But if Sieg knew this, he'd be utterly speechless. After all, he assumed this family member had approached him because of Chloé's matchmaking situation.
As for why he dressed so plainly, that was purely because of his other identity; he was a Team Rocket mid-captain. Under such circumstances, naturally, it was better to dress ordinarily and not attract attention.
Whether due to environmental factors or Sieg's own preferences, he didn't like standing out. Wasn't it better to stay under the radar while quietly making a fortune?
As for Kinshita not seeing his spatial equipment, that was purely his ignorance. Whether within the League or in the gray zones, anyone with even a bit of power and status knew that spatial equipment came in forms other than backpacks, including other rare varieties.
Like the spatial belt looted from Rose's body, or the spatial ring Sieg himself wore.
Kinshita's heart was already stirring with greed. After all, in his view, how many resources could a common trainer possibly have to raise Pokémon?
And thinking of the powerful Pokémon he'd just purchased, his mind frantically reassured him that the advantage was his.
In the end, he decided to take the gamble!
A Grass Knot TM was worth at least 500,000 Pokédollars or more. Though not as universally useful as Protect, if he found a trainer in desperate need, he could sell it for an even higher price.
Its value was by no means lower than a Protect TM.
As for losing?
That thought had never even crossed his mind.
"Fine, I agree. Let's go find a referee to do this properly!"
Thinking about making another big win and then enjoying himself with some bunny girls after getting the money, Kinshita became somewhat impatient.
This was Sieg's first time encountering someone so eager to hand over money. He happened to be planning to acquire some TMs for Zorua, with Protect naturally being essential. He'd originally planned to purchase it in Slateport City, now he had a sucker delivering it right to his door.
As for why Sieg was certain this person couldn't beat him, the first was instinct. People who walked in the gray zones often had extremely sharp intuition.
Just from this spoiled brat's words and behavior, it was hard to imagine him being a strong trainer.
Second were the observable details. Kinshita only had three Poké Balls at his waist. Though quantity didn't determine a trainer's strength, it could reflect certain things from the side.
Most crucially, through observing the opponent's tailcoat, Sieg noticed that underneath he wore beginner trainer attire.
Though the League had no regulations requiring trainers to wear clothing matching their strength, most people still paid attention to this, especially those who prided themselves as family scions.
After all, it was a status symbol. The stronger you were, the more advanced your attire, and the more respect you'd receive walking down the street.
Therefore, very few people wore League clothing that didn't correspond to their actual strength.
If a beginner trainer wore intermediate trainer League clothing, then people who challenged them would also be intermediate trainers.
Not only would their Pokémon get thrashed, but they'd also likely face mockery for overestimating themselves.
So trainer attire either wasn't worn at all, like Sieg, or if worn, it generally represented the trainer's actual strength.
Based on all these details and analysis, this was the source of Sieg's confidence. He thought that Kinshita was at most an intermediate trainer, probably without even a single level 30 Pokémon.
Moreover, even without relying on Pokémon level advantage, just with the rich combat experience Sieg had accumulated, he could completely dominate his opponent.
At the same level, indoors, he could handle at least three to five opponents. Outdoors, against show-offs like this, Sieg could demolish dozens.
After all, most League trainers, especially those below elite level, had almost no wilderness survival experience, many weren't even stronger than Team Rocket grunts.
Soon, Kinshita returned with a printed notarization document, complete with a League-certified referee's fingerprint.
This ship had quite a comprehensive support staff.
"I won't bully you. I'll release my Pokémon first, then you can choose your counter-Pokémon. As for those so-called rules, I won't quibble with you. One-on-one, winner takes the stakes!" Kinshita said with feigned magnanimity, though the greedy expression on his face couldn't be concealed, completely unlike his previous refined appearance.
Hearing this, Sieg started mocking him. "In trainer battles, the one who issues the challenge is supposed to release their Pokémon first anyway. What's with this generous act? Who are you performing for?"
Kinshita, called out by Sieg, couldn't find words to respond, his face flushing red without knowing how to defend himself.
After all, he genuinely didn't know these unwritten rules. The common trainers who'd battled him before had always deferred to him repeatedly due to his family member status.
In the end, Kinshita only managed to squeeze out one sentence: "Let's go, hurry to the battle arena!"
At these words, many around them let out mocking laughs. But Kinshita, unusually, didn't care about these reactions; his eyes now only fixed on that Grass Knot TM worth 500,000 Pokédollars.
Sieg said nothing more, simply following to the cruise ship's public battle arena.
As the two moved, many spectators followed. Along the way, even more people were attracted; after all, the stakes were quite substantial, making it irresistible for those who loved excitement.
The cruise ship's public battle arena had referees present. Though not necessarily the League-certified referee who'd stamped the document earlier, they were definitely sufficient to oversee a battle.
After explaining the battle rules, both sides placed their wagered stakes with the referee for temporary safekeeping.
Kinshita produced seven or eight unmarked debit cards. After all, no one would carry a Protect TM on them, so he provided the current market equivalent in Pokédollars.
Sieg pulled a jade-green TM from his spatial ring, the Grass Knot TM.
When Kinshita saw Sieg produce the TM from thin air, his eyes went wide. He hadn't seen any spatial backpack on Sieg!
"This young man actually has a spatial ring. Seems he's not just an ordinary trainer after all!" An elderly woman in the crowd remarked with astonishment.
Hearing the explanations from those around him, Kinshita also noticed the ring on Sieg's finger. He'd only seen one bracelet-style spatial equipment in his family's treasury.
As for ring-style ones, he'd never even heard of them.
"Damn it, could this guy really have a major background like the people around me are discussing?" Kinshita's expression turned ugly, feeling like he was in over his head.