The next floor up was where they sold Evolution Stones. Compared to the trainer items that could be mass-produced, the naturally occurring stones were far more expensive. A single, standard-quality Fire Stone was selling for three thousand Pokédollars.
After browsing for a bit, Zane successfully bought everything he needed: a Spike-Thorn Berry, a Bubble Rock, some Big Roots, and a Glimmering Gold Berry.
Just as he was about to head downstairs, he noticed a large crowd gathered in a section off to the side.
"What's that?" he asked a nearby staff member.
"That's our store's Free Trade Market," the employee explained. "Trainers can set up stalls there to sell or trade things they've collected on their journeys."
He had nothing better to do back at the school, so Zane, carrying his bag of ingredients, decided to go check it out.
He could hear the sales pitch from a mile away: "Magikarp, Magikarp, get your high-potential Magikarp right here! Not 998, not even 500, just 100 Pokédollars and you can take one home today!"
Zane sighed. Why is there a Magikarp Salesman here, too…?
He saw a tank full of Magikarp swimming around with their trademark vacant stares. From the outside, there was nothing remotely "high-potential" about them.
"Hey, kid, how about one?" The salesman had a sharp eye and spotted Zane the moment he walked up. He flashed a wide grin. "These have all been carefully selected by us! You buy one of these, you won't even need to train it much before it evolves into a mighty Gyarados!"
…Does he really think I'm some clueless kid who just started his journey? Zane was thoroughly unimpressed. If he wanted a Magikarp, he certainly didn't need to pay for one. His dumb bird brought him several a day, completely free of charge.
Seeing that the kid wasn't biting, the Magikarp Salesman looked away, disappointed.
Zane bypassed the salesman and continued browsing the other stalls. The vendors were a mix of all ages: fresh-faced trainers just starting out, teenagers, and older, more weathered-looking men. The variety of goods was impressive. As he walked, he saw all sorts of rare Berries, Evolution Stones found in the wild, Big Pearls, and even items shed by Pokémon. At one stall, he saw a "Scale of Rage" from a Gyarados, which was rumored to make a Magikarp evolve faster. A few other stalls were selling what looked like ancient pottery.
He continued his stroll, using his 'Identify' skill on anything that looked interesting. He stopped in front of a particularly cluttered stall, his eyes drawn to an orb as large as an adult's fist. It was a dark, murky purple, and it seemed to shine with a strange light under the department store's fluorescent bulbs.
"Excuse me, uncle," Zane said. "What is this thing?"
The stall owner was wearing a dusty gray jacket, his face framed by a messy beard. His weathered features made him look like a construction worker.
"Who are you calling uncle?!" the man shot back, his face a mask of indignation. "I'm only eighteen!"
"Huh?" Zane blinked, genuinely baffled as he looked at the man's ancient-looking face. The guy looked older than Zane had in his previous life, but then figured a ten-year-old calling a thirty-something "uncle" was more appropriate.
"Ah, whatever, forget it," the young man sighed. "That's a treasure I brought back from some ancient ruins. You wanna buy it? For you, a sincere price: two thousand Pokédollars!"
"That's really expensive," Zane said, frowning. "You're not trying to scam a kid just because you're older, are you?"
The owner choked. "I'm eighteen! I look old because I'm always out in the field! Here, look, I'm a professional adventurer. I excavate ancient ruins." He pulled a license out of his pocket to prove it.
Zane glanced at it. "...Okay, fine. But the price is still too high. I don't want it."
"Wait, wait, wait!" the owner called out as Zane turned to leave. He held up a hand. "Sincere price, one thousand one hundred Pokédollars!"
"You're in a big hurry to sell this, aren't you?" Zane asked, surprised.
The owner's expression stiffened for a second. "Of course not," he said with a forced smile. "I just can see how much you like it."
Zane's eyes narrowed. "Two hundred Pokédollars."
"That's too low!" the owner said, shaking his head. "At least five hundred!"
"Then I'm not interested." Zane turned and walked away again. The only reason he wanted the orb was because of what his scan had told him:
[Cursed Orb]: An ancient orb hiding a mysterious power. It is highly attractive to Ghost-type Pokémon. If a Ghost-type Pokémon spends time with it, there is a high probability that it will learn powerful moves.
It was an item that didn't exist in the games. He didn't have a Ghost-type Pokémon now, but he might in the future. If so, this thing could be incredibly useful. The owner clearly had no idea what it actually did, so Zane's original plan was to buy it if he could get it for under a thousand. An item like this was a once-in-a-lifetime find. But the owner's desperation to sell it made him suspicious, like he was hiding something. So, he'd decided to lowball him and see if he could bluff him out.
Sure enough, he hadn't taken more than a few steps before the owner panicked. "Fine! Two hundred it is! Take it, just take it!"
Now Zane was even more surprised. He took the orb, turning it over in his hands. "This isn't some fake you made out of glass, is it?"
The owner flinched, glancing nervously at the orb. "No way!" he said with another forced smile. "I'm just… giving you a discount because you look cool."
Zane stared at him. "...Flattering me isn't going to get you more money."
"Haha, let's just say we're making friends!" the owner said with a laugh.
The corner of Zane's mouth twitched. He paid the two hundred Pokédollars and walked away without another word. After he was gone, a look of profound relief washed over the owner's face. He didn't even bother trying to sell anything else; he just packed up his stall and practically ran out of the building.
Zane, meanwhile, returned to the school. He placed the orb on his desk and, following the steps in the book, began to prepare a nutritional meal for Budew. Having lived alone for most of his previous life, he'd become a pretty good cook.
From the blissful expression on Budew's face, it was clear the meal was a huge success.
Tomorrow, we can start training, Zane thought, writing out a step-by-step regimen on a piece of paper. The nutrients Budew had eaten needed to be properly absorbed through training and exercise to make its body stronger and healthier.
By the time he finished the plan, it was already nine o'clock at night. He had class the next day, so after a quick wash, he lay down on his bed to rest.
After he had fallen fast asleep, a dark purple mist began to rise slowly from the orb on the desk. It coalesced into a round, deep purple figure.
With its appearance, the temperature in the room instantly dropped by several degrees.
The sleeping Budew shivered and instinctively scooted closer to Zane's warmth.
Cramorant, however, didn't react at all, lying on its back in its usual sleeping position, snoring away.
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