This was Ryan Harlan's hometown.
Autumnleaf Town was a small, peaceful settlement with no Gym, so not many trainers passed through. Unlike the bustling cities such as Lilycove, life here moved at a much slower pace. The people didn't chase money frantically; instead, they lived leisurely and contentedly.
Although the local economy was somewhat underdeveloped, the residents wore gentle smiles as they went about their daily lives.
Autumnleaf Town lay close to Mt. Chimney. Volcanic ash often drifted over the area, enriching the soil and making the vegetation exceptionally lush. Because of this, the town had become the premier berry-growing base of the entire Hoenn region.
...
Ryan walked straight to a century-old pharmacy named **Mangado**.
He had ventured deep into Petalburg Woods specifically because this shop had posted a request for Seviper shed skins. Many Pokémon materials could be used in medicine—Arbok's shed skin, Nidoking's horns, Paras mushrooms, and even Crobat droppings were all valuable.
As soon as he stepped inside, a waitress approached with a warm smile. "Mr. Harlan, it's been a while."
"Hello, Ms. Ren. I'm here to see Mr. He Zhen," Ryan replied with a friendly smile.
He was a regular customer and often helped this old shop gather rare medicinal ingredients.
"Certainly. Please follow me." The waitress, Ren, led him to the VIP reception room. "Mr. Harlan, please wait here for a moment. I'll fetch Mr. He Zhen right away."
"Thank you."
Once seated, Ryan carefully set his backpack on the floor. Even though he tried to place it gently, the heavy pack still landed with a dull thud.
The technologically advanced backpack could store an enormous amount of items, but its total weight reached nearly one hundred kilograms.
"Mr. Harlan, you really are incredibly strong!" Ren couldn't help but marvel, even though she had seen this many times before.
"Haha, Brother Ryan! Long time no see!"
A short while later, a thin middle-aged man entered the room with a big smile.
Ryan greeted him casually, then immediately pulled out the two Seviper shed skins from his backpack.
He Zhen's eyes lit up. Knowing Ryan disliked small talk, he put on a pair of gloves and carefully examined the skins. He took out a small knife, made a tiny cut, and even tasted a sliver. His face immediately brightened with delight.
"These are excellent! The bitterness is strong with just a hint of fishiness—clear signs of top-quality shed skins from healthy, strong adult Seviper. And they're so intact! Truly rare!"
Ryan remained silent, lightly tapping his fingers on the table as he waited for the offer.
He Zhen rubbed his hands together and grinned. "Brother Ryan, this isn't our first deal, so I won't waste time. How about 600,000 League Coins for the two skins? What do you think?"
A faint hint of surprise flashed in Ryan's eyes. The offer was roughly 30% higher than the current market price.
As the saying went, no merchant was without guile. After working together many times, Ryan knew He Zhen never offered such a high price without a reason. Clearly, the man needed his help again.
Ryan took a slow sip of tea and said calmly, "Tell me—what's the mission this time?"
He Zhen wasn't bothered at being seen through so quickly. He had known Ryan long enough to expect it. Still, he could never quite get used to such a young and handsome face paired with such a mature, sharp mind.
After organizing his thoughts, he asked, "Brother Ryan, you know that the Silph Company in the Kanto region produces the Full Restore, right?"
Ryan nodded. He even carried two bottles of it in his backpack. The Full Restore could instantly cure poisoning, paralysis, sleep, burns, and confusion in Pokémon.
In the wild or during intense battles, any status condition could severely weaken a Pokémon. In life-or-death situations, it could even be fatal. A Full Restore, however, cured all abnormal statuses at once. Trainers who could afford it always kept some on hand for emergencies.
Seeing Ryan nod, He Zhen continued excitedly, "Our Mangado Pharmacy has developed a new All-Purpose Powder that works just as effectively as the Full Restore for curing abnormal statuses. The only downside is that it tastes quite bitter, but the production cost is only one-fifth that of the Full Restore."
"Once it hits the market, it's going to be a massive success!"
A standard Full Restore usually cost around 100,000 League Coins—far too expensive for most ordinary trainers. That amount was roughly a full year's income for an average family. If they could sell the powder for just 20,000 League Coins, it would be incredibly popular due to its high cost-effectiveness.
Ryan knew there was more, so he waited quietly.
He Zhen went on, "However, to produce the All-Purpose Powder, we need one essential ingredient: **White Vanilla**. It only grows deep inside Viridian Forest in the Kanto region. That's the main factor currently limiting our mass production."
Ryan immediately understood. They wanted him to venture deep into Viridian Forest to gather White Vanilla.
Viridian Forest in Kanto was much larger than Petalburg Woods in Hoenn, and far more dangerous. Powerful, highly territorial Pokémon frequently appeared in its depths. Entering the inner areas was extremely difficult.
Still, greater danger usually meant greater reward.
Ryan cut straight to the point: "What's the price for White Vanilla?"
Seeing Ryan's interest, He Zhen grew visibly excited. They had approached many strong trainers before, but all had refused because the task was simply too difficult.
"A whole White Vanilla plant—we'll buy it for 200,000 League Coins!" he said eagerly. "If the condition is excellent, we can offer even more!"
Two hundred thousand per plant was a very generous price.
Ryan was clearly tempted, but he would need proper preparations before heading into the depths of Viridian Forest.
"I'll go to Kanto when I have time," he replied casually. "First, let's settle the payment for the snake skins."
He handed over his League Card.
"Great! With Brother Ryan's help, it's as good as done!" He Zhen knew Ryan's personality well—once he agreed, the job would get done.
He happily took the card and handed it to Ren, then motioned for her to store the Seviper skins.
A League Card functioned similarly to a bank card but was completely anonymous. In this world, cities enjoyed high freedom, and only a loose League organization unified the currency. Raising powerful Pokémon required enormous financial support, so gathering rare herbs and selling them was one of the best ways to earn money.