After thanking the uncle, Icarus and Airi walked toward a quieter area.
They sat down beside a flower bed, and Icarus opened the ticket booklet.
The actual entry pass was just the small card attached to the front page. The rest of the booklet contained introductions to some auction items.
Of course, the detailed descriptions were only for ordinary items.
As for the final highlight items, they were described using only a few vague keywords—leaving everything else to imagination.
Different world, same trick.
This kind of "teasing marketing" was exactly the same as in his previous life.
As soon as Icarus flipped a few pages, one item immediately caught his eye.
A Pokémon.
The description was eye-catching:
Elite potential (bolded and enlarged)
Rookie-level strength (also emphasized)
But the image?
Just a black silhouette.
"…Damn."
Icarus cursed inwardly.
Still, he quickly turned the page. He'd seen this trick too many times before to get worked up over it.
"What kind of nonsense is this?!"
Beside him, Airi wasn't as calm.
"They couldn't even show what Pokémon it is?! Even without a name, at least draw it properly!"
It was her first time experiencing this kind of marketing, and it frustrated her to no end.
Like trying to scratch an itch you couldn't quite reach.
"Haha… Airi, that's exactly the point," Icarus said, amused.
"It makes people curious. The more mysterious it is, the more people will show up."
"We'll find out tomorrow anyway. Just be patient."
Hearing that, Airi took a couple of deep breaths.
"Fine… I'll endure it."
She picked up the booklet again and kept flipping.
Then suddenly—
"Wow! Brother Icarus! There really is a Pokédex!"
Her eyes lit up.
"And the starting price is only 150,000 PokéDollars! That's so cheap!"
"Congratulations," Icarus said with a small smile.
"But let me remind you—"
"That's just the starting price."
"The final bid will definitely be higher. This is just another marketing trick."
"Aah?! These shady merchants…"
Airi frowned at first.
But then she remembered the even more outrageous "mystery items" from earlier…
"…Forget it. As long as there's a Pokédex, I'm happy."
Icarus chuckled and didn't say anything more.
He continued flipping through the booklet—
Then suddenly, his eyes sharpened.
He quietly folded two pages as markers.
"Brother Icarus, are you planning to buy those?"
Airi noticed immediately.
"But I thought you didn't know what you wanted—"
"I'm just considering options," he replied calmly.
"I'll probably only pick one."
"Alright, let's go. We're done here."
"The auction starts tomorrow morning—we should head back and rest."
"Okay!"
Airi tucked the booklet into her coat and followed him.
That night, they returned to the hotel, had dinner, fed their Pokémon, and went to rest early.
The Next Day
9:00 AM.
The two had already arrived at—
Dark Gray Auction House, under the Brock family.
They stood in line, waiting to enter.
"There are so many people… and a lot of trainers from other regions too!"
Airi looked around, amazed.
She was glad Icarus had dragged her here early.
If they had come at 10, they might have missed the morning session entirely.
"Yeah," Icarus nodded.
"This is a major auction in Pewter City. Some items here can't be found anywhere else."
"And some are extremely valuable."
Soon, it was their turn.
After a quick check, a maid led them inside.
"Please follow me. The morning auction will be held in the third hall."
As they entered—
Both of them froze.
"…This is a small venue?!"
The so-called "small hall" was enormous—easily the size of a football field.
Rows upon rows of seats filled the space, creating an overwhelming sense of scale.
After finding their seats, they noticed something else.
The seating was surprisingly spacious.
Each chair had price tags and controls, with over 40 cm of space between seats.
"As expected of the Brock family…" Icarus muttered.
"They could easily fit more people and earn more."
"But they don't even bother."
While the two were still looking around like country bumpkins—
A voice echoed across the hall.
"Ahem—welcome, everyone!"
At the center stage stood a beautifully dressed female auctioneer.
"For local guests, you may already know me."
"But for our friends from afar—let me introduce myself."
"My name is Mianyang, and I'll be your host for this morning's auction."
She bowed slightly.
The large screen behind her displayed a striking visual—
And the crowd immediately reacted.
"Haha! We know you, Mianyang!"
"Yeah, yeah—no need to introduce yourself!"
"Big Sheep, I thought you were the item today!"
Laughter erupted throughout the hall.
Instead of getting angry, Mianyang smiled confidently.
"Since everyone is so eager…"
"I won't keep you waiting."
"Let's begin the auction."
The atmosphere instantly ignited.
The auction—
had officially begun.
-------------Author---------------
Read 50 advanced chapter
👉 patreon.com/Master_fic