"Starting bid is 800,000 Alliance Coins, each increment must not be less than 10,000 Alliance Coins, starting now!"
As the hammer in the female host's hand fell, the auction began.
Though many mocked the Druddigon, when it was time for the auction, they all acted as if they'd been injected with adrenaline.
No matter how much they looked down on Druddigon, it was a genuine Dragon-type Pokémon, and a wild Elite-Level Dragon-type Pokémon at that.
Being able to raise its strength to Elite Level in a wild environment says a lot.
Without the support and help of a Trainer, it managed to achieve such a level; it's either got good luck or good talent, or both.
One of the factors to judge a Dragon-type Pokémon's talent is the concentration of its Dragon-type bloodline.
This Druddigon might have an impressive Dragon-type bloodline concentration.
Maybe ordinary Trainers don't pay much attention to this aspect, but for those in special professions related to Pokémon, the concentration of Dragon-type bloodline might surpass its intrinsic value.
Most of these people are Breeders, or to be more precise, owners or employees of Nurseries.
Nurseries.
As the name implies, it's a place for breeding Pokémon.
In all regions, most cities have Breeding Houses, and some cities have more than a couple. For instance, Kanaz City has at least a dozen or so Nurseries.
Among the main businesses of Nurseries, the most common is Pokémon boarding services.
After all, not all Trainers like Natsuhiko choose the elite route.
Many Trainers go all out in catching Pokémon without restraint.
Whenever they encounter a Pokémon they like, they capture it, resulting in an overload they can't manage themselves.
At this time, they can choose to leave some Pokémon at the Nursery, pay a fee for various packages, and the Nursery will help in the Pokémon's care.
There are many such Trainers, so Nurseries are quite a lucrative industry, provided they have sufficient expertise and skills.
However, this isn't the most profitable business for Nurseries.
Their most profitable business is selling Pokémon, most of which have just completed their growth phase.
The initial Pokémon for trainers directly affiliated with the Alliance can be obtained from the Alliance.
However, most Trainers aren't directly affiliated, and over ninety percent of their initial Pokémon are purchased from various Nurseries.
This is the truly profitable business.
Because the price of initial Pokémon considers factors like the Pokémon species, inherited techniques, traits, talent, etc., prices can vary greatly even within the same Pokémon species.
How to breed Pokémon to produce such quality Pokémon has become the secret of each Nursery.
Additionally, some Nurseries go as far as using quality Pokémon that have been boarded at the Nursery for breeding purposes to obtain more valuable Pokémon offspring.
But this is undoubtedly very bad for the Pokémon forced to breed; it may even lead to excessive physical strain, affecting future growth.
Hence, Natsuhiko never considered leaving Pokémon at the Nursery, it's not safe.
And now.
Clearly, the Druddigon with good Dragon-type bloodlines at Elite Level attracted many Nursery owners participating in the auction.
An outstanding Dragon-type Pokémon might even be enough to significantly enhance the quality of a Nursery's new Pokémon.
Simply put, they want to buy Druddigon to use it as a "Dragoseed."
Although Dr. Yamanashi's "Egg Group" theory hasn't been published yet, the Nursery industry has existed for many years. Though they don't understand the breeding details of all Pokémon, they have gained some experience over time and know that some Pokémon can breed across species.
Thus, Druddigon became a highly sought-after item among the Nursery owners.
In just a few minutes, Druddigon's price soared from 800,000 Alliance Coins to 1,600,000, doubling in value!
And the bidding hadn't stopped.
The female host seemed to realize who was competing for Druddigon, constantly emphasizing it was a Dragon-type Pokémon and that testing showed its Dragon-type bloodline concentration to be quite high.
Finally.
Through her enthusiastic encouragement, this Elite-level Druddigon sold for a high price of 2,000,000 Alliance Coins!
Far exceeding the market price for Elite-level Pokémon; even considering it's a Dragon-type Pokémon, the price was far above that.
A typical case of inflating the price.
Making the auction house earn more commission.
Of course, Natsuhiko profited the most; even after deducting the auction house's commission, the Druddigon exceeded the market price by several hundred thousand Alliance Coins.
The price for an Elite-level Pokémon generally ranges from several hundred thousand to a million, though some special ones might exceed a million, such as Dragon-type Pokémon.
Natsuhiko had estimated the price of the Druddigon to be between 1,200,000 and 1,300,000.
Evidently, he earned quite a bit more.
Even with a ten percent auction house cut, he could get 1,800,000, gaining an extra fifty or sixty thousand.
Added to the previous nine Solrock, Natsuhiko had now made over three million.
The appearance of Druddigon brought a small climax.
Following that, it entered a relatively calm period.
Natsuhiko had earned money but was always looking for a place to spend some, never finding anything suitable until...
"This time's auction item is quite special; not only the item being auctioned is unique, but the auction method is special too. Had it not been for the consigner being a friend of our boss, this item might not even have appeared in the auction."
"However, congratulations to friends with Psychic-type Pokémon, you've encountered a good item this time."
With this, the staff brought out an item packaged in transparent glass.
"Yongji."
In the box.
The Yujira, playing with Togetic, suddenly lifted its head and softly exclaimed.
It stood up dumbfoundedly, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and stared at the item on the stage, lost in thought.
The unusual behavior of Yujira naturally caught Natsuhiko's attention as well.
On the stage, the item inside the transparent glass was a rusty, time-aged...
"Spoon?" Seeing the item, Natsuhiko understood why Yujira reacted that way.
"This is a spoon, but it's not an ordinary spoon, it has a history of at least a thousand years, yet it remains intact in appearance and form. And, based on our examinations, it contains dense Alpha waves, which is what everyone refers to as psychic energy!"
After a brief pause, she continued, "Indeed! As many have guessed, this was once an Alakazam's spoon, and an Alakazam from thousands of years ago! Its use is quite straightforward, significantly enhancing a Pokémon's psychic abilities. If you have Psychic-type Pokémon, seize this opportunity, and even if you don't, if you're considering getting one in the future, you might want to bid."
"Moreover! It's an exceptionally valuable antique, a Pokémon item from thousands of years ago, the value of which must be evident to everyone."
Her words encompassed those with Psychic-type Pokémon, those without, and even wealthy collectors of antiques.
"However."
With captivating eyes.
"Due to the seller's request, the auction for this item prefers a trade-by-item method. Naturally, if no one possesses suitable Pokémon Items, Alliance Coins can be used, albeit at a premium price."
"Starting bid, 1,000,000 Alliance Coins!"
Upon hearing this, many furrowed their brows.
Bartering?
It's not a method people particularly like.
Yet, if it's money, it's undeniably too high.
A starting bid of 1,000,000 for a Pokémon Item; though the spoon is rare and valuable, the starting bid isn't the final price...
Observing the quiet auction house, the female host rarely showed a look of helplessness.
As she mentioned, if it weren't for being friends with the boss, this auction format would hardly appear in such settings.