A tall woman wrapped in a few strips of cloth, heavily made-up, walked onto the stage with a microphone in hand.
Her appearance might be more captivating than the auction items that were about to be presented.
The previously noisy auction hall became quiet in an instant.
The occasional sound of people swallowing showed how successful the auction house was in arranging this presenter.
The woman gave a charming smile, her alluring voice spreading throughout the venue.
After some customary pleasantries that should have been very boring, a commotion arose due to the speaker.
"After saying so much, I believe everyone is impatient by now, right? Let's begin!"
She said this as her slender, fair arm pulled the black cloth off the cage, presenting the first auction item to the audience.
Wow——
Upon seeing this first Pokémon, there was quite a stir in the auction hall.
Sitting in his box, Natsuhiko sat up straight, squinting his eyes with a bit of surprise.
He saw it.
In the giant black metal cage, there was a blue Pokémon with wings as fluffy as clouds and two blue feathers on its head, matching the color of its tail feathers.
Swablu!
A Swablu being auctioned first was probably beyond many people's expectations.
The female presenter listened to the uproar and smiled with satisfaction.
This was precisely the effect she wanted.
The wooden hammer in her hand lightly tapped the cage, interrupting the whispers within the venue.
And making the seemingly delicate Swablu in the cage show a frightened expression, curling up in a corner, its body trembling slightly.
"That's right, the first Pokémon we're auctioning is Swablu, a Normal and Flying-type Pokémon. I believe everyone is not very unfamiliar with it," the presenter began introducing.
"Although Swablu is a Normal and Flying-type Pokémon, its evolution, Altaria, is a Flying and Dragon-Type Pokémon!"
Dragon-type Pokémon!
The mere four words could make the value of the Pokémon soar straight up.
Especially since this Swablu seemed to not have an original Trainer, being a Wild Swablu, which would undoubtedly increase its value even more.
"I believe everyone has also discovered, this Swablu is a Wild Pokémon, with the trait of Natural Recovery, inherited with High-speed Movement and Feather Rest techniques, which are very practical..."
After a short pause, she continued: "Imagine, if you take it home, with a little nurturing, it could evolve into a Dragon-type Pokémon, with limitless potential, and definitely become the ace Pokémon in any Trainer's hands..."
The female presenter continued to promote this Swablu on stage, fueling the enthusiasm of everyone participating in the auction.
But sitting in his box, Natsuhiko slumped back into the sofa.
Swablu, this Pokémon, is very special. After evolving into Altaria, its attributes change, with Dragon attributes replacing its Normal Attributes.
And after its super evolution, its attributes change once again, with Fairy attributes replacing its Flying attributes.
In other words, from Swablu to Super Qixi Cyan Bird, the originally possessed Normal and Flying attributes are both gone, which is very rare among all Pokémon.
And, because of its combination of Dragon and Fairy attributes, this type of Pokémon has a name more resounding than Druddigon, "Shame of the Dragon Race," "Dragon Traitor!"
However, what truly made Natsuhiko lose interest was not these.
Even if he said "Dragon Traitor" with his mouth, if he really had an Altaria, he would only say "It's really fragrant."
The true reason for his disinterest was the Swablu itself.
"The eyes were filled with timidity. Although the skin and feathers were groomed, if you looked closely, you could still see some clues, and although inherited moves were not bad, they were clearly not extraordinary. There were no Dragon-type Techniques, and it was highly possible that its Dragon-type talent was not strong or even weak.
If brought home, not only would its personality need correction, but its frail body would need nourishing. Most importantly, if the Dragon bloodline was not excellent and pure, the effort and return would be significantly discounted, making it not necessarily worth the trouble."
Of course, there is another more important reason.
It's too expensive.
The starting price was one million alliance coins, and the final transaction price was two and a half million, far exceeding the actual value of this Pokémon.
But look at those excited people below; they were completely captivated by the auction atmosphere, becoming irrational and losing their judgment.
This is a characteristic of auctions.
Most auction items' prices tend to be inflated.
"Two hundred fifty million, a range that can be considered acceptable; it seems not everyone has lost their senses. Those who are truly wealthy and capable should also discern the problems with this Swablu," Natsuhiko said, picking up a grape.
However, the auction's purpose had already been achieved, making the atmosphere heavily charged with gunpowder.
"Women, especially beautiful women who wear little clothing, can cause a large secretion of male hormones, making them increasingly irrational..."
As Natsuhiko sighed, the second item was brought out.
Although not as pricey as the first Swablu, it still exceeded its original market value.
Then followed the third, the fourth.....
One must admit, this female presenter is very experienced and knows how to keep the atmosphere lively. Even during relatively dull auction items, she maintained the auction's high enthusiasm without a dull moment.
During this time.
Natsuhiko did not make a single bid.
Either because the price was too high or because it was useless to him.
However, his nine Solrocks were also auctioned off during this "boring" period.
All nine formed a set, with the auction comically dubbing it a "Nine Stars in a Row" style, catching the attention of some wealthy individuals, and eventually sold for one hundred fifty thousand alliance coins to a local tycoon.
The price wasn't high, but it was within Natsuhiko's acceptable range.
This thing isn't essential and is different from regular Pokémon, so the selling price isn't based on its intrinsic value but on how much the buyer wants it.
"The Little Gold Stash just increased a bit."
This feeling is quite pleasant.
"Next, we have another Pokémon that everyone is interested in, another Dragon-type Pokémon!" the female presenter said.
Dragon-type Pokémon seemed to have become the best eye-catchers; upon hearing about a Dragon-type Pokémon, everyone became spirited.
This time, the cage was even larger.
After unveiling the curtain, what appeared was the Elite Level Druddigon that Natsuhiko had captured!
Oh——
Seeing the Druddigon lying asleep inside the cage, the venue erupted with laughter as if a prank was being played.
It seems that the name Druddigon is quite well-known in the Pokémon Realm.
The female presenter also revealed a knowing smile, "It seems everyone understands Druddigon's situation, but what I'm about to say next will change your perception."
"This Druddigon is a Wild Pokémon."
The sound from the audience didn't change much.
"Elite Level."
At this, the noise level significantly dropped.
An Elite Level Pokémon represents immediate combat strength, being a Wild Pokémon means it hasn't been trained by any other Trainer, showcasing strong malleability.
Although Wild Pokémon have many disadvantages, they are certainly more acceptable than those cultivated by others.
The demand for Pokémon typically peaks for those from professional nurseries, followed by Wild Juvenile Pokémon, then Wild Adult Pokémon, and finally Pokémon that originally had a Trainer.
Of course, demand does not equate to price.
Prices are influenced by many other factors.
"Forced Traits," the female presenter said with a smile.
The atmosphere gradually became quieter.
While Druddigon is often ridiculed, one type isn't—the Druddigon with Forced Traits.
Forced Traits combined with Dragon Attribute represent a high growth ceiling.
As for Breaking the Rules traits, they are too rare and are outside many people's knowledge.
In the box, Natsuhiko silently nodded.
He loved such a professional presenter.
See, people who initially had no interest suddenly became intrigued after hearing her words.
Natsuhiko sensed that his Little Gold Stash was about to increase significantly.