"Big Brother, Pokemon!"
Sato moved closer to the fish tank with a look of great surprise. His movements were rather exaggerated, yet the Four Pokemon showed no reaction whatsoever.
"Not bad, right? I went through tremendous effort to catch these Four Pokemon. Every time was incredibly dangerous.
"Don't be fooled by how obedient they are now. That's only because I've kept them hungry. Otherwise, this fish tank couldn't hold them!"
The stall owner began bragging again, praising the Four Pokemon to the skies.
But who were Sato and Lance? They could see the Four Pokemon's condition at a glance.
Their hunger was real, but all Four Pokemon also bore plenty of wounds from being beaten. Clearly, the taming process had not been so harmonious.
"Boss, are these the only Four Pokemon you have?"
Lance spoke up then. His words were full of hesitation, clearly showing that he did not think much of the Pokemon here.
"Don't think I don't know. Goldeen are only slightly better than Magikarp, but they can be seen everywhere too.
"That Staryu has five points of uneven size. One look tells you it's underdeveloped.
"And that Shellder, with that dumb look on its face—is it supposed to be a brick for my younger brother?"
The stall owner stared at Lance in astonishment. Seeing that his disdain and pickiness were genuine, anger rose in his heart.
Hadn't they said anything other than Magikarp would do?
"You just—"
"Boss, I truly want to find a better Starter Pokemon for my foolish younger brother.
"I know you must be a very capable man. The Pokemon you've caught surely aren't limited to this sort of stuff.
"Please take this money first, so you'll know we're sincere. I'm counting on you, Boss!"
As Lance spoke, he opened the leather bag in