warm brown shade, while the tuft on its head and its tails were a deep crimson.
Vulpix was an exceptionally adorable Pokémon. Gentle in temperament and highly intelligent, it was particularly beloved by young women and elegant ladies alike.
Sparky reached into his pocket and pulled out a palm-sized, oval-shaped stone with an irregular fiery-red surface.
Under the sunlight, the stone shimmered with a crystal-like glow. Looking closely, one could even see a flickering flame-like radiance moving within the stone itself.
Kael had a sharp eye. With just a glance from afar, he could tell that the spiky-haired youth was holding a high-quality Fire Stone. Judging by the vivid flame glow inside it alone, the stone's value would not be lower than 80,000 dollar.
Sparky waved the Fire Stone gently in front of Mary and gave a graceful bow like a perfect gentleman.
"Would you mind letting your Vulpix evolve into something even more beautiful and elegant—a Ninetales?"
"Really? You mean it?" Mary covered her lips in excitement. "I've always wanted my baby to evolve into Ninetales, but good-quality Evolution Stones are just too expensive."
"Hah." Sparky smiled and shook his head lightly. Raising the Fire Stone high, he looked around the crowd and announced in a loud voice:
"Today, every friend who attends this banquet will receive a top-grade Evolution Stone for free—my personal treat."
With that, he tossed the Fire Stone toward Mary and snapped his fingers.
Soon, a group of burly men dressed in black security uniforms hurried over from the rear hall.
The two leading bodyguards, both wearing sunglasses, each carried a silver metal briefcase.
Behind them, several attendants brought over a large empty table. The briefcases were placed on top, their locks opened with a code.
Inside, neatly arranged Evolution Stones rested quietly on black velvet padding.
Each stone was roughly palm-length. Depending on the element, the glowing aura within them shimmered in different colors. But without question, every single Evolution Stone inside those two briefcases was of top-tier quality—the kind rarely seen in ordinary city shops.
Only in major cities like Goldenrod City or Celadon City, or at large-scale auctions, would stones of this grade occasionally appear.
....
"Please excuse the spectacle," Butler Karl said with a helpless smile.
The cheers and excited screams ringing in his ears made the elderly butler's expression turn slightly wry. But as a servant of the household, it wasn't his place to criticize his masters' behavior.
Kael had seen plenty of wealthy people before—but someone this extravagant was a first.
A quick glance told him there were at least thirty guests attending the banquet. One stone per person meant nearly 3 million dollars being given away with a single sentence.
The bounty reward for this mission was only 3.8 million dollars.
Calling Sparky merely "rich" would almost be insulting—this was next-level wealth.
After this little episode, Karl quickened his pace. Kael withdrew his gaze from the scene and followed behind him.
The two walked one after another into the manor villa ahead.
The interior hall was lavishly decorated—magnificent yet tasteful. It carried a hint of classical elegance without feeling gaudy or excessive.
It wasn't the crude display of wealth Kael had imagined. It seemed the so-called Eevee family possessed genuine heritage and refinement.
Climbing a marble staircase, Kael followed Karl up to the second floor. Eventually, they stopped before a pair of double doors at the far end of the right corridor.
Karl didn't open the doors. Instead, he turned to Kael with a smile.
"Sir, you may go in and rest for now. Many of your colleagues are already inside. I'll go inform the brothers."
Kael nodded and stepped aside to let the old butler pass.
...
Pushing the doors open, Kael stepped inside.
Immediately, dozens of sharp gazes landed on him.
For an ordinary person, such scrutiny would have been enough to make them uncomfortable—either forcing them to quickly find a seat or simply turn around and leave.
Kael, however, had thick skin.
He hooked his black sunglasses onto the bridge of his nose, shoved both hands into his pockets, and casually dropped onto the nearest sofa.
Everyone gathered here was at least a Silver-Badge bounty hunter.
And to earn a Silver Badge, one must possess certification as an Elite Trainer.
In other words, the forty-plus people in this large meeting room were all battle-hardened veteran trainers.
Most bounty hunters stared at the newcomer for a moment before losing interest.
He looked far too young. Even if he had some ability, it likely wouldn't be impressive enough to pose serious competition.
Only a few individuals continued watching him with unmistakably malicious intent.
For some truly ruthless hunters, when participating in competitive group missions, quietly eliminating a few rivals through subtle tricks was simply standard practice.
As long as there was no solid evidence, accidents happened all the time—especially in places like underground mines.
If someone happened to be buried in a collapse… wasn't that perfectly normal?
The meeting room remained quiet.
Aside from a few hunters who had arrived in teams whispering among themselves, most sat silently in place.
Some stared blankly out the window.
Some lay on sofas with their eyes closed, resting.
Others idly played with daggers in their hands.
A room full of different personalities and temperaments.
There was only one reward, yet so many competitors.
Kael could easily imagine that once the mission officially began, countless hidden schemes and rivalries would unfold behind the scenes.
This was the life of a hunter.
And it was exactly why, even though the Pokémon League officially recognized the profession of bounty hunters, it still failed to earn genuine respect from the wider public.
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P@treon/GodDragcell