The villain's lackeys-the other researchers from the Pewter Science Museum-were not all that shocked.
They were academics, after all. They could easily imagine how much Professor Cozmo disapproved of Mao Xiong's behavior.
The likeliest outcome was that Professor Cozmo would take back the Skeleton Fossil. He did not need that paltry bit of money and would refuse to sell it to Mao Xiong.
As long as Shen Qi or Li Ke found some way to tell Professor Cozmo the whole story, Mao Xiong would be unable to steal their research results.
But flattering the boss paid. The researchers who waited on Mao Xiong hand and foot had little research ability and could not make big money on their own.
So they focused on flattery instead of warning him of the danger beforehand. In fact, they had lavishly praised Mao Xiong at their dinner two days earlier. Now they merely had to pretend to be shocked along with him.
"My young friend Shen Qi, I came to Celadon City this time to thank you, and to give you the Skeleton Fossil on my father's behalf."
"G-give it to him?!"
The situation skipped straight past the financial contest Mao Xiong had been so certain he would win. There was no need to bid at all. Professor Cozmo was giving the Skeleton Fossil directly to Shen Qi.
"Thank you so much. Truly, thank you both."
The Skeleton Fossil could not be spent like money, and Shen Qi would not sell it for cash either, but its value was certainly not something money could measure.
Without Professor Cozmo's gift, the Pokémon Egg associated with "Stone Bone Longing" would very likely have been taken by Mao Xiong, leaving Shen Qi and Li Ke with nothing after all their efforts.
With the Skeleton Fossil belonging to