Soon, an entire day had passed.

When all the investigators returned, Cain received the information they had gathered.

There was no denying their level of professionalism. They had investigated everything with an impressive amount of detail—almost to the point of finding out what kind of underwear the merchants wore or what their favorite meals were.

After dismissing them, Cain began reviewing the documents they had handed over.

Sometimes, just by observing the products sold by the merchants, it was possible to deduce which region they came from.

As for the true purpose of this mission—investigating what Team Rocket was plotting—Cain didn't need the help of the investigators. At the right moment, he would infiltrate alone and obtain the necessary information.

After a good night's rest, the next day, the grand event organized by Team Rocket officially began.

Although it wasn't entirely clear why Team Rocket had decided to carry out this event despite reducing their operations, Cain knew Giovanni must have had his reasons.

According to the information Cain had from his previous life, holding an event of this magnitude required the presence of at least three Team Rocket executives.

Just like in the Kanto region, where the three main executives were Koga, Sabrina, and Surge, in Johto the organization was led by the Four Generals: Archer, Ariana, Proton, and Petrel.

These individuals were among the most powerful—even at the elite level.

For this event, at least one of the Four Generals had to be present, and there was even a possibility that several of them would attend.

After all, this was the first auction following Team Rocket's restructuring.

Many groups were interested in investigating the organization's current situation—from the Pokémon League to other underground factions, not to mention sister organizations like the Hunter Guild, which would certainly be gathering intel from the shadows.

To demonstrate their strength, Team Rocket needed to make a clear statement.

They wanted to show that although they were downsizing, it didn't mean they had become weaker or that any upstart could challenge them.

Even after their restructuring, they remained the number one criminal organization in the Pokémon world.

With the League investigators dismissed, Cain cloaked himself in a black robe and headed to the black market.

The place was already naturally bustling, but with the event underway, the crowd was immense.

Most of the attendees were dressed similarly to Cain, in robes that concealed their identities. Only a few showed themselves openly.

Those who didn't wear disguises usually fell into one of two categories: either they were strong enough to fear no one, or they had the backing of a powerful organization.

The reason this event attracted so many people was simple: Team Rocket wasn't just selling rare items, but also extremely valuable and hard-to-find Pokémon.

The main event was the auction, while the black market stalls simply took advantage of the opportunity to attract customers.

The event would last seven days, with one auction held each day.

In addition to the auctions, Team Rocket would also release special items in their own shops, and other merchants would use the influx of buyers to sell their treasures at inflated prices.

During this time, Team Rocket also allowed temporary shops for external factions to sell their goods. However, the rental cost for these spaces was exorbitant.

Despite the high price, these booths filled up immediately.

During these seven days, anyone with enough money could find practically anything on the black market.

For the truly rich and powerful, the shops were nothing more than a distraction. What really interested them were the auctioned items.

Cain had his objective clear: the auction, held in the tallest and largest building in the market.

The venue had a capacity of over a thousand people.

However, only those with money, power, or status could enter. Once it filled up, no one else would be allowed in until the next session.

For wealthy tycoons and renowned figures with connections to Team Rocket, private boxes were available, so they didn't need to wait in line.

Two hours remained until the auction began, but the entrance was already crowded.

Some attendees didn't even plan to participate in the auction; they were simply there out of curiosity, to watch the spectacle.

Team Rocket had assigned special personnel to manage the crowd.

A group of thugs stood at the entrance, watching the crowd with expressionless faces.

Anyone who tried to cross the line without permission would be attacked immediately.

This was Team Rocket territory. Here, it didn't matter if you were a noble or an elite-level trainer—no one could challenge their authority without consequences.

The assigned guards were not weak. Cain noticed that the leader of the group had a level 52 Arbok and was himself an Officer within Team Rocket.

Few dared to make eye contact with his Arbok.

Cain pushed through the crowd and headed for the side entrance.

There were fewer people there, but it was still quite active.

Most were there trying to register their items for the auction.

However, the standards were high, and many were rejected after evaluation by the inspectors.

Only those who passed inspection left with proud smiles on their faces.

It was well known that any item that made it to the auction would automatically increase in value by 30% or more.

Since the items up for auction were already rare and expensive, that increase represented a significant amount of money.

Fortunately, there were multiple registration windows, each attended by an inspector with partial glasses and an unshakable expression, evaluating the items with an expert gaze.

Some items were easy to appraise at a glance, while others required deeper analysis.

Cain sat in front of a window without saying a word.

He simply took out a Pokéball and slid it across the counter.