Pokemon: The Legendary Trainer

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After memorizing the map in his mind, Sato left the teleportation hall and made his way out of the base, heading to the reception area to pick up a new Rocket Team-exclusive mask and cloak.

Currently, the entire underground black market in Saffron City was under the control of Team Rocket.

Wearing this outfit granted Sato almost unrestricted movement in the market. Team Rocket's dominance was undeniable, and even a low-level member like him benefited from its influence.

This control over the black market also meant that Team Rocket had successfully eliminated other criminal forces in Saffron City, solidifying its position as the absolute ruler of the underworld.

It wasn't hard to imagine that with such a powerful "cash cow" under its command, Team Rocket would enter a rapid growth phase in the coming years.

Eventually, it might unify the criminal underworld of the entire Kanto region.

"Controlling Saffron City's underground market is probably the key to Team Rocket's rise in the next few years. I can't fathom why the League would allow this to happen—letting Team Rocket siphon Saffron's resources unchecked, growing stronger until it becomes unstoppable," Sato mused as he stepped out of Team Rocket's base in Saffron City.

Looking around, he saw Rocket Team members stationed everywhere on the black market streets.

Compared to the previous visit, their presence had increased significantly, indicating Team Rocket's growing influence in the city.

Sato's goals for tonight were twofold:

First, he wanted to find suitable TMs for shiny Beautifly to learn. Having been busy traveling recently, he hadn't had the chance to look for good moves for the Pokémon.

Now that he was in Saffron City's enormous black market, he aimed to solve this issue.

Second, he needed rare ingredients to prepare food for his Swampert and shiny Pelipper.

While most of the ingredients listed in The Dewford Compendium could be easily obtained through normal channels, a few rare ones might only be found here.

Sato currently had about 57 million PokeDollars.

Earlier that day, Wattson and his group had transferred half of the earnings from their raid on the cycling gang to him via bank transfer.

The group had sold off all the gang's loot for 80 million PokeDollars, and combined with the 20 million mission reward, Sato's cut alone amounted to over 50 million.

Though the raid didn't bring him fame, the financial gains more than made up for his recent expenses on an off-road Acro bike and branded clothes.

In addition, Sato earned 2,000 League Contribution Points.

Being an A-rank mission, the League had been generous with its rewards, significantly boosting Sato's progress toward the 10,000 points required to qualify for his formal promotion.

Armed with 57 million PokeDollars, Sato felt confident entering Saffron's black market, where money spoke louder than anything else.

He hopped onto his Acro bike and quickly rode toward the Free Trade Zone, the place he was most eager to visit.

He had a feeling he'd find plenty of interesting items there.

Although he had enough funds to shop at the major stores run by influential groups in the black market, TM prices were notoriously high.

Even with his wealth, he doubted he could buy much from those greedy vendors. Thus, Sato decided to try his luck at the Free Trade Zone first.

This area attracted trainers looking to sell items they didn't need, including rare finds like TMs. Compared to official stores, prices in the Free Trade Zone were significantly lower.

If he was lucky, he might even encounter someone selling bootleg TMs, like he had once seen in Pewter City's underground market.

Bootleg technology in the Pokémon world was surprisingly advanced. Despite the efforts of major organizations to prevent piracy, ingenious individuals still managed to produce counterfeit TMs.

However, due to technical limitations, these knock-offs often had high failure rates and were usually low-tier moves. Even so, they were incredibly popular among trainers of modest means.

Of course, the crackdown on counterfeit TMs was relentless. Anyone caught buying or producing them faced corresponding consequences.

Arriving at the bustling Free Trade Zone, Sato was immediately struck by the crowd. The sheer number of people could only be described as a sea of humanity.

Thanks to his Rocket Team affiliation, Sato not only avoided the entrance fee but also bypassed the long lines, entering through a dedicated Rocket Team member passage.

Under Team Rocket's management, the Free Trade Zone was highly organized. Patrols of Rocket Team members, exuding an intimidating aura, ensured strict order.

Even the most hardened trainers, accustomed to living on the edge, dared not cause trouble here.

After the League raid over a month ago, Team Rocket had firmly established its dominance. Anyone who violated its rules had already disappeared permanently.

Saffron City's black market lived up to its reputation, offering treasures from around the world. Within minutes of exploring the vast Free Trade Zone, Sato spotted several enticing items.

For instance, he saw TMs for SolarBeam and Shadow Ball, as well as a talisman radiating an ominous aura.

If Sato wasn't mistaken, the talisman was likely a Spell Tag, which enhanced Ghost-type moves.

Since Sato didn't have any Ghost Pokémon, he wasn't interested in the talisman. However, the SolarBeam and Shadow Ball TMs caught his attention, as he remembered Beautifly could learn both moves.

Unfortunately, the vendors selling these TMs had no intention of lowering their prices. The SolarBeam TM was priced at a staggering 10 million PokeDollars, while the Shadow Ball TM cost 6 million.

After some negotiation, only the Shadow Ball vendor relented, lowering the price by 1 million.

Ultimately, Sato purchased the TM for 5 million PokeDollars.

Encouraged by his first successful transaction, Sato continued browsing the Free Trade Zone. Within minutes, he found another intriguing item—a small orb radiating an intense electrical charge.

Even from several meters away, Sato could feel the electromagnetic field, causing his hair and body hair to stand on end.

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Guys, do check out the fanfic [Pokemon: I'll Exchange Everything!] from a fellow reader on Webnovel. It's a great read.