Chapter 335: Order, Treasures & Gambling
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The auction was scheduled for 11 PM, but Sato set off more than three hours in advance for a simple reason—he wanted to explore the free-trade area of Saffron City's underground black market.
Tonight was arguably the grandest event in the history of Saffron City's underground black market.
To participate in Team Rocket's auction, powerful trainers from all over Kanto, and even those from other regions, had gathered here.
Before the auction began, these trainers took the opportunity to sell items they didn't need in the free-trade area.
This not only helped them clear out unnecessary possessions but also increased their available funds for bidding.
As Sato had predicted, the free-trade area was already bustling with activity.
Of course, Team Rocket's large-scale operation tonight hadn't gone unnoticed by the Kanto League.
Strangely, however, aside from an increased presence of law enforcement officers on the streets, the League's forces in Saffron City hadn't taken any major action, as if they were unaware of the auction happening right under their noses.
Sato had a good idea why the League was turning a blind eye—some of the League's high-ranking officials and prominent families were likely involved in this event.
During the campaign against the Golden Gang, the Kanto League had reaped the greatest benefits.
However, the League itself was not a united front; its internal factions were even more complicated than Team Rocket's, each with its own agenda.
"In the face of immense profits, even the League can only look the other way. Still, I'd better be cautious. The League may not go after the big fish tonight, but they can certainly catch some small ones. I have no intention of becoming prey," Sato thought as he watched the numerous League officers patrolling the streets from his taxi.
Having spent quite some time in Saffron City, this was the first time Sato had encountered a traffic jam.
Along the way, he also noticed many luxury cars and all sorts of unsavory individuals.
Some of these outsiders were probably used to being dominant in their own territories, yet they failed to restrain themselves even now, swaggering openly on the streets.
As a result, they were promptly apprehended by the League officers, who had been waiting for just such an opportunity.
After a half-hour journey, Sato arrived at one of Team Rocket's known entrances to Saffron City's underground black market. Unlike usual, he had to queue to enter.
Another half-hour passed before he finally made it inside Team Rocket's headquarters in the underground market. The place was packed with people, and it took him ten more minutes to squeeze his way out.
As expected, the underground black market was bustling, teeming with a massive crowd.
Fortunately, the streets were wide, and Team Rocket had deployed a large number of local enforcers to maintain order.
Despite the presence of countless criminals, the underground black market remained relatively stable—any signs of disorder had been swiftly crushed by Team Rocket.
As Sato emerged from Team Rocket's headquarters, he witnessed a bald, hot-tempered trainer getting into an argument with another trainer over a mere accidental bump.
In less than a minute, both trainers were dragged away by several ruthless-looking Team Rocket members.
The bald trainer, in particular, made the mistake of continuing to mouth off and being agressive, and the Rocket members killed him on the spot in full view of the crowd.
Many more trainers like him—"chickens" meant to be made examples of—appeared tonight. Even those with some influence weren't spared.
Team Rocket executed them before the "monkeys" (newcomers to the underground black market), using brutal tactics to establish dominance and obedience.
Through this ruthless display, Team Rocket quickly brought the initially chaotic underground black market under control, restoring a semblance of order.
Sato, now riding his Acro bike, arrived at the free-trade area—the most crowded section of the underground black market.
The number of people here had increased three- to fourfold compared to usual, and the variety of goods being sold had expanded significantly.
With Golbat by his side, Sato navigated through the crowd, carefully inspecting each stall's offerings. He activated his system's scanning ability to ensure he didn't overlook any valuable items.
Team Rocket's auction had truly drawn in a massive number of elite trainers, many of whom carried valuable goods.
Within minutes, Sato had already spotted several hidden treasures.
One such item was a peculiar rock called a "Float Stone." At first glance, it looked no different from an ordinary rock, but when lifted, it felt significantly lighter than expected.
Its effect was remarkable—it could halve a Pokémon's weight.
Halving a Pokémon's weight had immense implications. Imagine a 300-pound heavyweight suddenly shedding 150 pounds—though they might still appear bulky, their movement speed would improve drastically due to their previous strength.
While the Float Stone wouldn't make a noticeable difference for lighter Pokémon, it was an invaluable asset for behemoths like Steelix, Aggron, or Golem, greatly enhancing their mobility.
Despite its extraordinary effect, this miraculous stone was currently sitting in a pile of ordinary rocks at a "gambling stone" stall, priced at a mere 20,000 PokéDollars.
Stone gambling was quite popular in the Pokémon world. These stones often contained rare minerals and hidden treasures.
Most commonly, people found valuable gems inside, but occasionally, one could unearth precious Evolution Stones.
If luck was on their side, they might even uncover a Mega Stone or a Key Stone.
This practice was similar to gambling, but with an added layer of expertise. Some so-called "stone gambling experts" claimed they could determine whether a rock contained treasure just by examining its surface patterns.
Because of this, many people who considered themselves knowledgeable eagerly participated, hoping to strike it rich.
However, reality proved that only a select few "lucky ones" managed to achieve instant wealth—most ended up losing everything.
The gambling stall had rocks marked with various price tags, ranging from as low as 10,000 PokéDollars to several million, and customers were free to choose and have them cracked open on-site.
The trainers who frequented Saffron City's underground black market were rarely decent folk—many had all sorts of vices, and gambling was a common one.
Faced with the temptation of high-risk, high-reward betting, numerous trainers couldn't resist.
They convinced themselves that their years of "experience" in stone gambling would lead them to fortune.
And, to be fair, there had already been a few successful cases—some trainers had purchased rocks for just a few tens of thousands of PokéDollars and discovered Evolution Stones worth millions.
The most astonishing success story of the night involved a trainer who spent 1.5 million PokéDollars on a millstone-sized rock, only to crack it open and reveal a Dawn Stone worth at least 50 million.
That "lucky winner" had been losing throughout the stone-cutting process, and most spectators thought he was doomed to take a massive loss.
But when the Dawn Stone was finally revealed, his fortune changed in an instant.
Seeing this, countless bystanders couldn't sit still anymore. Their eyes turned red with greed, and they rushed to the gambling stalls, each hoping to be the next person to strike it rich.