Lucas stepped through the main entrance of Devon Corporation.
The lobby was far larger than he had imagined.
The floor was paved with polished light-gray marble that reflected both him and Ralts as though it were a mirror.
Above him hung modern geometric chandeliers that bathed the entire hall in bright white light, leaving almost no shadows.
The receptionists wore matching dark blue uniforms with silver Devon Corporation badges pinned neatly to their chests.
Lucas had barely taken three steps inside when a young receptionist with a ponytail approached him with a perfectly practiced smile.
She glanced briefly at Lucas before her eyes lingered on the Ralts perched on his shoulder and the ordinary Poké Balls hanging from his belt.
Although her professional smile never changed, Lucas noticed her gaze rest on Ralts for just a fraction of a second longer.
“Welcome to Devon Corporation.
How may I assist you today?” she asked politely.
“I’d like to look at the Pokémon Eggs,” Lucas replied, getting straight to the point.
Her smile remained unchanged as she stepped aside and gestured toward the eastern side of the building.
“The Pokémon Egg Trading Area is located on the east side of the first floor.
Please follow me.”
She walked ahead at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too slow, making it easy for Lucas to follow comfortably.
As they crossed the lobby, Lucas noticed several specialized sections along the way—the Poké Ball Department, the Trainer Supplies Department, and the Item Department.
Each section had its own attendants helping customers.
The visitors were equally diverse.
Some were elegantly dressed businessmen.
Others were experienced Trainers carrying large backpacks.
There were even several teenagers around Lucas’s age gathered around various counters, examining different products.
The Pokémon Egg Trading Area was located at the rear of the lobby.
After passing through a glass partition, the atmosphere changed completely.
The lighting became softer and warmer, clearly designed to create a comfortable environment for the eggs.
Even the air smelled different.
A faint scent of hay and fresh wood drifted through the room, giving it the unmistakable aroma of a breeding facility.
The trading area was divided into two sections.
The inner section contained rows of transparent, temperature-controlled display cases.
Each Pokémon Egg rested individually on a velvet cushion.
Beside every egg was a detailed label listing:
– Pokémon species
– Aptitude rating
– Price
The aisles between the display cases were wide enough for several people to walk side by side, while the wooden flooring absorbed footsteps almost completely.
The outer section was far more open.
Several long tables and chairs filled the room, while a large electronic screen continuously displayed breeding information and Pokémon Egg market updates.
Compared to the quiet display area…
The outer section was bustling with activity.
Groups of Trainers sat around the tables.
Some quietly discussed eggs.
Others carefully inspected them.
One man wearing a hood repeatedly examined an egg with a magnifying glass.
The receptionist guided Lucas to the certified display cases before stopping.
“These are all the Pokémon Eggs currently available for sale.”
“Every egg here has been officially certified by the League.”
“The species and aptitude information are displayed beside each one.”
“Please take your time.”
“If you have any questions, simply let me know.”
With that, she politely stepped back, leaving Lucas enough space to browse without feeling pressured.
Lucas couldn’t help admiring Devon Corporation’s professionalism.
They clearly understood the importance of giving customers room to think.
He slowly began browsing the display cases.
The first row contained relatively common Pokémon.
Zigzagoon.
Poochyena.
Lotad.
Seedot.
These species were abundant throughout the Hoenn region.
Naturally, their prices were relatively affordable.
Most ranged between 500,000 and 1,000,000 League Currency.
Nearly all possessed Pseudo Gym-level Aptitude, with an occasional Gym-level specimen.
Lucas stopped before one display.
Seedot
Pseudo Gym-level Aptitude
500,000 League Currency
Quietly opening the system analyzer, he scanned the egg.
Seedot
Gender: Female
Type: Grass / Normal
Ability: Early Bird
Aptitude: Pseudo Gym-level
Health: Excellent
The information perfectly matched the display label.
Lucas nodded before moving on.
The second row featured considerably rarer Pokémon.
Aron.
Azurill.
Electrike.
These species were far less common in the wild, and their prices reflected that.
One Pseudo Gym-level Electrike Egg was priced at 3,000,000 League Currency.
Lucas scanned several eggs one after another.
Every result matched the League’s certification almost perfectly.
Species.
Health.
Aptitude.
Everything was nearly identical.
After examining half a dozen different eggs, Lucas came to a conclusion.
Devon Corporation’s appraisal standards were exceptionally rigorous.
At least regarding conventional aptitude evaluation…
Their technology appeared to be every bit as accurate as the system itself.
His hope of finding a hidden bargain diminished considerably.
Still…
He continued deeper into the trading area.
The third row truly reminded Lucas how little money he actually possessed.
This section displayed rare Pokémon Eggs.
The very first display case occupied the most prominent position.
Bagon
Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon
Gym-level Aptitude
League Certified
Price: 5,000,000 League Currency
Lucas stopped immediately.
The egg rested beneath warm lighting.
Its pale blue shell was covered in irregular dark-blue markings resembling stars scattered across the night sky.
Sitting atop its white velvet cushion…
It radiated elegance.
Bagon.
A Dragon-type Pokémon whose final evolution became the mighty Salamence.
Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon were incredibly rare.
Wild populations were almost nonexistent.
Only League-authorized breeding facilities could legally raise them.
Every single egg was strictly monitored.
