Feng Che had originally planned to use his system's scanning function, but he realized that for the current batch of eggs, the feature was temporarily unavailable due to a cooldown or specific interference.
"Forget it. I still have time. Once I finish this mission, I'll come back and identify which of these eggs holds that Pseudo-Legendary," he mused.
Before leaving the Breeding Center, he gathered all the resident Pokémon. "I'm going to assign your tasks. Golduck, you're in charge of communicating with humans. Salazzle, you supervise Golduck and keep him on track. Linoone brothers, maintain the peace of the grounds. Kleavor, Feraligatr, and Tentacruel, you handle anyone who steps onto this property uninvited."
He looked at them sternly. "If an intruder tries to steal anything, use force, but do not take lives. Golduck, if things escalate, you're responsible for calling the police and talking to Officer Jenny."
The captured Pokémon, still wary of Feng Che's overwhelming power and bound by their Poké Balls, nodded submissively. With his home base secured, Feng Che slipped out of Celadon City under the cover of night, heading toward the nearby Saffron City.
I need to be sharp once I reach the Lake of Rage. If I run into that masked man—Pryce—it's going to be dangerous. The strongest human "ceiling," the man who controlled Ho-Oh and Lugia... he's a different breed of ruthless.
Saffron City Underground Market
Feng Che arrived in Saffron City at 9:00 PM. The underground market here, controlled by Team Rocket, operated from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
He donned his smiling-face mask and black cloak and entered a fast-food joint known for its beef burgers. The smell of frying meat and salty potatoes filled the air.
"Welcome," the server greeted him warmly.
"I'd like a 'Golden Fry' and a beef burger. I also heard your iced cola is excellent," Feng Che said, reciting the secret entry code.
The server prepared the tray without a word, but as he handed it over, he deftly slipped a small slip of paper into Feng Che's hand. Feng Che ate quickly, then unfolded the paper. It contained four digits: 3155.
At exactly 10:00 PM, Feng Che walked to a side door near the walk-in freezer. He tapped the left side of the frame, entered the code, and a hidden passage opened. He descended a long flight of stairs lit by flickering candles, joining a stream of masked figures in black cloaks.
Rocket grunts with Houndoom and Persian patrolled the corridors, their murderous aura keeping the rowdy crowd in check. The Saffron Underground was divided into three sections: the Stall Area, the Shop District, and the Auction House.
Feng Che walked straight to a shop in the back, filled with stacked iron cages that smelled faintly of old blood despite being scrubbed clean. An old man with a face like a dried prune sat at the counter, smoking a pipe.
"What can I do for you? Intel? Storage?" the old man asked tonelessly.
This was a hidden Poacher Syndicate hub. Feng Che knew of it through the memories he'd extracted from Nakata. "I'm here to collect a parcel," he said, reciting a long string of numbers.
The old man disappeared into a back room and returned with a small, palm-sized box. "Here. And a free tip for a 'brother': the Charizards in Charicific Valley are entering their breeding season. General Blaze is organizing a raid to snatch the Charmander eggs. If you want in, sign up on the syndicate's dark web."
"Thanks," Feng Che said, already dismissing the idea. The best eggs would be claimed by the generals; he wasn't interested in the leftovers.
In a secluded corner, he opened the box. Inside sat a single, purple-speckled sphere.
An Master Ball.
Finally. The ultimate insurance. He tucked it into his storage ring. He knew he'd need this for the encounters ahead—whether it was Mewtwo, Lugia, or Ho-Oh.
The Stall Area
Feng Che decided to browse the stalls before leaving for Johto. Most were selling junk, but his eyes were drawn to a stall run by a man named Old He, who was grumbling to himself.
Old He was an antique dealer who had recently been scammed. He had paid 100,000 Dollars for a "Golden Meowth Statue" that turned out to be mere gold-plating over silver, with eyes made of glass marbles. He was desperate to offload it to some "sucker."
"Step up, traveler!" Old He waved Feng Che over. "Feast your eyes on an authentic artifact from the Bonire Kingdom! A Golden Meowth statue to bring you infinite fortune!"
Feng Che used his psychic perception. The statue was indeed gold-plated silver, but his heart skipped a beat when he looked at the "glass" eyes. Underneath the thin layer of gold paint on the marbles lay something impossible.
Which idiot painted over a Key Stone and a Mega Stone and used them as decorative eyes?!
Feng Che identified the Mega Stone as Lucarionite. Together, the set was worth a fortune that could buy a small city.
"This thing is obviously just gold-plated," Feng Che scoffed. "But the craftsmanship isn't bad. Give me a price."
Old He tried to act tough. "Five million Dollars. Not a cent less for a kingdom-era artifact."
"Keep it then," Feng Che said, turning to walk away.
"Wait! Wait!" Old He panicked. He couldn't let his "sucker" escape. "What's your offer?"
"100,000 Dollars," Feng Che said flatly.
Old He clutched his chest. "That's exactly what I paid for it! I'd be making zero profit!"
"Then don't sell it," Feng Che said, his aura flaring slightly.
Old He agonized. If I don't sell it now, the next guy might offer even less. At least this way I break even. "Fine! Deal!"
Feng Che handed over the cash and took the statue. As he held it, his eyes widened. Silver shouldn't be this heavy. Based on the volume, it was even denser than gold.
Mithril? Mithril was an extremely rare, magically-conductive metal found only in ancient ruins. If the eyes were Mega Stones, it stood to reason the body was made of legendary metal.
Just as he tucked the statue away, a tall figure in a tattered black cloak appeared at the stall. "Where is the Meowth statue? I will pay ten million Dollars for it right now."
The voice was hollow and raspy, as if it came from the grave. Old He froze, his face turning ashen. He had just sold a ten-million-dollar item for a hundred thousand.
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