Pokémon: From Pirate to Just

Eventually, Sieg returned to the entrance. There, he moved a few chunks of reef rock and had Crawdaunt polish them with its claws and moves, disguising them to look like naturally formed formations.

"From now on, this is going to be my private domain, my secret hideout!"

Sieg couldn't help but sigh with satisfaction.

The entire underground river wasn't very long. After exploring for a full day and night, Sieg had already reached its end. There were barely any Pokémon lurking around in its depths.

But in Sieg's eyes, this place was like the treasure room of Babylon.

"And there's still that mysterious red-and-blue airflow..."

Sitting down on one of the polished reefs, Sieg retrieved a series of materials and tools from his spatial backpack and began to research the strange current.

After wrecking his brain for possible explanations, supported by various data, and not to mention firsthand experience thanks to Castform, Sieg finally deciphered the function of the red-and-blue flow.

It could heighten a Pokémon's sensitivity to rainy and sunny weather, thus indirectly boosting their ability to comprehend the moves "Rain Dance" and "Sunny Day."

"A red-and-blue interwoven current, the first of its kind discovered in this world. I'll name you... Weatherflow Essence."

Sieg decided he'd head to the Breeders Guild at some point to officially register the name.

Although the material's function was somewhat niche and not considered especially valuable, Sieg held a monopoly. That meant he could inflate its price at will.

He only needed to release small amounts at a time. Thanks to breeders' insatiable curiosity for new ingredients, he could still make a fortune.

"But still, I should prioritize using it for myself. Besides, with my current strength, if I try monopolizing this trade too early, I might just draw unwanted attention."

If he really wants to dive into this business, his best bet is to form a partnership with the Joy family or the Petalburg Gym.

But for now, Sieg pushed those thoughts aside. He had a new destination in sight, Lavaridge Town.

Lavaridge was located at the heart of the Hoenn continent, nestled right at the foot of Mt. Chimney.

Thanks to its location, a series of natural hot springs had formed nearby.

And similar to Verdanturf, it is filled with elderly people, most of whom have come to retire and relax.

After entering the local Pokémon Center, Sieg immediately secured a room and collapsed onto the bed, sleeping away the entire afternoon.

Life in the wild was not something most trainers enjoyed. Beyond the obvious dangers, it was mentally and physically exhausting.

Only as night approached did Sieg finally head to the dining hall to fill his stomach.

"Let's check the League's mission board first, see if there are any requests for Ludicolo," Sieg muttered to himself.

If he could submit it directly to the League, that would be ideal. He wasn't too keen on running all the way to the black market just to sell one Pokémon.

Besides, what if one of those missions rewarded League Points?

The League itself offered a trading platform for trainers to buy and sell Pokémon under official supervision, supposedly to prevent poaching and illegal trading.

But even so, the League always took a cut. After all, in this world, the most profitable business would always be Pokémon-related.

No way the League would let other factions snatch up that juicy piece of the pie.

Sieg glanced at the posted Ludicolo requests; nearly all of them offered Pokédollars as payment.

The few that gave League Points and League Point equivalents, however, had specific conditions.

Some required the Pokémon to have the "Swift Swim" or "Rain Dish" abilities.

Others wanted Ludicolo with inherited moves or excellent stats.

In the end, after some consideration, Sieg decided to keep it on hand for now. He wasn't exactly strapped for cash, and the Ludicolo's sweet aroma might still come in handy.

"It's already evening. Time to experience these open-air hot springs!"

Sieg rubbed his temples. The past few days of wilderness survival had left him utterly exhausted.

Especially the time spent exploring the underground river, he hadn't properly rested once.

Now was the perfect time to soak away the fatigue.

Lavaridge offered many types of hot springs, ranging from private ones run by locals to public ones sponsored by the Pokémon Center.

But the most popular, by far, was the Lavaridge Gym's own hot spring facility.

Sieg rode his bike up to the bathhouse entrance. People bustled in and out, towels hanging around their necks. Some burly men even strode around shirtless.

"Good evening! Welcome to Lavaridge Hot Springs~"

A sultry-looking woman in revealing attire greeted him from the front desk, with bottles of milky white liquid neatly arranged on the table.

MooMoo Milk.

After paying 2,000 Pokédollars for a deluxe package, Sieg received a complimentary dozen bottles of MooMoo Milk.

Gotta admit... the milk was seriously white.

Sieg gave the lady a quick glance before looking away. Her figure was decent, but her face couldn't hold a candle to even half of Nurse Joy's beauty.

After meeting so many stunning women in the Pokémon world, Sieg's standards had climbed considerably.

Led respectfully by a staff member, Sieg stepped into a secluded area, an outdoor hot spring enclosed by thick wooden planks, resembling a fortress.

As he entered, a wave of warm, humid air washed over him.

"Ahhh~ This feels amazing~~" Sieg exhaled blissfully.

He gently stepped forward, slowly sinking into the crystal-clear waters.

The surface rippled as he submerged himself, leaving only his shoulders and head above water. Through the rising steam, his elegant features gleamed with contentment.

No wonder the internet called this the miracle cure hot springs.

It might be a bit exaggerated, but soaking here regularly would definitely benefit the body. Sieg could even faintly detect a subtle herbal scent in the air.

Barely noticeable, but not enough to escape his nose.

Eevee paddled through the spring like a clumsy little swimmer, its soaked fur sticking to its body, clearly uncomfortable.

"Heh, come here, Eevee. Go up and let Crawdaunt give you a proper wash," Sieg chuckled, lifting the drenched furball and setting it back on shore.

Crawdaunt, responding to Sieg's command, raised one of its pincers. Moisture began to gather in the air, forming into a thick cloud.

Then, from the cloud, fine raindrops began to fall like gentle cotton threads. But as time passed, the rain grew heavier and heavier.

It was the move Rain Dance.

Crawdaunt had also inhaled the Weatherflow Essence. This unique gas greatly boosted its understanding of rain-based moves.

With Castform nearby to teach and guide it, Crawdaunt's proficiency with Rain Dance had improved at an astonishing pace.

Though it wasn't quite as effortless as Castform's control over weather, Sieg believed it would only get better over time.

After all, he intended to use the new ingredient, Weatherflow Essence, to develop a new kind of Pokéblock designed specifically to help Pokémon learn Rain Dance and Sunny Day.

If he could pull it off, it would be far more profitable than selling raw materials.

Because even if someone figured out the recipe by reverse-engineering the Pokéblock, they wouldn't be able to replicate it.

Not if the ingredients were monopolized.

Even the strongest breeders in the world wouldn't stand a chance.