"Ha ha, so you're here too. What a coincidence."
Idris said it with a light laugh, coming up and stopping in front of Vance.
"It is a coincidence. You're here as well."
Vance gave a small nod as he answered.
Seeing that the seat beside Vance was empty, Idris sat down too, ready to talk a while.
"That's right. They said there was an important job out here, though there's no sign of anything so far."
Idris spread his hands. At present they were like headless flies, dashing about at random in their search.
Then he looked at Nolan and asked:
"And this is?"
"He's from the Vermilion Gym, and a friend of mine. We came aboard the S.S. Anne together for the trip."
Vance said it by way of introduction.
The two of them nodded to each other in greeting.
As Idris saw it, a man from the Vermilion Gym was one of their own, and there was no great need to be guarded with him.
And with Vance, less still.
"The next lot is Star Shards from Beyond, taken from the meteorite that came down in Hoenn last year. The power it carries works best on Rock- and Psychic-type Pokémon such as Solrock and Lunatone. It can be used on Pokémon of other types as well, but Psychic and Rock are where it does most; and it raises aptitude by a great deal! Even an Elite-Four-class aptitude can be lifted a little. Highly recommended. It has been examined by the relevant experts, so you may all set your minds at rest."
"Very well. The opening price is eight million Poké Dollars! Raises of no less than one hundred thousand. We begin now!"
The charming woman auctioneer brought the little hammer in her hand down on the table to open the bidding, and her dark eyes went round the room, waiting for somebody to bid.
To her mind this lot was not good value for the money — eight million asked for it, and though it was a treasure from beyond the sky, the demand for it was narrow.
There was a risk of its going unsold.
"Star Shards from Beyond."
Vance's interest was caught. The thing had come from the meteorite that fell in Hoenn last year, which made it better still.
"Ten million!"
Vance called it straight out, raising the price by two million, announcing his determination to have it.
"That gentleman bids ten million. Who else will bid?"
The woman auctioneer said it gladly. A bid was all she needed; now it would not go unsold.
But having got that far, she began to wonder whether anyone would come in against him and drive the price up.
"Eleven million!"
After a moment somebody in the front rows of the hall bid eleven million for the Star Shards from Beyond.
"Eleven million! This gentleman bids eleven million! Is there any other bid?"
And as she said it her eyes went to Vance, waiting on his bid.
"Fifteen million."
Vance gave the figure mildly.
Once fifteen million was out, nobody followed it. The room could see well enough that the young man in the dark glasses meant to have the Star Shards from Beyond at any cost; and fifteen million was no small sum besides. Most people would not part with it — they would do better buying something else, and get more for their money.
"Fifteen million, once."
The hammer came down on the table for the first call.
"Twice."
Still nobody in the room followed, and she had no choice but to bring the hammer down a third time.
"Congratulations to this gentleman, who takes the Star Shards from Beyond at fifteen million."
Once the lot had been declared Vance's, the auction moved on to the rest of its business.
"Got it."
Vance said it easily. Fifteen million for the thing was no loss.
"You bought that, and paid fifteen million for it. What are you going to use it for?"
Nolan asked, curious.
Idris looked over as well, wanting to hear what he would say.
"What else would it be for? Raising Pokémon. I have Psychic-types of my own."
Vance said it straight out.
"Fair enough. Rich men do things handsomely."
"Or it may be you have some clever notion this happens to suit."
Idris put in from the side; he felt sure Vance had his reasons for taking the thing.
"Heh."
Vance let out a laugh and said nothing.
"Oh — might I ask you a favour? It may spoil the holiday mood for you, though."
Idris thought about it, then said it to Vance.
"What is it?"
"It's just that we're on a job at the moment. If something blows up, I was thinking of coming to you for help. Heh heh."
Idris said it out. He had only the one Gym-class Pokémon, and the rest of them were Elite-class at best; out here he felt in danger all the time.
Now there was a heavyweight in front of him, and one he knew personally at that. Why would he not take hold of that leg while he could?
"All right. What sort of job is it you're on?"
Vance asked, following it up.
"There's no harm in telling you."
And then Idris lowered his voice and told him about it.
"That's what they say, at any rate; but the information came from them, and for all we know they are playing us."
"Mm. If I happen to be there, I'll help."
Vance gave him that much.
"Heh heh. Many thanks."
"Beep, beep, beep—"
The communicator on his shoulder had gone off. He took it, murmured a few words into it, and then took his leave with some embarrassment, saying there had been a find of some sort.
"Go on."
Vance showed that he understood, and watched him go.
"Should we send word to them? This sounds important."
Nolan said it once the man had gone.
"Mm. You send it."
Vance answered shortly.
Legendary Pokémon. Another business to do with Legendary Pokémon.
Vance thought that lately he seemed to have a great deal of luck where Legendaries were concerned.
He had come all the way out to the S.S. Anne, and even here he had run into it.
"What is this thing to do with a Legendary that the Godbeast Gang and the League are both hunting for? Could it be here?"
Vance turned it over, and even considered getting in touch with Locke and asking him.
Then he shook his head. There was no need for it.
From what he knew so far, Team Rocket were working at something to do with a super Legendary Pokémon; presumably this thing had to do with that plan.
In which case asking would do him no good, and he might as well not ask.
When the auction ended Vance walked out of the hall with a portion of Star Shards from Beyond in his hands.
He had only come to try his luck, and his luck had been in.
In his cabin, having parted from Nolan for a while, Vance took out the Deoxys crystal and set the Star Shards from Beyond he had won on top of it.
The crystal and the star grit gave off a soft glow together, and Vance brought out the Viridian Power and laid it on the crystal along with them.
The energy was slowly drawn in. The crystal brightened, and the power gathering in it had gone a step further; Vance reckoned it at about two-fifths.
"Oh—"
A thread of psychic thought surfaced, faint and veiled, and then sank away again.
The discovery pleased Vance still more. With the power he had been putting in, had there been so much change already?
And in that sudden thread of thought Vance had caught feeling — friendliness, reliance — and not dislike or rejection.
So his Viridian Power had not been poured in for nothing. A natural closeness to him would save a great deal of trouble later.
"Something to look forward to."
Vance said it with pleasure; he thought very well of this Deoxys.
He had a Legendary on the team already in Darkrai, but this one he was raising with his own hands, and there was a good deal of satisfaction in that.
"Once you are grown, you may be able to take me out and let me see something of space."
Vance patted the crystal with a laugh, and left it to absorb at its own pace.