Pokémon: From Pirate to Just

In the days after returning to the Pokémon Center, Sieg had been rigorously training a few of his Pokémon in specialized techniques.

He didn't know exactly what had triggered it, perhaps it was the bloody chaos of that battle with Team Magma and Aqua, but Eevee had become especially motivated in its training.

Particularly when it came to mastering Protect. Aside from Crawdaunt, who had learned the move long ago, both Sharpedo and Murkrow had used TMs to learn Protect together with Eevee, but now they had all been left far behind by it.

As of now, Eevee could deploy Protect almost instantaneously, reacting to attacks in a flash. Ambushes were no longer a threat to it.

What's more, it had started to get the hang of inherited moves like Wish.

Sieg couldn't help but feel pleased. Though the journey through Verdant Cavern had been full of ups and downs, twists and turns, it had proven to be worthwhile.

At the very least, Murkrow, having endured that brutal baptism, could now truly integrate with the team, and Eevee had shed its resistance to hard training, growing more diligent by the day.

Days flew by quietly. Rustboro City had returned to its peaceful rhythm. Although the recent news had made quite a stir, it didn't concern ordinary people much.

Life continued as usual, eating, drinking, working.

"It's time to offload the Pokémon."

Sieg stepped out of the Pokémon Center and made his way to the black market, donning a black robe and mask to conceal his identity.

He once again entered Rustboro's black market.

Like a drop of water falling into the sea, figures completely cloaked from head to toe like Sieg were a common sight in this place. Not a single hint of skin was exposed.

His first stop was the vendor stalls, the area where Pokémon were sold. He casually glanced over the displays.

At one point, he noticed a Pokémon that made his eyes light up: a Nidoran with the Sheer Force ability. Once fully evolved, it would become a Nidoking with the same trait.

Sheer Force removes the additional effects of moves but boosts their power, typically by around 30%.

Combined with a Life Orb, the power of each move would be further increased, at the cost of a small amount of health.

Such a Nidoking was a veritable walking cannon, a terrifying weapon on the battlefield. Unfortunately, Sieg had no intention of training Poison or Ground-types.

Even so, that Sheer Force Nidoran proved quite popular. Despite being average in every other regard, it still sold for a high price of 300,000 Pokédollars.

It seemed Sheer Force, and more specifically, Sheer Force Nidoking, was indeed in high demand.

However, since it required a Moon Stone to evolve, many buyers were hesitant, otherwise the price might've climbed even higher.

Moving on to the shopping district, Sieg found a store that bought Pokémon. He adjusted his mask under the cloak and stepped inside.

The interior had a gloomy atmosphere, with dark décor filling the space. Ghostly murals of Gengar and Duskull adorned the walls, adding a strange eeriness.

Sieg walked past the sparse customers toward the counter and said, "I want to sell some Pokémon."

The clerk, unfazed by Sieg's calm voice, casually pointed to a small door behind him without even looking up from the toy in his hand.

Sieg didn't waste words. He pushed open the door and entered a long corridor.

He walked for a while before reaching the end. Along the way, he crossed paths with another robed figure coming from the opposite direction.

They locked eyes briefly before passing each other without a word. Yet, as they brushed shoulders, both instinctively tightened their grip around their Poké Balls.

Once they were a safe distance apart, only then did they both quietly let out a breath.

Eventually, Sieg arrived in a small room. A well-dressed middle-aged man sat inside, carefully polishing a pair of glasses. His dark brown suit gave off an air of refinement.

"Hehe, welcome, customer. Have a seat and show me your goods," the man said with a pleasant smile, setting the glasses aside.

Sieg said nothing. He slowly extended a gloved hand from under his cloak and placed four Poké Balls into the glass display box beside them.

The man instinctively glanced at Sieg's hand. Upon seeing the gloves concealing every inch, he quickly averted his gaze.

An experienced one, he thought. Not a single crack in his disguise.

Sieg noticed the movement and chuckled darkly, "Heh heh heh... friend, how about you just name your price already?"

The man let out an awkward laugh and placed the Poké Balls into a nearby machine for evaluation.

"One Exploud, one Machop, and two Grimer... huh? One of them has inherited Shadow Punch. Not bad."

He offered a brief assessment, then paused for a moment of thought before offering a low price.

"550,000 Pokédollars. That's the highest I can offer, and that's only because the Exploud has a decent level, and the Grimer knows an inherited move."

Sieg snorted and reached for the Poké Balls. "You really don't know value. I suggest checking your evaluation equipment, pretty sure it's a relic from the Stone Age."

Startled by that remark, the man hurriedly stopped him and redid the scan, this time taking significantly longer than before.

Eventually, he bowed slightly, poured Sieg a cup of tea, and smiled more humbly.

"Apologies for the oversight. That Machop has the hidden ability Sand Veil, and the Exploud has the hidden ability Scrappy. Given that, we can raise the offer to 750,000 Pokédollars."

Behind the mask, Sieg's face curled into a mocking grin.

An oversight? What a childish excuse.

Even a standard Pokédex could detect a Pokémon's ability, let alone such precise machines.

These people, living in the shadows, truly put profit above all else. Sly foxes, every one of them.

Leaning back in his chair, Sieg tapped the table rhythmically, fingers resting casually on the surface. The tea on the table steamed softly.

Finally, he spoke, "If you're not offering a real price, I'm sure other shops would be more than happy to deal with me."

The man's face changed. No longer wearing a forced smile, a glint of cunning flashed in his eyes as he spoke solemnly.

"800,000 Pokédollars. That's the absolute maximum we can offer. If you're still dissatisfied, then I'll have no choice but to let this deal go."

With that, he ignored Sieg and returned to polishing his glasses.

What expression Sieg wore under the mask was unknown, but after a long pause, a voice emerged.

"Deal."

Both sides left satisfied. With the trade concluded, Sieg walked out of the shop with his Pokédollar balance greatly increased. He also sold off various odds and ends.

Including valuable parts from Pokémon corpses.

Including common ores found in the tunnel.

And including training notes written by other Trainers.

"Still have one Mightyena left to sell."

Walking through the black market, Sieg kept a cautious distance from every passerby.

Whenever someone cast a suspicious glance in his direction, the Crawdaunt at his side would let out a menacing growl.

Deterring all those who dared wander the shadows!