Lucas waited for another hour, though it felt much longer than he had expected.
People came and went through the trading area.
Some browsed the nearby stalls, while others paused briefly in front of his table.
They would glance at the cardboard sign, notice the 1,000,000 League Currency price tag, widen their eyes slightly, shake their heads, and move on.
One million wasn’t an impossibly high price, but it was still a figure that most people couldn’t casually afford.
The sunlight pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows gradually shifted as the afternoon wore on, stretching long shadows across the polished floor.
Lucas checked the time.
It was already past three in the afternoon.
He had spent several hours here today.
From browsing Devon Corporation’s certified Pokémon Eggs, to exploring the blind-box section, buying eggs, and now trying to sell them…
The day had passed much faster than he’d expected.
Just as he was wondering whether to wait another half hour before packing up, someone stopped in front of his table.
Lucas looked up.
The man appeared to be in his forties.
He wore a faded light-blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and carried an old leather briefcase.
A pair of glasses rested on his nose, and although fine wrinkles surrounded his eyes, his expression remained calm and gentle.
He carried the unmistakable air of a teacher.
Lucas froze for a moment.
He recognized him.
Not from his own memories…
But from the memories of the original Lucas.
Li Wen.
Teacher Li.
One of Lucas’s former schoolteachers.
Lucas had barely opened his mouth when Teacher Li looked from the cardboard sign to his face.
“Lucas?”
His voice was filled with surprise.
His brows knit together as he peered through his glasses to make sure he wasn’t mistaken.
“You…”
“What are you doing here?”
His gaze shifted toward the Eevee Egg resting on the table before finally stopping on the handwritten price.
1,000,000 League Currency.
His expression became complicated.
There was surprise…
Concern…
And uncertainty about how to begin the conversation.
Lucas knew exactly what he was thinking.
Everyone in Petalburg City who knew Lucas also knew what had happened to his parents.
“Teacher Li.”
Lucas smiled naturally.
“I’m here to sell something.”
Teacher Li looked back at the Eevee Egg.
He remained silent for a long moment.
He didn’t ask how Lucas was doing.
He didn’t ask how he was surviving alone.
Perhaps because…
The answers were already obvious.
Instead, he quietly placed his briefcase beside the table.
He carefully picked up the Eevee Egg.
His movements were surprisingly practiced.
First, he examined the shell’s color and texture.
Next, he gently traced the pale golden markings with his fingertips.
Finally…
He held the egg beside his ear and listened quietly for several seconds.
“A Gym-level Eevee?”
he asked as he carefully returned it to its stand.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of doubt in his voice.
He simply wanted confirmation.
“That’s right.”
Lucas nodded.
“Gym-level.”
“And the price really is one million?”
“Yes.”
Teacher Li didn’t answer immediately.
He studied the egg once more before silently placing his phone face down on the table.
Lucas never looked at the screen.
Still…
He could roughly guess what Teacher Li had been checking.
A teacher’s salary wasn’t particularly high.
One million League Currency probably represented years of savings.
After a moment, Lucas spoke gently.
“Teacher Li…”
“If you’re buying a partner for your child…”
“An Eevee is one of the best choices.”
“They adapt easily.”
“They’re friendly toward beginner Trainers.”
“And with Gym-level aptitude…”
“No matter which evolution it eventually chooses…”
“It will become a strong companion.”
Teacher Li looked at him with surprise.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
“How did you know I was buying it for my daughter?”
Lucas pointed toward the old briefcase.
On one corner…
A worn Pikachu sticker smiled brightly.
The edges were peeling from years of use.
“It has to be for your child.”
Lucas chuckled.
“I don’t think many adults would decorate their briefcase with a Pikachu sticker.”
Teacher Li lowered his head.
Then he laughed softly.
“My daughter just turned ten this year.”
His expression softened immediately.
“She’s wanted her own Pokémon for a long time.”
“But her mother and I always felt she was still too young.”
“Her birthday is coming soon…”
“And I wanted to surprise her.”
His hand gently rested on the Eevee Egg.
He didn’t pick it up again.
But he also didn’t let go.
Lucas quietly waited.
For nearly half a minute…
Neither of them spoke.
Around them, Trainers chatted.
Pokémon cried out.
Footsteps echoed across the trading hall.
Yet the silence between them felt strangely peaceful.
Finally…
Teacher Li sighed.
“Devon Corporation’s eggs are guaranteed by the League.”
