Before heading into the black market, Silas carefully adjusted the condition of every Pokémon he planned to sell.
Wounds were cleaned.
Feathers straightened.
Fur brushed smooth.
Some of the wilder ones resisted violently, but thankfully Crawdaunt stood guard beside him, claws crossed, radiating pressure that quickly restored order.
"Hm… with all this cotton, I could probably make another quilt," Silas muttered with satisfaction as he recalled the last Cottonee into its Poké Ball.
After putting everything in order, he left the Pokémon Center, slipped into a dark alley, and pulled on a black cloak and mask.
After questioning a few local thugs, he finally learned where the black market entrance was.
'I didn't expect Mauville City to be this busy,' Silas thought. 'No wonder the black market here is bigger than most.'
After paying a 200 Pokédollar entry fee, he was allowed inside.
Not all black markets charged, but some did. It wasn't about prestige and There was no real distinction of high-end or low-end, just that's how each region operated.
Because of its proximity to the wild grasslands, this market was especially lively, almost on par with the one in Rustboro City.
...
A Show of Force
Silas released Crawdaunt.
At Level 37, the crustacean's presence alone was enough to make the shady figures nearby hesitate.
He didn't release his other Pokémon. Murkrow and Umbreon were both rare and especially Murkrow, which was native to Johto. Drawing attention here would only cause trouble later.
But Crawdaunt was common. Its pre-evolution, Corphish, could be found all across Hoenn's rivers and coasts.
...
Silas's first stop was a Pokéblock shop.
As usual, he asked if they had any advanced Pokéblocks.
"Any advanced Pokéblocks?"
The owner shook his head.
As expected. high-grade Pokéblocks were never easy to find.
Still, he purchased a large batch of intermediate Dark-type and Water-type Pokéblocks for Umbreon, Crawdaunt, and Sharpedo.
With his current skill, producing intermediate Pokéblocks himself was still too difficult. He couldn't let his Pokémon fall behind.
The purchase alone cost him 500,000 Pokédollars.
Silas winced.
'At least I can still make basic Pokéblocks for Murkrow and Umbreon… If I were an ordinary trainer, this would already be impossible.'
Most of the ordinary trainers couldn't even afford basic Pokéblocks, let alone intermediate ones and often usually only their main Pokémon got to eat them.
Over time, the gap between civilian trainers and League-backed ones only grew wider.
...
Selling the Cottonee
He moved straight to a Pokémon trading shop and began selling his batch of Cottonee.
Unfortunately, because of the nearby grasslands and possibly a recent migration ,the market was already flooded.
Shop after shop offered him terrible prices.
In the end, he chose the highest bidder offer and sold them all.
The shopkeeper fell silent when he realized every Cottonee had been stripped of its cotton but the price stayed the same.
After all, it would grow back like any other fur Pokemon.
Silas pocketed the money and continued moving through the market, frequently changing his appearance using the disguise techniques he had learned from Madam Mira.
By the time he finished, his funds were approaching six million Pokédollars.
But Silas wasn't satisfied.
'This money won't last long…'
Sharpedo's growth had slowed not just because of its rising level, but because its aptitude was beginning to lag behind.
Among all his Pokémon, Sharpedo had the weakest potential.
It had inherited Psychic Fangs and possessed the Speed Boost ability, already top-tier in the eyes of most trainers.
But compared to Crawdaunt, Umbreon, and Murkrow… Sharpedo was falling behind.
Silas had seen Sharpedo secretly training, pushing itself harder than ever.
Still, talent wasn't something effort alone could fix.
Back when Crawdaunt and Sharpedo had been around the same level, they had competed evenly. Now, Crawdaunt was three levels ahead.
"It's time to make a potion to improve Sharpedo's potential."
....
Materials
At a shop selling rare Pokémon materials, Silas purchased a large batch of Water- and Dark-type components:
The shell of an elite Blastoise (Lv. 40+)
The fang of a Walrein
The flotation sac of a Floatzel
These were all for Sharpedo.
The Dark-type materials, however, were for the Sandile eggs he was incubating.
From the seven eggs, he would choose the one with the best talent.
.....
The Cruel Method
As for the remaining six, Silas recalled a forbidden method he had once read about in the Petalburg Library, a technique known as "Battle Royale."
An underground organization once sealed dozens of Poison-type Pokémon inside a confined space and forced them to fight and devour each other's toxins.
The survivor was known as the King of Poisons, often possessing the potential to reach Champion-tier.
Some researchers even speculated that other types could undergo similar trials.
Pokémon raised in such brutal environments developed terrifying combat instincts.
Silas's heart stirred.
Sandile were already savage.
and their final evolution, Krookodile, was infamous for its brutality.
...
TMs
Continuing through the market, Silas bought coverage moves for his team.
The most important: Hidden Power.
Every type was available here. He bought one for each Pokémon.
He also purchased:
Ice Beam ×2 (for Crawdaunt and Sharpedo)
Dark Pulse (for Umbreon)
Attract (for Umbreon)
Steel Wing (for Murkrow)
He couldn't find Roost, which left him slightly disappointed.
At a public TM facility, he rented a private learning room and taught all the moves on the spot.
The black market valued privacy,so no one disturbed him.
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(End of chapter)