The auction drew to a close. While Feng Che didn't make any massive acquisitions during the bidding itself, his haul from the Celadon Underground Market was substantial. He had successfully secured rare herbs and items without excessive effort.
As he prepared to leave, a crowd gathered around a specific street stall caught his eye. A figure in a black robe was frantically attending to customers, surrounded by a large collection of Pokémon Eggs. A sign at the front read: Pokémon Eggs – 1,000 Dollars Each.
"What's going on? Did someone rob a ranch?" a passerby whispered.
"Didn't you hear? Celadon's biggest nursery, the Rainbow Nursery, had its credit line cut. They can't even pay their staff. The employees are taking eggs as back-pay and selling them off."
"Rainbow Nursery? I thought they were doing great. They just bought that state-of-the-art gene screening equipment."
"That's exactly why they're broke. The equipment turned out to be counterfeit. The owner leveraged the entire nursery to buy it, couldn't pay the bank back, and now the management has fled. The staff is just trying to salvage what they can."
Feng Che activated his system to scan the cluster of eggs. Among the sea of mediocrity, he found a diamond in the rough: a Vulpix egg near hatching.
Pokémon: Vulpix Status: Near Hatching Evaluation: This Vulpix possesses the latent talent to awaken Psychic-type attributes.
Without a second's hesitation, Feng Che bought it. A Vulpix with a dual-type awakening talent was incredibly rare, usually found only in Cyan-potential or Shiny specimens. Getting it for 1,000 Dollars was a literal steal.
By the time he returned to the surface, the sky was beginning to pale. He returned to his apartment for a quick nap, only to wake up in the afternoon to a new encrypted message on his communicator.
To Elite Feng Che:
The League has completely blockaded Mt. Moon's "Grand Canyon." Investigate the reason for this blockade.
Deadline: One Month. Recipient: Rocket Shadow Unit.
The Grand Canyon? They must have found the Fossil Pokémon graveyard, Feng Che thought. He knew the area well from his past life. One month is more than enough time. I'll scope it out after the exams.
For now, his priority was the Pharmacist Examination. He needed to secure a position within the Guild's upper circles.
Feng Che spent the next several hours working with his Aipom. He finely ground the High-grade Ice Stones and scattered the dust over the Alolan Vulpix egg's incubator. He could feel the consciousness within the egg pulsing, the creature eager to be born. He did the same with the Fire Stones for the new Kanto Vulpix egg.
"Now for the main event," Feng Che whispered. He pulled out the Salac Berry, Aeolus Grass, and Phoenix Quill Flowers.
With Aipom's help, he spent six grueling hours purifying and distilling the ingredients. He used his psychic power to strip away every microscopic impurity. Finally, he produced a vial of sky-blue liquid: a Superior Potential Potion (Flying Type).
"Rookidee, come out."
The small bird emerged, already shimmering with the white light of evolution. Feng Che fed it the potion. "Drink this, then focus on the transformation."
As the potion took effect, Feng Che slumped against the wall, his brain throbbing from the psychic strain. Just then, his phone buzzed. It was Yue, reminding him about tomorrow's exam.
Throughout the night, Rookidee's body underwent a radical shift. Its feathers shed, replaced by sturdier, darker plumage. Feng Che stayed awake, using meditation to maintain his focus while his other Pokémon eventually drifted off to sleep.
By dawn, a majestic Corvisquire stood before him. It was nearly 1.2 meters tall, significantly larger than the average for its species.
Pokémon: Corvisquire Potential: Outstanding (Deep Green) Level: 20 Status: High Battle Spirit Evaluation: An exceptionally well-developed Corvisquire with terrifying latent potential.
The bird gently pecked at Feng Che's hand before drinking a stamina recovery potion.
"Well done, Corvisquire," Feng Che smiled, watching the sun rise over the city. "Our path is only getting wider."
The Pharmacist Guild HQ
The building was swarmed with hopefuls. The air was thick with the scent of chemicals and nervous energy.
"I heard the Senior exam only has three slots this year," one man grumbled.
"The Junior exam is supposedly brutal too. They're adding Mid-tier questions to weed out the weak."
"Have you heard? The Guild President is actually here today. He usually only shows up for global crises, but he's staying for the entire duration of this year's assessment."
Feng Che listened to the gossip, a plan forming in his mind. He knew the Guild President was a man obsessed with rare flora, but more importantly, he knew a "Great Figure" from the League was coming to scout talent today. This was his "express ticket" into the heart of the League's infrastructure.
To catch that figure's eye, he couldn't just pass. He had to be extraordinary.
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