SWNOVELXO Chapter 120: Chapter 120: The Victim
That afternoon, before setting out, Lucas absentmindedly scrolled through his phone and accurately found a message from Terry.
After reading it, Lucas took a sharp breath and blurted out, "What the—?!"
What on earth had Terry done to make Eldegoss cotton, which sold for 6,000 League Coins per pound, fetch such a high price?
[Mr. Lucas, the Eldegoss cotton auction ended smoothly and attracted a lot of interested bidders. The cotton sold at prices above market value. Here are the details:]
[Round 1: 1 lb cotton; starting price 4,000; sold for 7,500 League Coins.
Round 2: 1 lb; starting 4,000; sold for 9,000. Thanks to the small lot auctions, the atmosphere was lively. Don't be surprised by the next numbers.]
[Round 3: 3 lbs; starting price 15,000; sold for 33,900 League Coins.
Last round: 5 lbs; starting price 30,000; sold for 73,000.
Total auction proceeds: 123,400 League Coins, already transferred to your account.]
That was double Lucas's original estimate of 60,000 League Coins. Even if Eldegoss' cotton was a little rare in Paldea, this was outrageous.
Lucas called Terry, worried Terry had secretly inflated the price as thanks for saving him earlier.
But Terry sent a video of the auction. The bidders in suits were all red-faced with excitement, nearly fighting each other.
Terry even sent a proud message: "The manager of the Clothing Factory came to bid too. They got the 5 lbs."
Lucas replied in confusion, "But... with that much money, couldn't they just fly cotton in from Galar?"
Terry replied instantly, "That's where you're mistaken. They wanted Paldea-grown Eldegoss' cotton, and with my little push..."
Lucas: "A little push?"
Terry, holding his phone in Porto Marinada, froze and cursed himself for letting that slip. He quickly added, "They even hired a professional appraiser, who said the cotton was top quality. They want your contact info for deeper cooperation, but I refused."
Lucas quickly replied, "Good job!"
All the Eldegoss' cotton he sold was naturally shed, not picked. Picking would sap the Eldegoss' nutrients and harm his Pokémon's health, which went against his principles.
He had saved up those ten pounds for a long time and couldn't guarantee a steady supply. The best decision was not to give any hope from the start.
On the other end, Terry's eyes lit up. He was being praised by his benefactor!
Even though he was excited, he replied with restraint, "It's what I should do."
After the conversation, Lucas double-checked that he hadn't forgotten anything. "Gear packed, trash cleaned up, Sawsbuck and Dragonair Poké Balls on me—everything's fine!"
With a rush of wind flattening the grass, Lucas mounted Dragonite and took off.
After crossing Casseroya Lake, at Lucas's direction, Dragonite didn't climb to high speed cruising altitude but kept a moderate height.
From this height, Lucas could see the ground clearly—perfect for looking for Pokémon.
He was a little unwilling to give up, hoping to spot Pokémon suitable for the farm on the way back.
Instead, he saw few Pokémon, but in the wilds of West Area Two, a fair distance from Casseroya Lake, he spotted a student in a Naranja Academy uniform, soaked and lying face down in a puddle, apparently unconscious.
Lucas could tell he was a student from the Naranja Academy.
Under Lucas's command, Dragonite landed quickly. Lucas pulled the student out of the puddle and checked for breath under his nose, breathing a sigh of relief.
He was still alive.
Finding a flat spot, Lucas carefully set the student down and looked him over.
A boy, a little older than Nemona and the others. His short flaxen hair was dirty from the muddy ground, and his uniform caked with mud and water.
But that wasn't the worst. When Lucas picked him up, he noticed the boy's body was limp, as if some bones were broken.
The boy's breathing was weak, but there were no obvious external injuries.
Given all this, Lucas judged he'd probably been attacked by a wild Pokémon with great strength.
Making a quick decision, Lucas released Comfey and said seriously, "Please use Floral Healing to stabilize his condition."
Comfey, seeing the boy's weak state, felt sorry for him and immediately used Floral Healing to help.
While that happened, Lucas scouted the area. The ground was wet from rain, so it was easy to find footprints.
About a dozen meters away, leading to a forest path, he found the boy's messy shoeprints and a round footprint.
Lucas crouched and examined it, frowning. "It's a bear Pokémon's footprint. Looks like Beartic, but this area is either desert or lake—not Beartic habitat..."
"Could it be Ursaring? But Ursaring usually uses its claws, and its footprints aren't this round."
Unable to figure it out, Lucas decided to drop it for now.
He knew the boy had probably been attacked by a strong bear Pokémon, so the next step was to get him to the nearest hospital.
Porto Marinada was the closest, and Lucas remembered there was a suitable hospital there.
Having decided, Lucas carefully mounted the boy on Dragonite and let Dragonite fly steadily but swiftly, while Comfey kept using Floral Healing to keep the boy's condition stable.