Emilia pushed them through the crowd in the sweltering heat, stopping in front of a booth with a row of rocks contained in a display case. An older woman with graying hair sat behind the booth and unlike most of the other vendors in the bazaar, she did not hawk her merchandise to the crowds or even greet Emilia as she approached the small tent. Beside her, a man was trying to sell rare berries at exorbitant prices.
Emilia pulled Lindon and Cashe close so they could hear her over the ruckus of the crowd, huddling them together. Cashe wiped the sweat from his head, savoring the moment of cool relief from the heat as he did so.
Emilia pointed to the booth with the older woman behind it, “There are no standards or certifications required to operate a stall in the market, so you always have to be aware if someone is trying to scam you.”
The older woman did not react to Emilia’s words. Cashe wasn’t sure if it was because she didn’t hear them or if she didn’t care.
“That lady is trying to trick us?” Lindon said, staring directly at the woman, wide eyed. The woman noticed and gave him a little wave. Lindon quickly looked away.
“No, probably not,” Emilia said, “There are a couple of ways to tell a good vendor from bad. See how she’s not trying to get people to buy her things?”
Cashe nodded, seeing Emilia’s point, “She doesn’t need to, she knows what she’s selling can speak for itself.”
“Exactly,” Emilia said.
“So she’s safe to buy from?” Lindon said. He tried to approach the stand but Emilia did not relinquish her grip from his shoulder.
“Probably. But some sneaky opportunists notice this as well,” Emilia said with a knowing look, “So it’s not a guarantee. You should actually be the most careful in places like this. The vast majority of vendors are honest people, but when you find someone quiet, you have to be careful. These places are where you’ll find the best deals, or the worst.”
Lindon nodded, not looking nearly as eager to approach the woman now, “How else can you tell if someone is trying to trick you?”
“If the deal is too good to be true, it is,” Emilia said, “If you find something rare and the man is trying to sell you it for dirt cheap, run away, you’re about to be scammed. The opposite can also be true. Some people will try and look like a greedy vendor selling you something rare for an extreme price. You think to yourself ‘Wow, that guy is asking for so much it must be real.’ Most people don’t mind if they end up spending too much money on something rare, and scammers take advantage of that. The trick is you just spent way too much money on something completely useless.”
“I don’t get it,” Cashe said, “Why scam at all? Pokedollars can’t be used for much and credits are non-transferrable.”
“What if you’re a trainer stuck in place and unable to advance due to lack of funds?” Emilia said, “An armful of pokedollars might get you a good item or an evolutionary stone that can get you back on track. What if you know a trainer like that? They might do something for you in exchange for pokedollars that they otherwise wouldn't. That’s how a lot of minor crimes happen in big cities like this.” Emilia shrugged, “Others just like to scam people.”
“They do?” Lindon said with a deep frown, “Why would anyone want to do that?”
“Why would anyone want to be homeless?” Emilia said, “Everyone gets provided a home, but you’ll still find people living on the streets in every major city. It’s rare, but some people just prefer things that way.”
“I think that’s a pretty complex issue,” Cashe said, remembering similar examples from his home.
“Yes.” Emilia agreed, “My point is, so is criminality.”
“All that doesn’t really answer the question if we are approaching this stall or not,” Cashe pointed out.
“Oh, we’re definitely approaching the stall,” Emilia grinned, “Always do that.”
They moved over to the stall, only receiving a nod in greeting from the woman. Lindon had a nervous expression on his face and was looking around at the crowds as if expecting a scammer to pop up at any moment. Cashe put a comforting hand on his shoulder and browsed the items on display.
They were rocks. Pretty boring rocks, too. They ranged in color from charcoal gray to deep black, with several having a bright sheen of color that was only visible when light reflected off of them in a specific way. They were all about the size of a fist and varied greatly in texture. Some were rough and rugged, as if they had just been pulled from a mine from the end of a pickaxe, while others were sleek and angular, like they had been cut with lasers. They were set in their displays in dark velvet, with no labels and no prices on display.
“Emilia, what am I looking at?” Cashe said.
