Pokémon XYZ The Path to A Love Unknown

Chapter 5 The Auction

Alain Sycamore's POV

5:00 pm was the time everyone was ready. I couldn't find any other clothes besides this and my clothes back then. I chose the former. Cosette insisted Ash should leave that hat of his back at the lab since we're going to a really nice place and should at least have some dignity. I'm not scolded for wearing regular clothes as long as my shirt isn't wrinkled which meant time on ironing which took long. 

That talk with Mairin somehow got some hope for me. It wasn't like with Dad or Cosette or Sophie talking to me about the issue. Mairin was a different case however, since I wanted to help Chespie recover, but was fooled for a way. She didn't hate or revered me at all. She knew my guilt and acknowledged my flawed trust issues. I felt ready to go. 

We had to take two rides for each since there was many people in our group. I quickly forgotten which took which car since there were others that looked almost like ours. The building was huge on the outside, but the inside was more of a shocker to, I guess, all of us. There were much lights coming from the rails upstairs and on the ceiling. The decorations were most impressive and flashy, I may have gotten blind a bit. 

We were able to find a table altogether. Bread was displayed as appetizers along with a bowl of butter for sweetening the taste.  There were of course the utensils as always. Bonnie and Mairin were quick to have some bread immediately while the others only resorted to talking. 

Ash, however, hasn't talked to anyone at all since we went inside, stranger or not. It was like he was really actually shy about being here in the first place. He didn't seemed to be wanting to be here in the first place based on his expression and way of showing it. During a set of 3 years of my childhood, I have learned about different emotion sets and the expressions made in through each one that it became a part of my knowledge along with what a person my age already knows. 

"So, I just wanna know, but what exactly happens at an auction?" Ash asked Dad directly. His Pikachu was on his lap, but was able to see everything from the viewpoint. I guess this must be his first time in one of those things. 

"Well Ash, an auction is where various type of items are shown and people bid on them to get them. The prices are fast and large, but it's alright for others to claim a prize" Dad explained. Ash glanced toward the stage for a bit before Pikachu snapped him out of his little daze. It was still surprising that he had never been to even a single one of these before in his lifetime. He did say he was from the Kanto region, maybe I could ask him much about his town after this. 

Soon later, a man walked onto the stage. He seemed to be more in his early 40s and wore a sharp black tuxedo. He pressed softly on the microphone placed there since the beginning getting everyone's attention in the room causing the sounds made to die off quickly and eyes everywhere were on him. He made a welcoming speech signaling the beginning of the auction. The speech was long, but not really long though, thank Jirachi. 

Soon, he had some people bring something on stage for the first bid. It was a painting that portrayed a flock of Altaria and Swablu flying close to a rainbow. It was a really good painting, I have to admit, as it started on a bid of 350 Poke. As more people called for the painting, the price increased. Soon, it was sold and the next item came in; a really old shield said used in the Kalos War 3,000 years ago. 

As the auction went by and more items were sold, we continued being ourselves and chatted with each other having laughs there and there. Soon, after an item based on the Kanto War was sold as well, the speaker introduced the last item.

"This last item has been found deep within the sacred area that once belonged to the late Aura Guardians in the Sinnoh region. We were able to clean it to properly show this display"