"Pikachu."
"Pika?"
"Next time we go shopping, remind me never to haggle with big sis."
"Pika." Got it.
After a while, even Volo seemed somewhat unable to bear it and raised his hand.
"Twenty taels!"
"I really can't go any lower; if I do, I don't even want to make this deal!"
The smile on Cynthia's face softened considerably in an instant.
"Deal."
Volo: "..."
Why did it always seem like she was waiting for this price from the start?
Cynthia cheerfully paid twenty taels of gold.
Plates like these can't simply be measured in monetary terms. As long as the information is true, this price is completely acceptable to both parties.
After Volo pocketed the money, he still felt a bit of heartache, but since the transaction was completed, he didn't hesitate to provide the information.
"The first plate is in the Obsidian Fieldlands."
"The specific area is the Dangerous Forest."
Ash was a bit surprised.
"Dangerous Forest?"
That wasn't their first time going there.
Volo nodded.
"The Ginkgo Guild can only confirm that the plate is in that forest area, but I don't know the exact location."
"If I really knew exactly where the plate was buried, it wouldn't have sold to you for only twenty taels."
Cynthia didn't continue discussing the price with him.
"And the other one?"
Volo paused for a moment, then said a name that completely caught both of them off guard.
"Kamado, Leader Kamado of Team Galactic, has one of the plates you're looking for."
"Captain Kamado?"
Ash's expression immediately became a bit strange.
Why does it have to be in that guy's hands?
Seeing his reaction, Volo's smile finally returned.
"The Ginkgo Guild's information is completely reliable. If in the end, the information is wrong, I'll refund you ten taels of gold."
Cynthia almost didn't pause.
"Why not refund the full twenty taels?"
Volo: "..."
He quietly picked up a handkerchief from the side and gently wiped his forehead.
Why does this woman have to find problems even in such trivial things?
Ash almost couldn't hold back his laughter behind her.
Volo raised his head and looked at Cynthia very seriously.
"Miss Cynthia."
"What's up?"
"Were you really not in business before?"
"Nope."
"Such a pity."
Volo sighed deeply from the bottom of his heart.
After chatting a bit more, Cynthia bought all the supplies and Ground Attribute consumables she had previously selected, finally wrapping up today's business, which had been making Volo sweat non-stop.
If they kept talking, Ash seriously suspected that Volo's sweat could flood the Ginkgo Guild's store.
...
After leaving the Ginkgo Guild, Ash finally asked the question he was truly concerned about.
"Sis, what about the plate in Captain Kamado's hands?"
"Even though he's easier to talk to now than at the beginning, going directly to him for such an important item seems more troublesome than facing a King, doesn't it?"
If the plate were in someone else's hands, Ash might be able to directly negotiate.
But it had to be Kamado.
That guy always likes to consider a bunch of possibilities before doing anything. To directly tell him that he wants the plate, it's really hard to say how that negotiation will end.
"Then there's no rush to get it now."
Cynthia answered very straightforwardly.
"Volo only told us that Kamado has a plate; he didn't say we need to get it today."
"Let's first confirm the other one in the Dangerous Forest, and as for Kamado, we'll slowly handle it when the right opportunity comes."
She paused slightly, then continued, "Kamado may be cautious, but he mostly thinks about Team Galactic and Jubilife Village. As long as we continue dealing with the remaining problems of the Kings and stabilize the situation in Hisui, there will naturally be chances to clear things up with him later."
Ash thought for a moment, then quickly nodded.
"That's right."
The plate won't just disappear from Kamado's hands by itself.
Since there's one that's easier to get, of course, they'd take the simpler one first.
They didn't return to their place but left Jubilife Village directly.
Once they reached a place where they couldn't see anyone else around, Ash took out the Arceus Phone and directly selected the Dangerous Forest as their destination.
The familiar light flashed.
The next moment, Ash, Cynthia, and Pikachu were already in the Dangerous Forest of the Obsidian Fieldlands.
Tall trees around blocked much sunlight, with the ground covered in years-old fallen leaves and exposed roots. It didn't look like a place hiding an Arceus plate at all.
Ash looked around.
"We've been here before, why didn't we notice anywhere that looked like it's hiding a plate?"
"If finding it was just a stroll, Volo wouldn't have sold the information to us."
Cynthia took out the Celestica Flute, its long melody quickly spreading through the forest.
Before long, the ground began to shake familiar vibrations.
"Roar!"
The massive figure of Ursaluna emerged from the other side of the forest and swiftly approached them.
Cynthia took out some Star Dust she had just bought from the Ginkgo Guild.
"This time, we'll need your help again to find something in the Dangerous Forest."
"Don't worry about what it is for now, just dig up any treasures you can sense."
"Roar!"
Ursaluna promptly ate the Star Dust, then lowered its head and began changing directions in the forest according to its senses.
Neither Ash nor Cynthia asked Ursaluna to specifically search for the plate.
That kind of treasure hunting ability can't be guaranteed to find exactly what they want, and since Volo only knew the plate was in the forest, the most direct approach was to have Ursaluna dig up all treasures it could sense.
Moreover, Ursaluna is a special Pokemon influenced by the power of the Venerable Sinnoh, it might truly have a unique sense for something like a plate.
The two followed Ursaluna around the forest for about ten minutes.
During that time, Ursaluna paused several times to confirm directions, but it never actually started digging.
It wasn't until they reached a piece of woodland that looked completely unremarkable that Ursaluna suddenly stopped.
"Roar."
It lowered its head to confirm for a while, then used its strong front paws to start digging into the ground.
Masses of soil flew all around, and a hole on the originally flat ground grew deeper and deeper.
Ash initially stood watching with great interest, but as Ursaluna dug deeper, his expression slowly turned odd.
"Buried so deep?"
Cynthia couldn't help but glance into the pit.
Without Ursaluna's treasure-hunting ability, who would have thought to dig nearly two fathoms deep under such a huge forest for the plate?
After a while, Ursaluna's obvious growl of excitement came from the pit.
"Roar!"
The massive body climbed out of the pit once more, with a gray plate covered in dirt in its mouth.
Ash: "..."
Cynthia: "..."
They actually got it?
Ursaluna placed the gray plate on the ground in front of them, then puffed its chest out proudly.
"Roar!"
Ash crouched down to wipe off the dirt from the plate's surface, and the familiar patterns quickly became clear.
"It really is a plate."
Originally, I'd thought the process of Basculegion directly giving the Splash Plate was straightforward enough, and yet this Stone Plate didn't even involve a battle or a quest.
Just buy the information, have Ursaluna dig a pit, and there it is.
Cynthia hefted the Stone Plate, then glanced at the big pit dug out by Ursaluna.
"Considering it nine taels per piece of information, it's not a bad deal."
"Now we're not sure if Kamado's is worth another ten taels."
Ash couldn't help but laugh upon hearing her reasoning.
"At least the Dangerous Forest one is legit, right?"
Cynthia nodded lightly, though a hint of doubt appeared on her face.
"But with this plate buried so deep, how on Earth did Volo learn about plates existing in the Dangerous Forest?"
Without Ursaluna, even if the whole forest was turned over, no one might have thought to dig nearly two fathoms deep underground.