Emilia looked up from the display she was scrutinizing which boasted much more brightly colored rocks clumped together in a haphazard fashion.
Emilia glanced over, “Looks like evolutionary stones.”
“I thought those were crystalline and glowed?”
The woman finally spoke up, scoffing, “That is for movies and games, lad. The real things are much less obvious.”
“Do you have a Thunder Stone?” Lindon said, peering down at the array of evolutionary stones. He was much more interested in the display now.
“I do,” the merchant said with a smooth smile, “If you can pay, that is.”
“How much?”
“One hundred thousand pokedollars.”
Cashe blanched. One hundred thousand? He only had just over ten thousand, even after all his wins. Granted, he did spend some on food for his pokemon, but special ingredients for the food weren't that expensive.
Emilia, however, nodded, “Not a bad price.”
“It’s not?” Cashe said, “There’s no way that’s a good price.”
“It’s not a great price,” the woman admitted with a grin, “But it is my price. You won’t find a better variety of stones anywhere in this market.”
“I don’t have that much,” Lindon said, expression downcast.
Far from looking disappointed, the merchant’s grin widened, “How much do you have?”
“Don’t answer that Lindon,” Emilia interrupted, placing a protective hand on Lindon’s chest. She faced the merchant, “Not enough to make bargaining worth it, unless you are willing to lose a lot on the deal.”
“Ah, but perhaps his friends might be willing to help?” She smiled at Lindon, “After all, what are friends for if not helping us when we are down?”
Cashe doubted the three of them had enough to meet even a bargained down price, but it didn’t matter either way, as Lindon shook his head.
“No,” he said, “I’m on my pokemon journey. That means I have to be responsible for myself.”
“Alright, dearie,” the merchant’s smile was placating, “Perhaps I can interest you in something less expensive.”
Lindon browsed, letting the merchant talk him through what she had in stock, but didn’t end up buying anything. Cashe didn’t blame him. She was selling rocks. There was only so much you could do before the merchandise became boring.
They continued to peruse. Cashe stopped at several stands selling TMs, but was only able to find what he was looking for at one, and he was pretty sure the man was trying to scam him. One thousand pokedollars for Ice Punch sounded too good to be true, especially when the other vendors didn’t have it at all.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Emilia was able to find an Ice Beam TM, however. She purchased it, and even though it cost nearly twenty thousand pokedollars and completely cleared her out, she was ecstatic.
“I’m going to teach this to Omanyte as soon as we get back to the ship!” Emilia said, shaking the TM in front of Cashe’s face. It looked just like a CD in a transparent plastic case, “She already knows icy wind, but it just lacks that punch, you know?”
“I get it,” Cashe said, smiling at Emilia’s obvious joy, “You have a good move now.”
“Did I hear you correctly?” A merchant called out to them as they walked past. He had a thin mustache and a smooth voice, ” Did you say you have an Omanyte? You wouldn’t happen to be a fossil trainer would you? Can I interest you in an Aerodactylite?”
“You’re selling Mega Stones?” Cashe said, exchanging a quick glance with Emilia. She nodded. Not that uncommon, apparently.
“Welcome to Miguel’s Mega Shop,” the merchant smiled, “We sell only the finest materials for you and your pokemon.”
“And that includes Mega Stones?” Cashe said.
“And everything needed to Mega Evolve,” Miguel nodded. He gestured to the stall around him. Several baskets were on display, all nearly empty. Some contained pokedolls, some had charms. Sticks of incense lay in several boxes, nearly cleared out, and completely empty were several cases that simply read ‘Puffins’. Lindon walked over to a crate, pulling out two identical looking Golett dolls.
“You need berries to Mega Evolve?” Cashe said, picking up a beaten Sitrus Berry from a basket. It was overly ripe and felt like mush in his hand. He tossed it back.
“You need a strong bond with your pokemon,” Emilia said.
“Quite correct,” Miguel smiled, “Knowledgeable and beautiful. You are a lucky man, sir.”
“I have a-” Cashe frowned and bit his lip, “We’re not together.”