“But they’re expensive.”
“I’ve been looking there for over a month.”
“The cheapest Gym-level Eevee Egg costs 1.2 million.”
“Yours is two hundred thousand cheaper.”
“But…”
He stopped there.
He didn’t need to finish.
Lucas understood.
Buying directly from him meant saving money.
But it also meant giving up Devon Corporation’s official League certification.
For an item worth one million…
Anyone would hesitate.
Lucas couldn’t argue against that concern.
The lack of official certification was the biggest weakness of his sale.
Fortunately…
He still possessed one advantage.
He had always been an honest student.
Several minutes later…
Teacher Li quietly took out his identification card.
Then he stood up.
“I’ll buy it.”
“One million.”
The transaction was completed at the Pokémon Center.
With Nurse Joy acting as the witness, Lucas prepared a handwritten receipt for Teacher Li.
Although it wasn’t an official League certificate…
Having the Pokémon Center oversee the transaction provided both parties with basic protection.
Teacher Li carefully folded the receipt before placing it inside his pocket.
Then he accepted the portable incubator containing the Eevee Egg.
Standing outside the Pokémon Center…
The afternoon sunlight illuminated his faded shirt and the white incubator in his hands.
Before leaving, he turned around.
“Lucas.”
“Thank you.”
Lucas shook his head.
“No.”
“I should be the one thanking you.”
Teacher Li looked at him quietly.
His lips moved slightly, as though he wanted to say something more.
In the end…
He simply reached out and patted Lucas gently on the shoulder.
Then he turned around.
Carrying the incubator…
He disappeared into the warm afternoon sunlight.
Lucas stood there watching him leave.
The faded blue shirt.
The old briefcase.
The white incubator.
His figure wasn’t especially tall.
Yet every step he took was steady and confident until he gradually disappeared into the bustling streets of Petalburg City.
Lucas remained standing there for quite some time.
Only when Ralts gently rubbed its head against his cheek did he finally return to reality.
He looked down at his account balance.
The Azurill Egg had sold for 400,000 League Currency.
The Mankey Egg had sold for 400,000 League Currency.
The Eevee Egg had sold for 1,000,000 League Currency.
His total income reached 1.8 million League Currency.
After subtracting the 1 million he had originally spent purchasing the four eggs…
His net profit was 800,000 League Currency.
Combined with the few thousand League Currency already in his account…
He now possessed over 1.8 million League Currency…
Plus one remaining Makuhita Egg.
Lucas smiled slightly.
This method of making money is incredibly fast…
But I can’t keep doing it.
If I become too successful, someone is bound to notice.
By the time he returned…
Evening had arrived.
The setting sun disappeared behind the hills, bathing the farm in warm orange light.
From the orchard came the cheerful cries of returning Pidgey.
Their chirping echoed through the valley like a bubbling pot.
Perched atop the tallest branch of the persimmon tree, Pidgeotto spotted Lucas’s arrival immediately.
It let out a loud, welcoming cry.
Bulbasaur hurried over to greet him.
Inside the enclosure, all eleven Mareep also noticed his return.
They lifted their heads simultaneously before filling the air with excited bleats.
Several even scratched eagerly at the fence, clearly hoping Lucas had brought something back for them.
Ralts emerged from its Poké Ball.
It jumped from Lucas’s shoulder and immediately ran toward the Mareep.
One by one…
It inspected each little sheep.
It sniffed them.
Rubbed against them.
Checked them carefully.
Only after confirming that every Mareep was safe and healthy did it finally relax.
Lucas quietly watched everything unfold.
The warm evening sunlight rested gently on his face.
For a long moment…
He simply stood there enjoying the peaceful scene.
Eventually…
He walked into the farmhouse.
From his system storage, he carefully removed the remaining Makuhita Egg and placed it on a sturdy table against the living room wall.
Instead of putting it into an incubator…
He spread a clean, soft cloth beneath it.
Then he gently covered it with a thin blanket.
Makuhita was a Fighting-type Pokémon.
Its egg didn’t require especially strict temperature control.
Still…
A little extra warmth certainly wouldn’t hurt.
At that moment, Ralts came running inside.
It jumped onto the table and curiously stared at the Makuhita Egg.
Tilting its head…
It gently reached out and touched the shell with one tiny hand.
Lucas smiled.
He softly rubbed Ralts’ head before heading into the kitchen.
It was time to start preparing dinner.