"I've noted down this small favor; I'll definitely repay you when the opportunity arises."
Seeing that Miyamoto Sakura ignored him and left, Sato silently thought as he put away the bright red portable flashlight into the storage space of his Team Rocket watch.
After this brief encounter, Sato finally arrived at his destination: the public market of Team Rocket's underground base in Pewter.
The public market wasn't very large, about the size of a quarter of a standard soccer field. At this time, there were quite a few people there, with many stalls set up on the ground, numbering at least over fifty.
Sato Kaede, as a rookie, stood out a bit. Once he entered, many official members of Team Rocket turned their gaze toward him. However, they only glanced at him before continuing with their own business.
Even that brief glance made Sato feel like he was under scrutiny. He keenly sensed a trace of malice in their eyes, which reflected a greedy look, as if they were regarding a lamb to be slaughtered.
At the same time, a memorable smell emanated from most of the people around him. Although it was faint, the sheer number of people allowed him to quickly notice it; it was the unclean and nauseating scent of blood.
It was evident that every Team Rocket member entering the public market was a hardened individual, someone who had survived brutal battles and had taken lives to some extent.
'It seems this public market isn't a place for ordinary people. The tension here indicates that these individuals are perhaps the real operatives of Team Rocket, completely different from the foot soldiers I saw before. I've only felt this kind of atmosphere from that instructor named Caesar,' Sato thought as he observed the members moving around him.
Since entering the public market, the air felt thicker, the tense atmosphere making it somewhat uncomfortable for him to breathe. The Team Rocket members were likely engaging in subtle competitions or warnings against each other.
Like powerful beasts encountering each other, they wouldn't immediately attack; instead, they would face off, trying to intimidate each other with their eyes and body language.
Now, as Sato entered the public market, it felt like a small beast had walked into a pack of fierce predators. Even if the beasts bore no ill will toward the small beast, it was enough to make it anxious.
Although Sato had also taken lives in his previous life, it clearly didn't compare to the Team Rocket members around him who had engaged in real battles. After all, he had only manufactured bombs to kill, delivering them to his enemies' homes via courier, without getting his hands dirty.
Fortunately, after living two lives, Sato Kaede's courage and willpower far surpassed that of ordinary people. After staying in the environment for a while, and recognising the power play at work, he gradually adapted, and with his rising confidence, he shifted back to his usual i-don't-give-a-fuck attitude.
Showing any weakness would only invite those looking to oppress and exploit.
The Team Rocket members near him also sensed the change and the feeling of being scrutinized lessened significantly, with the oppressive atmosphere also somewhat dissipating.
Sensing that he wasn't easy to bully or intimidate, the members nearby stopped paying attention to him and he was no longer met with hostility.
At this point, he could finally search for what he needed.
Most stalls had a clean cloth laid out with various items displayed on them. The majority of the goods were Pokémon items and various other supplies.
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As Sato walked around, he saw all sorts of Pokémon items, the most common of which were various spray potions and berries with different effects.
These common Pokémon items were reasonably priced. For example, a low-level healing spray potion cost about 10 point in the Team Rocket points exchange system, while the standard price here was 8 points.
Overall, most items in the public market were cheaper than their equivalents in the points exchange system. It made sense since if the prices were equal or higher, one might as well redeem them directly from the system, especially since those were new items.
Moreover, everyone trading here knew that the items being sold were likely black-market goods, and since they were secondhand, lower prices were to be expected.
Generally, the only items that exceeded the points exchange prices were Pokémon. The price for redeeming Pokémon through the Team Rocket points system was a standard rate, meaning, in the market, it could be lower or higher, depending on the specifics.
Ultimately, those familiar with Pokémon typically wouldn't redeem them from the points system; they preferred to catch them themselves or trade with others.
To put it simply, redeeming Pokémon through the points system was like shopping online, while those in the public market were akin to buying in a physical store.
In a physical store, it was up to the buyer's discernment, and the sellers weren't naïve. Experienced trainers could easily assess the quality of the Pokémon.
Currently, Sato noticed a stall selling a particularly rare Pokémon—a well-developed Bulbasaur, at least twice the size of an average Bulbasaur, with vibrant colors.
This Bulbasaur, trapped in a glass case, was clearly not one of those docile, captive ones from the Alliance but a wild one, showing a strong instinct. It would lash out with its vines at anyone who tried to get close, though its attacks were all blocked by the specially designed glass case.
It was evident that this wild Bulbasaur had exceptional potential.
The seller had set the price five times higher than the points exchange system—ten thousand points.
Even with such a high price, many Team Rocket members approached to bargain, including several squad leaders and team leaders.
While the seller remained composed, Sato used his system to scan the Bulbasaur and confirmed that its potential was indeed outstanding. Although its level was low, it had several egg moves and TM moves.
Pokemon Details:
Pokémon: Bulbasaur
Level: 21
Type: Grass/Poison
Ability: Overgrow
Gender: Male
Known Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Take Down, Leaf Blade, Leech Seed, Toxic ™, Energy Ball ™, Giga Drain ™, Grass Whistle (Egg Move), Nature Power (Egg Move)
Seeing the details of the Bulbasaur made Sato's heart race. If he could start with such an outstanding starter Pokémon, his future path as a trainer would undoubtedly be much smoother.
However, despite his envy, he quickly shifted his gaze away and continued searching for what he wanted at other stalls. So far, he had unexpectedly obtained the portable flashlight, but he still needed a sturdy iron net.
As for blood packs and noise-canceling earplugs, those could only be purchased with points in the exchange system. After all, who would sell blood for no reason? And it was better to buy new earplugs for hygiene.