“Ah, nevertheless, a man can appreciate beauty and intelligence, even if you are not in a romance,” Miguel winked at Cashe and gave Emilia a winning smile.
Emilia grinned, “He’s right. You should appreciate my beauty and intellect more.” She rubbed her chin in faux thought, “I’m thinking breakfast in bed, every day for the next week.”
Cashe rolled his eyes, “I’m pretty sure showering a pokemon in presents wouldn’t create the kind of bond that is needed for Mega Evolution.” It couldn’t be that simple.
“You are correct,” Miguel put a friendly arm around Cashe’s shoulder and led him to a display case full of tiny stones. They looked like marbles, complete with a cat’s eye swirl of color. “But showing a pokemon love cannot hurt. Besides, some people just want to appreciate others, no?” Miguel sent another wink to Emilia.
Her smile widened and she joined Cashe and Miguel at the display. “You’ve got quite a collection of Mega Stones here, Miguel.”
Cashe nodded. There were dozens on display, all locked in a heavy duty security display case. Emilia didn’t seem suspicious of the stones, so Cashe assumed they were the real thing.
“Thank you, Miss,” Miguel said, “I have tried to foster a wonderful collection, but they keep slipping through my hands.”
“They seem to be the only thing in your stall that isn’t selling,” Cashe said, gesturing to the empty displays around them.
“Alas, while everyone can see the benefits of a happy pokemon, not everyone needs a Mega Stone,” Miguel said, shaking his head in shame.
“That, and Mega Stones are expensive,” Emilia said.
“Ah, not so,” Miguel countered, “Why, for only fifteen thousand-”
“Let’s go, Cashe,” Emilia interrupted, “He’s scamming you.”
“Please, Miguel Solivados would never resort to such methods,” Miguel said, a fierce look of disgust on his face, “You spit on my good name. I offer you the deal of a lifetime, and this is how you treat me?”
“Yes.” Emilia said bluntly. She took Cashe by his hand, “Lindon! We’re leaving.”
“But I want this for Magnemite!” Lindon said, holding up one of the Goletts.
“We can get a pokedoll anywhere,” Emilia said, “We don’t have to buy from someone who is blatantly lying to us about those Mega Stones.”
“I would never lie!” Miguel insisted, stepping in front of Lindon and Emilia, raising an arm dramatically across his brow, “You wound me with your words.”
“Those Mega Stones are legit,” a nearby vendor said, overhearing the conversation, “Miguel is not lying-”
“Thank you, Harold,” Miguel held up his hands in a gesture of immense gratitude, “I would never lie to my dear cust-”
“-but he is trying to scam you,” Harold continued, grinning as the look of extreme thanks fell off of Miguel’s face, replaced with a frustrated scowl.
Emilia frowned, “Explain.”
“You didn’t hear?” Harold said with a smile, clearly enjoying Miguel’s deep frustrations, “Those stones are going to be completely worthless in a few days. At least once word spreads.”
“Why?” Cashe said, “I doubt Mega Evolutions are just going to go away.”
“Exactly,” Miguel said, putting a hand on Cashe’s arm and attempting to tug him away from Harold.
“Right you are,” Harold said, “They are going to be more popular than ever.”
“Wouldn’t that make the stones worth more, not less?” Lindon said.
“Smart, but no.” Harold shook his head, “That pokemon professor all the way over in Kanto, you know the one with all the daughters? He just showed them all up, even in his old age.”
“Blue did?” Cashe said, disentangling himself from Miguel, “Blue Oak?”
“That’s the one!” Harold nodded, “He discovered you don’t even need a stone to Mega Evolve! Turns out, it’s just a bit of a crutch.”
“What?” Emilia shouted. Several people in the crowd around them stopped and turned at the sudden noise.
“That’s right, turns out you just need a very strong bond with your pokemon,” Harold nodded, “So Miguel here is trying to fleece anyone he can before his stock is completely worthless.”
“I am simply lowering my price to reflect a competitive market,” Miguel looked away and crossed his arms, “There’s no telling if that paper has any truth to it.”
