The Underground Cities in Pyrite Town are numerous.
Among them are several neutral dungeons where many visiting merchants sell items unseen in Pyrite Town, with Pokémon trading being just one of the main businesses.
Otsuka seems quite familiar with this place, but instead of taking Baimu to some secret shop, he chose quite a normal medium-sized store on the bustling Pokémon trading street.
"My dad has a good relationship with the owner here, so the prices might not be exceptionally cheap, but the quality is definitely not low. It's also quite 'clean,' not the kind that was stolen. My Sandshrew was bought from here."
Sandshrew?
Faced with Otsuka's chatter, Baimu recalled the pretty sizable Sandshrew Pokémon.
While size is not a key factor in determining a Pokémon's strength, larger individuals within the same species tend to be stronger and more exceptional in most cases.
"Oh? A rare guest, Otsuka is so free today."
A short and chubby man had just finished a conversation when he saw the two enter and greeted them with a wide smile.
Otsuka replied, "Uncle Maruyama, I brought you a big deal this time. Have you got new stock today?"
"Of course! Your Uncle Maruyama wouldn't slip up... This young man must be the buyer?" Maruyama looked towards Baimu.
The latter nodded slightly, "Hello."
"Hahaha, so polite, I like young people like you." Maruyama laughed heartily, "Are you planning to browse freely first, or—"
"Just take us to the warehouse directly!" Otsuka hurriedly declined, then turned his head to quietly explain that although the displayed Pokémon looked good, they were mostly for show.
Baimu glanced around, feeling like he had stepped into a pet store. Only compared to the cats and dogs from his past life that barked endlessly when people showed up, most Pokémon had much more spirited eyes.
He withdrew his gaze.
Soon, under Maruyama's guidance, the two were led to a warehouse-like area at the back of the shop. The latter opened a large hatch overhead, where numerous large cages covered in black cloth quickly echoed with noises of banging and shouting.
"Did you hear that? Full of energy!"
Maruyama chuckled, turned his head, and said, "What are you in the market for, young man? Any preferred attribute or acceptable price range?"
"...What's the most valuable thing here?"
Baimu turned his gaze toward him, "Can I ask?"
"Of course! We accept any business inquiry!"
Maruyama took the lead, with the pair following behind, stopping in front of a giant cage.
He lifted a corner of the cage's cover. Baimu peered into the pitch-black inside and suddenly saw a big mouth, reeking of sulfur, lunging toward him.
Bang!
The cage shook.
Baimu's expression remained unchanged as he discovered inside an Arcanine filled with hostility, its fluffy golden-yellow soft fur and vibrant tiger-striped pattern making it look exceedingly majestic and imposing.
"This Arcanine is at quite a high level, so it's worth ten million!" Maruyama cheerily put down the black cloth.
Ten million!
Even if Pokémon Yuan is akin to yen, this number is remarkable!
"...What about something around one million?" Baimu glanced at Otsuka as he spoke, noticing he was merely slightly surprised but not panicking while observing the Arcanine, feeling somewhat reassured.
This guy is actually willing to lend that much, which is surprising.
Besides, he's likely got at least two million in his pocket; otherwise, he wouldn't stay so calm.
Maruyama chuckled and led the two to another area, "The choices in the one million range are quite expansive. If I were to give a personal recommendation."
He lifted the black cloth, revealing a large brown mole with a huge cone on its forehead and extremely sharp claws.
"Excadrill! Level 43! It might be a bit tricky to handle, but this Pokémon is great. Its Sand-Sifting trait lets it thrive in deserts. It's very popular among your Quicksand Team!"
Maruyama suddenly exaggeratedly gestured:
"And it knows a total of seventeen different moves, do you know Ten Thousand Horsepower? Very strong! It's only 1.4 million! Honest price, no deception!"
Baimu: "Level 43... Is there one at a slightly lower level?"
"You prefer lower levels?"
Maruyama looked at him in surprise. Most customers preferred the stronger the Pokémon, the better, with higher levels and more moves being more desirable, and prices climbing steadily.
Those who wanted lower levels mostly liked to slowly nurture them themselves.
But to develop to such a level and learn so many moves requires a lot of effort... It's not easy.
"I personally don't recommend it, but since you prefer it..."
Maruyama walked forward two meters, lifting a corner of the black cloth, "This kind of Pokémon, best suited for novice Trainers in other regions, should fit your preference well."
As Baimu looked, he saw a large blue-skinned salamander with a dopey expression inside.
