It must be related to the Dragon Attribute if it can resonate with Dragapult.
And it seems the item is not simple.
As a "veteran" who has participated in an auction before, Natsuhiko easily obtained a private room qualification through selling the "Thousand-Year Ice."
After all, bringing in a "colossus" like Dragapult requires a private room; otherwise, it might not fit.
This item is rare, definitely a treasure for Trainers who like to use Ice-type Pokémon.
The auction's appraisers are experts and know this well.
Since Zhuqing City is quite large, this auction house's scale is not small either, accommodating about two thousand people and nearly a hundred private rooms.
Unlike the Kanaz City black market auction house in the Hoenn Region, Zhuqing City's black market auction house has a more technological feel, with private rooms insulated from outdoor scenery at a distance where you can barely see anything.
So, each private room is equipped with huge TV screens, allowing manual control to view auction items from different angles of the auction house. Even up close, there are dedicated cameras for shooting and the ability to zoom according to preference.
It could be described as 360-degree all-round viewing without any blind spots, ensuring each auction participant in a private room can see every detail of each item accurately.
Very user-friendly.
Natsuhiko was slightly surprised that such a huge auction house was packed full.
Seats were insufficient, and staff kept adding chairs to the aisles as people continued to walk in.
While Natsuhiko wasn't surprised by the auction's popularity, it was somewhat overly popular this time.
When he applied for a private room with the staff and saw their somewhat troubled expression, Natsuhiko thought the item he wanted to sell wasn't valuable enough. It now seems all rooms were already booked, and his insistence forced the auction house into an uncomfortable position.
He just didn't know what item was up for auction this time that attracted so many people.
This left Natsuhiko, who happened to bump into this, thoroughly perplexed.
Just when he couldn't figure out the situation, the auction finally began.
This time the auctioneer wasn't a young, attractive, scantily clad beauty but rather a burly, rugged-looking strongman.
"Everyone here probably knows what the highlight of this auction is, but please, don't be hasty. The most important item is always left for last."
Despite his appearance, the strongman seemed very experienced in hosting.
His words caught Natsuhiko's attention.
It seems there is indeed an item at this auction that has captured most people's attention; he just doesn't know what it is.
No choice but to ask the staff for an auction list.
"Let's not dwell on the details; I don't want to bore everyone. Let the auction begin. Present the first item!"
As his words concluded, the staff immediately brought out an item.
In the private room.
After using his psychic powers to check the private room, Natsuhiko released his Pokémon.
Beedrill, Yujira, Togetic, Cherrim, etc...
With Tyrantrum and Yanmega being too large and conspicuous, the private room, already not very spacious, was mostly occupied by Dragapult, making it impossible to have them all out.
But Dragapult, after appearing, seemed somewhat absent-minded, holding the incubator, lost in thought.
This was the first time Natsuhiko had seen it with such an expression.
"What's wrong?"
"Baluya—"
Dragapult hesitated to shake its head, unable to explain, just feeling... a bit empty inside.
Glimpsing at its head's four empty launcher holes, Natsuhiko pursed his lips.
"First item! Miracle Seed!"
Hearing the auction announcer, Natsuhiko retracted his gaze.
The first item being his is great, especially as the opener to warm up the crowd.
Every auction concludes with the final highlight item, which rarely changes.
But the first item, definitely chosen after careful consideration, significantly impacts the auction's overall trajectory.
If the first item is successful, the rest will probably go well too. If not, things might go downhill.
"Three Miracle Seeds! I'm sure many of you here are Trainers active around Zhuqing City. You know the geographical situation and Pokémon distribution, with Rock Type and Ground Type Pokémon being abundant.
Grass-type Pokémon, which counter Rock and Ground Types, become a priority for many."
Indeed, Grass-type Pokémon are common and generally gentle in nature.
Pokémon like Oddish, once past the Gloom stage, can evolve into either Vileplume or Bellossom, both excellent Grass-type Pokémon.
Additionally, the cost of nurturing Grass-type Pokémon is relatively low. They can even replenish energy through photosynthesis if necessary.
They are naturally one of the first choices for a Pokémon Attribute in the wild.
Had Natsuhiko not acquired Weedle initially, he might have tried catching an Oddish.
The strongman's words met with agreement from many.
Seeing the nods and affirmations below, the strongman smiled.
"The importance of Miracle Seeds is known to all, so I won't elaborate. Three Miracle Seeds, auctioned one by one due to limited quantity, seize the opportunity. Starting bid: eight hundred thousand Alliance Coins, with minimum increments of ten thousand each time!"
Thud!
With the sound of his hammer, the auction officially began.
Natsuhiko put up three, leaving one for Cherrim.
While Miracle Seeds aren't common Pokémon Items, they aren't extremely rare, allowing the low starting bid to quickly stir the auction house's fervor.
This auction house employs a different strategy from Kanaz City black market's auction house.
They stimulate the auction's prices by relying on strategy. Here, practicality and demand ignite the participants' enthusiasm.
Different approaches, same result.
The first Miracle Seed was quickly sold for two million six hundred thousand Alliance Coins.
There was indeed a markup, but not too extravagant.
The true market value of a Miracle Seed exceeds that of an Intermediate quality Evolution Stone, but not more than two and a half million; most hover around two million.
Seeing the price of the first Miracle Seed, the second one, however, fetched slightly less, going for two million five hundred thousand.
For the third seed, being the last, everyone wanting it decided to go all in.
During this, Natsuhiko even sneakily joined in, eliciting some eye-rolling from Togetic and others.
The final price exceeded his expectations, reaching three million Alliance Coins, akin to a high-quality Evolution Stone's price, showing significant markup.
But this was precisely what the auction house wanted.
In the end, Natsuhiko profited eight million one hundred thousand.
At this moment, Cherrims capable of producing Miracle Seeds had become Natsuhiko's beloved treasures.
They were invaluable.
This shows how spot-on Natsuhiko's plan to breed Pokémon was.
Well-raised, they'll steadily generate income.
Also, Miracle Seeds are particularly suited to the market in Zhuqing City, surrounded by mountains, with neighboring Steel City mines making Grass-type Pokémon very applicable. With Miracle Seeds, they become even stronger.
By sheer coincidence, Natsuhiko stumbled onto the right market.
One has to respect the auction house's strategy for this reason.
Otherwise, the three Miracle Seeds' prices wouldn't surpass six million.
Seizing the heat from the Miracle Seeds, the auction house continued to capitalize.
The second item was quickly brought forth.
And as the second item was presented, Dragapult, who had been somewhat lost, lifted its head.
——————
PS: Sorry, went out for a meal and almost didn't make it back. The wind was so strong; I nearly froze. I even encountered a nucleic acid test, which left me speechless. Striving to code words, but it might take until after midnight, no need to wait——