After packing their things, Xiao Ran and the others set off for the Trading House. It was one of the largest buildings in Border Town and easy to find.
When they entered the lobby, they found that the first floor was an open trading area. Anyone could pay a stall fee and set up a stand to sell things they no longer needed. It was a good place to hunt for bargains.
There was still plenty of time before the auction, so Xiao Ran and the others took their time browsing the first floor.
The market was much like the bazaars Xiao Ran had read about in novels. This was his first visit to a place like this, and he browsed with such enthusiasm that he rivaled Bai Tingjiao and the other two girls.
Still, finding a genuine treasure was no easy task. Anything truly valuable had already been sent to the Auction House. Even unidentified objects were usually taken there on the off chance they might sell. Only the rare items that even the Auction House refused ended up here, where their owners tried their luck.
Fortunately, Xiao Ran and the others did find a few bargains, buying several Evolution Stones at extremely low prices. Their quality was poor enough that stores would not stock them, leaving this market as the only place to sell them. At least they were cheap, averaging a hundred to two hundred thousand apiece—a steal compared with proper Evolution Stones that cost over a million.
Despite how strapped for cash Xiao Ran and the others had seemed at the Pokémon Center, that was only because they were restricted to spending money earned from missions. In reality, none of them were short on money except Bai Tingjiao, who could only stare in astonishment.
"Seriously, have