"Marshtomp, Level 21, don't let its silly look fool you; it has an excellent physique. It's also very strong, twenty centimeters above the standard height, mastering ten moves. A bit fewer, but it includes useful types like Rockslide and Water Fluctuation. Priced at 620,000."
Hmm... six hundred and twenty thousand for a Marshtomp...
Seeing his calm expression, Maruyama took a step further and showcased other Pokémon.
One could only say that this guy's eloquence was pretty good. Many Pokémon were introduced so vividly by him that people were tempted to buy them all on the spot. However, they all had some hidden flaws more or less.
For example, the Excadrill with too high a level might be difficult to control; the Marshtomp which needed frequent skin hydration was not suitable for the outdoor environment of Pyrite Town...
Of course, the most fundamental reason was still the absence of that heart-stirring feeling.
He didn't want to settle, after all, they were going to spend their life together, so it was best if the Pokémon was exactly what he wanted.
Otsuka looked at him deliberating, and strangely recalled his own ambivalent feelings when buying a Pokémon, inevitably feeling a bit nostalgic, just that the budget back then wasn't this ample.
A million, huh!
Even though he was paying for it himself, he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.
Just then.
Baimu, who was lost in thought, suddenly raised his head, "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Otsuka looked puzzled, he hadn't heard anything.
"No."
Baimu suddenly walked towards a certain direction, pointing at a big iron cage under Maruyama's surprised gaze, "What Pokémon is in here? What's the price?"
"How did you... ah, you heard its voice."
Maruyama lifted the black cloth, revealing the strange creature inside that was sitting limply, covered in pink fur and shaped like an oval, with an egg on its belly.
"Chansey, a general attribute Pokémon, Level 30, possesses excellent healing abilities and is rare. In other regions, it is the dedicated assistant of Pokémon Centers. However, I wouldn't recommend buying this one."
"Why?"
"Because it's very unsuitable for battle. When I took over, it had been returned twice, which proves it's almost impossible to put it to use.
"It would make a nice ornamental pet Pokémon... but you're with the Quicksand Team, right? Participating in next week's competition?"
Maruyama smiled mysteriously, "Buying such a rare yet non-combat-fit Pokémon isn't cost-effective."
Baimu looked at the Chansey inside the large cage, meeting its slightly worried gaze.
"Lucky."
A few seconds later.
"It's the one, how much?" He knocked on the cage, startling the Chansey to stand up anxiously, looking at him with unease.
Otsuka: "Eh? Wait, do you want to think about it again?"
"Think about what? I like its sound, and I need a Pokémon like it." Baimu waved his hand.
Wanting a strange Pokémon to have no guard and to follow commands readily in just a few days is very difficult, even Aron couldn't do it, so he might as well consider other factors.
Moreover, he had a bit of a special idea.
"Oh! That's decisive! This Chansey itself is priced at 1.1 million – don't say it's expensive, it's already very cheap! But I admire a young man like you, I'll give you a 20% discount, just 880,000!"
Maruyama exclaimed while pulling out a calculator from his pocket, pressing some simple multiplication and division, "Need anything else? Like specialized Pokémon food, nutrition tablets, and so on."
"No need, Otsuka pays!" Baimu gave Otsuka a pat, who then bewilderedly pulled out an envelope from his pocket, counting the cash outwards.
A hundred grand plus! Just buying it like that!
Otsuka felt heartache for Baimu, thinking buying a Pokémon would be no more than three hundred thousand, but it was almost hitting the million line.
Fortunately, his father asked him to bring extra out.
Holding the cash, he watched Maruyama turn to get the stuff, trying still to advise, "You won't form combat power like this, what about the competition on the day? It's very dangerous!"
"Will it not be dangerous if you form combat power?" Baimu looked back at him, saw him speechless, and again looked at Chansey, "Don't worry, we'll let you out soon."
"Lucky..."
Chansey placed its two small short arms in front of the egg on its belly, looking not very pleased, who knows how long it had been in this small cage and what it had gone through.
A little while later.
Maruyama returned with a Pokeball, and various receipts in his other hand, including Chansey's health check report and so on.
According to this short and stout merchant, selling sick or weak Pokémon is against morals, and he never does such things.
Baimu believed him, captured Chansey into the Pokeball, and gently patted it, "Rest assured, I won't mistreat you, just relax."
The two left the Pokémon shop.
"Do you want to buy anything else? There are all kinds of things here, how about a gaming console?" Otsuka seemed to have a shopping addiction, continuously promoting various stuff.
Baimu refused them one by one, now all he wanted was to find a safe place and take a look at the Chansey and the Pokémon that Liu Ge lent him.