Black Market

"What should I be careful of? And what did 'bzz bzz' mean?"

The final message from the Drowzee left Xia Yan completely confused.

With a heavy heart, he left the abandoned building.

It had clearly been a Drowzee that loved learning, yet certain experiments had turned it into this.

It had probably been able to wait quietly for death at first because books had given it a sliver of comfort, and it had sensed a kind of release.

"What a pity."

"Woo..."

Weedle also seemed rather dejected.

But Xia Yan quickly pulled himself together and went to find Sanfu again.

Sanfu still held Xia Yan in considerable awe, and he had never connected this person with the Xia Yan he had known before.

"From now on, help me gather intelligence on everything happening in Goldenrod City. No matter how you do it, I'll pay you. This is an advance." As he spoke, Xia Yan pulled out two one-hundred Poké Dollar bills.

"An advance?!" Sanfu's eyes widened.

Two hundred Poké Dollars just for an advance was definitely no small payment to him. If used well, it could even help him gather a group of desperadoes in the Slums who were struggling to survive.

After all, Xia Yan had only gotten thirty-three Poké Dollars from Scarface, a fairly significant Slums boss.

The living standards of Goldenrod City's lower-class residents were on an entirely different level from those of ordinary citizens.

What others considered pocket change was a fortune in their eyes.

"Okay! Okay!" Sanfu repeatedly agreed as he took the money.

"This is only the advance. I'll pay you accordingly based on the value of your information. Every week from now on, I'll wait for you at the entrance to the East District. I hope you can bring me valuable intelligence. If you can't, I'll find someone else."

Xia Yan patted his shoulder and turned to leave.

This incident had made him understand the importance of intelligence. With the right information, he could save a great deal of time.

Had he not learned about Assef and the unusual Rattata from Sanfu, finding the Drowzee would likely have taken much longer.

And for him now, time was crucial. Not a second could be wasted.

In Goldenrod City, he needed a simple intelligence network.

People like Sanfu, who mingled among Goldenrod City's lowest ranks and were utterly inconspicuous, were good candidates.

They might not know much, but they had wide access to information. They could gather news from every overlooked corner of Goldenrod City. As long as even one piece proved useful to Xia Yan, the deal would be worthwhile.

Besides, he was not worried that Sanfu would take the money and run.

If he could have left, he would have done so long ago. And Xia Yan did not believe Sanfu would throw away such a long-term source of income sitting right in front of him.

He treated it as a casual arrangement.

If it worked, great. If not, he would only lose two hundred Poké Dollars.

"Wait a moment," Sanfu called after him.

"Hmm?"

"I don't know if it'll be useful, but I heard someone say that some people dressed strangely and acting suspiciously were seen in Goldenrod City's East District last night."

Xia Yan's heart stirred.

Goldenrod City's East District?

He nodded imperceptibly.

"I understand. If this information proves useful, I'll pay you afterward."

With that, he left.

Taking Weedle with him, he quickly returned to the club.

He went to find Loto.

He needed to hand in the mission and collect his reward as soon as possible, then replenish Weedle's Energy Cubes and other Pokémon resources.

It did not matter if he had failed to obtain a second Pokémon. He could still devote all his attention to training Weedle.

The supervisor's office.

He knocked and entered.

The office was as luxurious and spotless as ever, and the supervisor was dressed with the same immaculate precision.

"You completed the mission this quickly?"

Loto raised a brow in surprise when he saw the report Xia Yan handed over, along with the evidence he had recorded.

"I got lucky and happened to run into it," Xia Yan said.

"Oh?"

Loto glanced at Xia Yan, who stood respectfully before him. His smile carried a hint of deeper meaning. "Not bad. Here's your reward."

A pure yellow feather pen lightly dipped in ink, then left Loto's name on the report in swift, flowing strokes.

People still used quill pens these days? The thought flashed through Xia Yan's mind.

He really knew how to put on airs.

A bank card slid across the desk toward him.

"This is an anonymous Pokémon League bank card. It contains the reward for this mission. All future mission rewards, as well as your salary, will be deposited onto this card. You can use it without worry," Loto explained with a smile.

Xia Yan nodded and picked up the bank card.

He was just about to leave when he suddenly stopped and asked, "Supervisor Loto, do you know anywhere in Goldenrod City where I can buy more... 'specialized' Pokémon books? And—"

Xia Yan particularly emphasized the word "specialized." He trusted that Supervisor Loto understood what he meant.

Sure enough, upon hearing the question, Loto showed an understanding expression. He toyed with the feather in his hand and, after a brief pause, said, "You can take a look at 115 Kelsa Street."

"Thank you."

After thanking him, Xia Yan turned and left.

He hailed a cab and headed straight to 115 Kelsa Street, the address Loto had given him.

Kelsa Street was located on the Edge of Goldenrod City, an area that was comparatively less prosperous. A few plain, unremarkable shops stood scattered along it.

Number 115 was a shabby little shop. Once inside, Xia Yan saw an old man lying in a rocking chair behind the counter.

Sensing someone enter, the old man cracked open his somewhat cloudy eyes. His gaze lingered on Xia Yan briefly before he slowly asked, "What do you want?"

"To buy something." Xia Yan's expression remained calm.

The old man's misty eyes flickered as he pointed at the counter. "One hundred Poké Dollars."

Without hesitation, Xia Yan took out a one-hundred Poké Dollar bill and placed it on the counter.

"Go in." Seeing the money, the old man understood and pointed at a worn wooden door behind Xia Yan.

Before Xia Yan entered, the old man suddenly tossed him a bundle. "Newcomer, put this on before you go in. It'll be good for you."

Inside the bundle was a loose, thick black cloak and a deathly pale mask.

Xia Yan froze for a moment, then immediately understood.

"Thank you."

He put on the opaque cloak, donned the mask, and hid Weedle beneath the cloak.

Then he stepped inside.

Beyond it was a narrow, dim passageway, with only a few faint yellow lights barely illuminating the path.

He walked for an unknown length of time.

Finally.

As a glimmer of light appeared, Xia Yan emerged from the long passageway and arrived in a brightly lit place that seemed as bright as day.

Before his eyes.

There were shops of every kind, selling all sorts of items directly or indirectly related to Pokémon. Some stores even openly sold Pokémon, direct Pokémon transactions that the Pokémon League strictly forbade outside.

In addition, the streets between the various shops were filled with people dressed like Xia Yan, hidden beneath loose black cloaks and wearing deathly pale masks.

Some simply kept their Pokémon at their sides, displaying their strength.

Everyone maintained a sufficient distance from one another, remaining wary of each other.

Of course, there were also a very small number of people who did not wear black cloaks and showed their real faces openly.

But without exception, they were all violent, reckless people who feared nothing and acted without restraint. Some were even on the Pokémon League's wanted list.

Everyone else tried their best to keep their distance from such people.

This place.

This marketplace, hidden somewhere in Goldenrod City, was Goldenrod City's largest Black Market.

It gathered countless people with black or gray identities, conducting transactions permitted or forbidden by the Pokémon League.

But without a doubt, anything related to Pokémon or Trainers could basically be bought here.

Goldenrod City was the largest city in the Kanto Region, and Goldenrod City's Black Market was naturally the largest Black Market in the entire Kanto Region. All kinds of people gathered here, and one had to be cautious in everything they did.

There was one more thing that required special attention.

The ones responsible for maintaining this Black Market and its basic order were Team Rocket.