Lucas activated the analyzer.
Bagon
Gender: Male
Type: Dragon
Ability: Rock Head
Aptitude: Gym-level
Inherited Move: Dragon Dance
Health: Excellent
The system completely confirmed the League’s evaluation.
Lucas couldn’t help smiling bitterly.
Ironically…
This egg was technically considered defective.
Among Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon…
Anything below their species’ average aptitude was classified as defective.
Yet…
Even a “defective” Bagon still possessed Gym-level Aptitude, far beyond what most ordinary Pokémon could ever achieve.
The League maintained extremely strict control over Pseudo-Legendaries.
Even these so-called defective eggs sold for 5,000,000 League Currency.
As for Elite-level or Champion-level Pseudo-Legendary eggs…
They would never appear in a public showroom like this.
Beside it sat another Pseudo-Legendary egg.
Beldum
Gym-level Aptitude
5,200,000 League Currency
The analyzer produced nearly identical results.
Both eggs were extraordinary.
Both were completely out of Lucas’s financial reach.
Nearby stood several more rare Pokémon eggs.
Every single one exceeded 3,000,000 League Currency.
Looking at the prices…
Lucas suddenly felt that his own one million League Currency was almost laughable.
He continued walking through every display case.
One egg after another…
He scanned them all.
From ordinary Pokémon worth a few hundred thousand…
To rare species worth millions.
The League’s evaluations and the system’s results were almost perfectly identical.
Only occasionally did the system rate an egg slightly lower than the official label.
For example…
One labeled Pseudo Gym-level might be evaluated as merely Superior-level by the analyzer.
Lucas guessed the League probably used slightly more forgiving standards.
Or perhaps those eggs simply sat near the boundary between two aptitude ranks.
Either way…
There were no hidden bargains.
Devon Corporation clearly wasn’t running a charity.
Their appraisers knew exactly what they were doing.
High-quality eggs carried high prices.
Average eggs carried average prices.
Finding an incredibly valuable Pokémon for almost nothing here…
Was nothing more than wishful thinking.
Noticing Lucas’s increasingly thoughtful expression, the receptionist approached once more.
She remained just as polite as before.
No impatience.
No mockery.
Simply professional courtesy.
“Sir…”
“If you’re looking for a particular species…”
“Or if your budget is somewhat…
limited…”
She smiled gently.
“I recommend taking a look at the area over there.”
She pointed toward the outer trading hall.
“The eggs there haven’t undergone complete League certification.”
“So they’re much cheaper.”
“Many Trainers enjoy trying their luck there.”
Lucas immediately understood.
The display cases represented the certified section.
Expensive.
Reliable.
Fully inspected.
The outer hall…
Was essentially the blind box section.
Unknown species.
Unknown aptitude.
Unknown origin.
Everything depended on luck.
Or skill.
That was where true bargains could occasionally be found.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll take a look.”
The receptionist nodded politely and returned to her position without following him.
The outer section was far livelier than the certified area.
Long tables stretched across the room.
Hundreds of Pokémon Eggs rested inside simple wooden holders.
Unlike the certified section…
None carried labels.
No names.
No aptitude ratings.
Nothing.
Some Trainers examined shell patterns through magnifying glasses.
Others gently shook eggs beside their ears.
Several quietly exchanged information with companions.
The rules here were simple.
250,000 League Currency per egg.
No bargaining.
No refunds.
No exchanges.
Once purchased…
The egg belonged to you.
You might hatch a rare Pokémon worth millions.
Or…
You might end up with something worth almost nothing.
Win or lose…
The responsibility was entirely yours.
Lucas slowly walked toward the first table.
Dozens of eggs of every imaginable size and color filled the display.
Some shells were smooth as jade.
Others felt rough like sandstone.
Some shimmered with brilliant colors.
Others looked dull and ordinary.
Before Lucas even began scanning…
A commotion erupted nearby.
At the opposite end of the table…
A boy wearing a red jacket and a girl with twin ponytails both had their hands firmly pressed against the same dark-brown Pokémon Egg.
Neither was willing to let go.
“I saw it first!”
the boy shouted.
“I touched it first!”
the girl immediately argued back.
Several bystanders laughed.
An older man even tried calming them down.
“There are plenty of eggs.”
“No need to fight.”
Neither listened.
All four hands remained tightly wrapped around the same egg.
Lucas simply glanced over.
Rather than joining the argument…
He quietly activated the analyzer.
Seedot
Gender: Male
Type: Grass / Normal
Ability: Chlorophyll
Aptitude: Pseudo Gym-level
Inherited Move: Leech Seed
Health: Excellent
It was simply a Seedot.
Nothing particularly rare.
A respectable Pseudo Gym-level Aptitude, but hardly worth fighting over.
Lucas withdrew his gaze.
He had no interest in joining the dispute.
Instead…
He began thinking about his own goal.
Should I buy an egg to resell for profit…
Or should I choose a Pokémon that could strengthen the farm itself?
The two objectives required completely different choices.
If he wanted profit…
He needed an egg with the greatest resale potential.
If he wanted to improve the farm…
He needed a Pokémon that could work alongside his current team and create useful synergy.
Lucas quietly examined the rows of mysterious eggs.
There was no need to rush.
This decision deserved careful thought.