Master Suzuki

With the 30,000 Poké Dollars reward he had just received for completing the mission, the payment for clearing Densewood Forest, and the money Kenji had "booked" him for the day, he was now somewhat well-off.

Adding what he had left from before, Xia Yan had roughly 35,000 Poké Dollars on hand.

That should be enough to get some better Pokémon food and equipment.

After taking a brief stroll through the Black Market and gaining a general understanding of the place, he had a rough idea of what to expect.

Xia Yan's arrival caused no stir in the Black Market. He was merely an exceptionally ordinary figure here.

The Black Market covered a considerable area and was roughly divided into several sections.

The Pokémon trading district in the south sold all kinds of Pokémon, both rare and common. Xia Yan had even seen a Squirtle, one of the Starter Pokémon, locked in a cage at a shop entrance to attract customers.

However, that Squirtle was clearly not in good condition. Its gaze was vacant, and its expression was sluggish.

The west district contained Pokémon item shops, selling all kinds of Pokémon supplies, such as the most common Potions and Antidotes, as well as some relatively precious Evolution Stones of varying quality. The prices of Evolution Stones were simply outrageous.

The north district was one of Xia Yan's main targets this time. It sold all kinds of Pokémon food, including Energy Cubes, Pokémon snacks, various beverages, and more.

The east district was comparatively deserted, because what it sold was knowledge.

Everything related to Pokémon breeding, training, battles, learning moves, proficiency, mastery, and practical application could be found here. Anything the Pokémon League had could be found here; even things the Pokémon League did not have, or did not permit to circulate, could be found here.

That was roughly how the entire Black Market was laid out.

After making a round, Xia Yan arrived in the north district.

He casually picked a Pokémon food shop whose decor was not overly lavish and whose storefront was not particularly large.

He lifted the rather distinctive curtain of translucent green beads and walked inside.

The shelves were stocked with all kinds of Pokémon food, with Energy Cubes taking up a large portion of the display.

"Welcome, sir. What can I get for you? This shop has everything." A middle-aged man with a rather sleazy appearance and a pair of small mustaches immediately came forward to greet him.

Xia Yan's gaze passed through the eyeholes of his mask and swept across the shop.

"Do you have Luminous Tempered Intermediate Energy Cubes?" he asked flatly.

These were the kind of Energy Cubes Weedle had originally eaten. Their overall effect was fairly good, and they had become Xia Yan's minimum standard for Weedle's food.

"Yes! Of course!" The mustached man answered repeatedly, immediately taking out a box of translucent Energy Cubes from the shelf.

They were exactly the kind Weedle had eaten before.

Xia Yan narrowed his eyes, picked one up, and examined the faint impurities within under the light. Then he asked casually, "What's the price?"

The mustached man's eyes shifted as he said with a smile, "Market price. Fifty per piece."

"Heh."

Xia Yan chuckled, set down the Energy Cube in his hand, and turned to leave.

Did he take him for an idiot?

In the Black Market, one could indeed buy many things unavailable outside, sometimes even at slightly cheaper prices because there were no taxes to pay to the Pokémon League.

But anyone foolish enough to think it was that simple would probably end up paying these shops an idiot tax.

When buying things here, one had to keep their eyes open and not let these shops make a fool of them. The quality of the goods could be much worse than advertised, and sometimes they might even be fake.

With these Luminous Tempered Energy Cubes, the impurities were visible to the naked eye. Their quality was clearly quite ordinary.

For something like Energy Cubes, even tiny impurities could have a major effect on the overall quality.

Seeing him about to leave, the mustached man grew anxious and hurriedly called out, "Forty-five! Forty-five each!"

Xia Yan paused, sounding somewhat disdainful. "The quality is much worse. Thirty-five each."

"You—"

The mustached man glared.

He had seen people haggle before, but never someone who haggled like this.

Xia Yan turned around. "Luminous Tempered Energy Cubes are only a secondary type of Energy Cube I need. I merely wanted to see your sincerity. What a pity."

Hearing that, the mustached man's eyes shifted. "You want Advanced Energy Cubes?"

