"This is the ghost-type Pokémon I've got in stock. What do you think?"
The shop owner, beaming with pride, pointed to the ghost-types locked behind a cage made from special materials.
He had good reason to be proud.
There were three ghost-types for sale—one was a standard Gastly, commonly found in Kanto. The other two were far rarer: Shuppet and Duskull.
Among them, the Nightwatcher immediately caught Jack's eye.
With Haunter covering special attacks and Aegislash excelling at physical offense, a ghost-type with strong dual defenses like Duskull would perfectly round out his team.
Duskull, after all, was the base form of the rare evolution: Dusknoir.
Species-wise, Jack was satisfied. But when he examined its condition and natural talent… his excitement faded.
The Duskull had the trademark skull-like mask with a pointed top, three fangs, and deep eye sockets. Its black body housed a glowing red eye, and a phosphorescent wisp trailed from its head. Two white bone-like markings curved along its back, and its small arms stayed tucked behind its back while misty feet floated beneath—more spirit than creature.
True to its nature, Duskull thrived in the shadows, silently stalking prey through the night. It could phase through walls and ambush from behind, unsettling even adults with a single glare from its crimson eye. Victims froze in terror before slowly succumbing as their life force was drained. But what Duskull loved most was the energy of children—especially the sound of a child's cry. They'd haunt neighborhoods in the dead of night, seeking out those cries.
Still, Jack—being bonded with ghostly power himself—wasn't concerned about its lifeforce-draining nature. His own aura could nourish ghost-types without requiring them to harm others.
But even with its promising species, this particular Duskull had serious flaws. Its red eye was dull, and the phosphorescent wisp lacked brightness—a clear sign of poor aptitude and lackluster training. Worse, its growth had been stunted due to long-term neglect.
It wasn't beyond saving… but raising it to a standard level would demand enormous time, resources, and effort—let alone helping it surpass others of its kind.
The Shuppet wasn't much better off.
Ironically, the Gastly was in the best condition of the three.
But Jack wasn't in a position to build a squad of identical ghost-types. With limited funds and power, his only choice was to give up.
"It's a good selection," Jack rasped through his disguised voice. "But not what I'm looking for. I'll check other shops."
The owner didn't seem offended. With a polite nod, he saw Jack off and added, "If you change your mind, come back. I'll even give you a discount."
This was the reality of the black market.
Of course, if the deal was sweet enough, that 'discount' might come with strings attached.
Out on the street again, Jack dropped the idea of buying a ghost-type here. It was no surprise—this black market only supported medium-sized auctions. Ghost-types were already rare; expecting one with high aptitude to appear here was wishful thinking.
And since the vendors were professionals, there was no chance of stumbling on a hidden gem for cheap.
Jack knew all this, but still—he had to try.
Well, at least now he could stop wasting time and wait for the auction to start.
As he walked through the marketplace, he noticed the crowd had grown.
Among them, some would soon become his rivals at the auction… and others might be predators looking to mug successful bidders on their way out.
That was exactly why Jack rarely attended auctions.
To be safe, he'd used up his last seven bombs and deployed several invisible surveillance bugs before the event. He'd taken every precaution to stay hidden and protected.
A few hours later, the auction finally began.
Jack had spent 10,000 Alliance Coins just to buy the lowest-tier admission ticket. It stung. That much money only got him into the outer hall, where he'd had to scramble to grab a corner seat.
He sighed bitterly. Ten thousand... just for a seat? When he became rich, he swore to host an auction himself—and rake in money from the fools throwing it around.
But then again… knowing his own greedy nature, he'd probably end up stealing half the items people brought to sell.
With a chuckle, Jack settled in as the auction hall filled.
An hour later, the event officially kicked off.
The auctioneer was a striking woman in a daring outfit—clearly chosen to raise the bidders' pulse and their prices. Her outfit was a revealing bunny suit, designed to stir excitement and encourage reckless bids.
Jack, caught off guard, couldn't help but imagine the woman auctioning herself off. That'd break the bank.
As his thoughts wandered, the auctioneer clapped her hands and smiled. The first item was brought out.
To start with a bang, they always opened with something mid-to-high tier. This time, it was a high-quality Thunder Stone.
Evolution stones were categorized by quality—Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Top-Grade.
Basic stones typically went for around 10 million coins, Intermediate for 100 million, and Advanced for 1 billion. Top-Grade ones? They could reach 10 billion—and even then, they were hard to find.
Stones like the Dusk Stone, which evolved ghost-types, were worth even more than other evolution stones.
Jack winced.
His Honedge—the ghost-type dual-sword Pokémon—was already bound to a top-tier Dusk Stone. Not because Jack wanted to spend that much, but because the evolution process significantly influenced future growth. A lower-quality stone could leave fatal flaws.
To raise Honedge into its ultimate form, Aegislash, without setbacks, only the best would do.
Even if it cost him everything.