Slateport City

Slateport City was a large city in the southern part of the Hoenn Region.

Slateport City had been established because of its clean water and plentiful food. Its local market had developed rapidly, making it a good city for shopping. It later grew into a port city, with ships coming and going frequently.

Terrance needed to take a ship from here to reach Qishui City, where the Breeder headquarters was located.

By now, Terrance and Beautifly had entered Slateport City. Nearly a week of travel had left Terrance looking a little travel-worn, but he had no energy to spare for his appearance. The important thing now was to book a ticket and get to Qishui City as quickly as possible.

If he missed this Breeder examination, Terrance could not afford the devastating consequences of waiting another year.

"I'd like a ticket to Qishui City." Terrance had come to the ticket office at the shipyard, and after a long wait, his turn in line had finally arrived.

"A ticket to Qishui City, correct? Please wait a moment. Also, do you have a membership card or Trainer credentials? Either would entitle you to a ten percent discount." The ticket clerk worked at the computer, then looked up at Terrance.

"No..." Terrance shook his head.

"In that case, please show me your identification," the clerk said.

Terrance handed over his identification. The clerk glanced over it, quickly typed a string of characters into the computer, and handed it back to him.

"Please verify your information: name, Terrance. Age, ten. Place of birth, Cerulean City, Kanto Region. Current guardian, Oran. Is everything correct?"

The clerk had made no mistakes. After confirming the information, Terrance paid 2,000 yuan for the ticket, wincing a little at the expense.

That was nearly all the savings he had brought with him. Now he had spent it all on the ticket and had nothing of value left on him.

"All right, your registration is complete. Thank you for your support, and please don't miss your departure."

After receiving the ticket, Terrance checked the details. The ship was the S.S. Tidal, scheduled to depart at seven the next morning. It looked like he would need to spend a night here.

Walking through the streets with little to do, Terrance suddenly remembered the homemade trinkets in his backpack. He wondered if he could sell some of them.

"I remember there's an open-air market in Slateport City." After thinking for a moment, Terrance recalled a place: Slateport Market, an open-air market that sold all sorts of things.

Terrance hurried there, only to realize he didn't have a stall.

He shook his head helplessly and began wandering around. Since he was already here, he might as well look around. He had no money anyway, so he wouldn't be tempted to buy things on a whim.

Slateport Market sold a wide variety of goods. One plush doll cost 3,000 yuan, making Terrance click his tongue. It was quite a bit more expensive than the ship ticket, and he really couldn't imagine what use it had.

Besides that, there were all kinds of rare Berries, priced anywhere from tens to hundreds of yuan.

There were also potions made by Breeders, with prices hovering around 10,000 yuan. Terrance couldn't help marveling at Breeders' ability to make money.

A single bottle of potion that could increase a Pokémon's attack power had even been marked up to 9,800 yuan. After seeing that the other potions were roughly the same price, Terrance shook his head. Making these probably required the skills of an intermediate Breeder, and judging by the shopkeeper's appearance, he was probably just reselling the goods, which was why the prices were so much higher.

"They even have something like this?"

Terrance studied an object shaped like a small burner in surprise.

It was his first time seeing one in real life. Until now, he had only seen pictures and descriptions in books.

Sea Incense: An incense with a mysterious fragrance. When held, it increases the power of Water-type moves.

Although it was a consumable, it was still highly appealing to Trainers. Sea Incense was made from special flowers and leaves. It wasn't difficult to make, but the materials were rare and expensive. Terrance checked the price, which was also around 10,000 yuan.

A Poké Ball cost only 200 yuan. Clearly, these things weren't meant for ordinary Trainers.

Without lingering, Terrance continued browsing elsewhere.

Slateport Market wasn't very large, and Terrance looked things over quickly. Before long, he had walked through nearly the entire market.

Just as Terrance was about to leave, he noticed an unusual stall. Its owner was a girl wearing a hat, and she looked young.

What caught Terrance's attention was what the girl was selling. He walked over and found that the stall held homemade potions.

The potions were scattered haphazardly on the ground, with no descriptions, and hardly anyone came over to look.

"May I open one and take a look?" Terrance asked her.

"Of course." The girl's voice was very young, confirming Terrance's guess that she was probably about his age. As for his request, it was perfectly normal. Buyers had the right to examine potions intended for Pokémon.

After getting her permission, Terrance picked up a small bottle and pulled out the stopper. He held it in front of his nose and used his other hand to waft a little of the liquid's scent toward him.

Several names came to Terrance's mind without a moment's thought.

Rather than speak at once, Terrance continued examining the other small bottles. Besides similar liquid potions, there were also some powders, all of which made him very curious.

After examining them to his satisfaction, Terrance suddenly realized that his behavior had been a little rude. But the bottle of potion in his hand made him frown.

If he wasn't mistaken, there was a small flaw in it.

"Sorry for looking so long."

After apologizing, Terrance asked, "Have these potions been certified?"

"What do you mean?" The girl, her face hidden beneath her hat, sounded a little puzzled.

"The other potions should work fine, but there's a small flaw in this bottle of powder. If I'm not mistaken, it was ground from Gloom saliva, Qingluo fruit, Sepu leaves, and Blue Silver Grass, wasn't it? It's a medicine that treats Burns on Grass-type Pokémon faster than bitter plums or Burn Heal."

Terrance knew how the powder worked, and there was nothing wrong with the combination. The problem lay in the Gloom saliva.

"The Gloom saliva you used came from a female Gloom, but the correct formula calls for a male Gloom's saliva. The side effects aren't serious, but if it's used at a critical moment, something unexpected might happen."

Terrance could tell what most of the potions at the girl's stall did, though there were a few whose workings he couldn't figure out. But this bottle of powder had made him hesitate. Fortunately, he had read about Gloom in a miscellaneous book: there were subtle differences in the effects of the saliva of male and female Gloom.

"If you don't believe me, I suggest you have it tested."

With those words, Terrance left. By the time the girl reacted, he was already gone.