"Yes." Xia Yan admitted it directly, then added, "Advanced Energy Cubes for Bug-type and Poison-type Pokémon. Do you have any?"

"Of course I do." The mustached man patted his thin chest, making a bang bang sound.

He then carefully took two metal-sealed boxes from the counter. The moment he opened them, a rich yet faint fragrance spread throughout the shop.

Even the Weedle hidden beneath Xia Yan's cloak stirred restlessly at the scent.

The Energy Cubes in the boxes were translucent, plump, and perfectly uniform, without the slightest trace of impurities. Every piece was nearly identical, clearly crafted with exceptional precision. Whoever had made these two batches possessed considerable skill.

"Hehe, these two batches of Advanced Energy Cubes were both made by Master Suzuki, a master breeder from Goldenrod City. Their quality is in incredibly high demand throughout Goldenrod City. You're lucky you came when you did—"

"Price," Xia Yan interrupted.

Not a single word from a Black Market merchant could be trusted. If he said they were made by a master, did that mean they really were?

The Energy Cubes were of decent quality, far purer than Intermediate Energy Cubes. But calling them top-tier among Advanced Energy Cubes would be a stretch.

The books Xia Yan had read recently had not been for nothing.

"As for the price, 150 Poké Dollars each." The mustached man wiped the smile from his face and tried to look as "sincere" as possible.

"Too expensive." Xia Yan shook his head.

"How is it expensive?" The mustache on the man's face nearly flew off as he glared.

"This batch is a perfect fusion of Bug-type and Poison-type energy. With long-term consumption, it can at least raise a Pokémon's mastery of Bug-type and Poison-type energy by an entire level. I've heard quite a few Pokémon even comprehended new moves after eating it.

"And this batch, while more inclined toward the Poison-type, has an even more obvious effect. Consuming it regularly can greatly enhance the toxicity of Poison-type Pokémon. They're made from extremely precious Berries and all kinds of materials.

"The price isn't expensive at all!"

This time, he argued his case with reason.

"Ordinary Advanced Energy Cubes on the market generally cost around 120. Yours are good quality, but they're still overpriced," Xia Yan said with certainty.

"But these were made by Master Suzuki—"

"Master Suzuki is a registered senior breeder with the Pokémon League and the vice president of the Goldenrod City Breeders' Guild. He specializes in refining Berry energy and blending crystals. If he made these Energy Cubes, there would be special patterns left on the surface from the crystal blending process, while spiral markings would appear inside. But both of these batches were mechanically refined—"

Every breeder's recipe for making Advanced Energy Cubes was practically unique.

Moreover, every breeder had a different production method, resulting in subtle differences in the Energy Cubes they made.

Master Suzuki happened to be an especially distinctive figure in this regard, as well as a famous breeder in Goldenrod City. Xia Yan had bought several books written by him before. Those books even analyzed and broke down his special techniques and methods to a certain extent, explaining their strengths and weaknesses. That was why Xia Yan knew so clearly.

Looking at the stunned mustached man, Xia Yan asked with a teasing smile, "Do you want me to keep giving examples?"

The mustached man opened his mouth, then gave an awkward laugh. "Didn't expect to run into someone who knew his stuff."

Xia Yan remained unmoved. "Advanced Energy Cubes balanced between Bug-type and Poison-type energy, 130 each. Give me 150. Luminous Tempered Intermediate Energy Cubes, 35 each. Give me 100."

It was best to replace Energy Cubes gradually. A sudden change could cause discomfort for a Pokémon.

"I—"

"If you can do it, I'll take them. If not, I'll go somewhere else."

Xia Yan could not be bothered to listen to anything else he had to say and directly named his ideal price.

When dealing with people like them, one could not be too Defeatist. Otherwise, they would mistake you for an idiot and fleece you again and again.

Ten minutes later.

Xia Yan left the shop in high spirits, leaving the mustached man sitting there in a daze.

It had been a long time since he had suffered such a setback.

He had still made a profit, but why did it feel so unsatisfying?

"Follow him and find out who he is. How does he know so much about Energy Cubes?" he muttered quietly. It was unclear who he was speaking to, and no one answered.