Emilia had a dumbfounded expression on her face, obviously still grappling with the new information. But a part of Cashe reared its head for the first time in months. His internal investment banker had a nose for opportunity.
“Do you have a Venusaurite?” Cashe said.
***
“Can we please talk about this now?” Emilia all but shouted. They were back in Cashe’s cabin, having left the market as soon as Cashe made his purchase. Emilia was completely out of it for the actual transaction, and only came back to herself when she registered Cashe receiving a stone from Miguel. She had nearly exploded at Cashe for making the purchase, but he asked her to wait until they were back and the cruise ship departed.
“What do you want to talk about?” Cashe said, innocent expression on his face. He had Emilia’s laptop in his lap and was searching the forums on it.
“What about? How about the fact that you spent all your money on a worthless Mega Stone!” Emilia shouted, finally losing her cool, “Fifteen thousand pokedollars! I know you don’t have that much. Did you borrow from Lindon for it?” Emilia grabbed her hair in thick fistfuls, pulling at it in frustration, “I knew I would have to keep an eye on him at the market, but not for you!”
“I didn’t spend fifteen thousand,” Cashe said, not looking up from the laptop, “I spent ten.”
“So you were able to negotiate him down, congratulations,” Emilia rolled her eyes, “You only paid ten thousand for a useless rock.”
“I doubt it's useless,” Cashe said, “Pretty sure I just saved us hundreds of thousands of pokedollars.”
“How is it not useless?” Emilia said, “The stones aren’t needed. That is the definition of useless.”
“I don’t know how scientific news is spread here,” Cashe said, “But I bet ten thousand dollars that it was similar to back home.”
“What?” Emilia frowned, “What are you talking about?”
“Back home, if there was a new discovery, all the headlines read ‘Hey! Look at this discovery!’” Cashe said, “The discovery would be explained, but people only really remember the headline. Especially when that information spreads by word of mouth. Do you remember what your dad has been doing for the past couple of months?”
“Finding Red,” Emilia rolled her eyes, “Don’t you remember the talk show disaster?”
Cashe grinned, “Oh I remember. But that’s my point. Either Blue had the most productive couple of months of all time, or-”
“Or they are related.” Emilia finished, “You think Red actually discovered how to Mega Evolve his pokemon without a Mega Stone. How does that make a difference?”
“The guy was in the mountains for fifty years doing nothing but training.” Cashe said, “That’s not something that just anyone can accomplish.”
“So what, you think people will still need the stones?” Emilia said.
“I’m willing to bet- Ha yes! Look at this!” Cashe said, flipping the laptop around, “Right in the abstract. Your dad both credits Red for the discovery, and says that he does not see the method as a viable option for trainers in the immediate future.”
“Arceus above, Giratina below,” Emilia gasped, reading the article.
“It took forever to find,” Cashe complained, “Someone really needs to hurry up and invent search engines.”
“You just saved yourself hundreds of thousands of pokedollars,” Emilia breathed. Her shock slowly turned into a frown, “This is why you waited until we departed Slateport to tell me.”
“This is a huge advantage,” Cashe nodded, “I didn’t want anyone getting a leg up with us in case someone else figured it out.”
Emilia scowled, “I shouldn’t have spent all my money on Ice Beam, I could have-” she cut herself off, “Did you say us?”
Cashe grinned and took Emilia’s hand, “I didn’t pay ten thousand credits for a Mega Stone. I got Miguel down to five.”
“Five? Then what?”
Cashe pressed a small Marble with a red and yellow cat’s eye swirled through it into Emilia’s hand. “He only had Charizardite Y,” Cashe said, regret in his voice, “I think I could have got him for both.”
Emilia stared at her hand, blinking rapidly. After a minute, she met his eyes, “Cashe, this is too much. I-I can’t take it.” She pushed her hand back at Cashe, trying to get him to take back the stone.
Cashe pushed her hand back towards her, “What are you talking about?” he grinned, “It was only five thousand pokedollars. Besides, Miguel was right. I appreciate you.”