Night Time Stroll in the Black Market

In the evening, when the haze started to rise and the world grew dim, a bright moon hung from the distant mountain corner, casting its cold light everywhere, reflecting off people's eyebrows and hair.

Although the scenery was beautiful, Cain had no mood to appreciate it. He rode his bicycle towards the largest Pokémon market in Ecruteak City.

The so-called Pokémon market was actually a black market. The Pokémon here were different from those sold in regular breeding houses. They were almost all captured and seized by Pokémon hunters.

The merchants here were responsible for purchasing Pokémon from the hunters and then selling them to those in need. The combat power of the Pokémon here was generally higher than those of the greenhouse flowers in the breeding houses, but the prices were also extremely expensive.

The scale of Ecruteak City's Pokémon market was second only to Goldenrod City. Almost all kinds of Pokémon were marked with clear prices, and there was no room for bargaining based on appearance or strength.

Although the prices were high, the supply still couldn't meet the demand, because anyone who wanted to go out had to have a Pokémon as a bodyguard, unless they had enough confidence in themselves to fight against a Pokémon.

Cain, who was familiar with Ecruteak City, quickly arrived at the market.

The market opened at 6:00 p.m. and closed at exactly 2:00 a.m., as per the local rules. After all, this kind of business was not suitable for public display during the day.

Inside the market, people were packed in tightly, and hundreds of vendors of all sizes were present.

Some vendors were introducing and promoting their Pokémon to customers.

Some vendors were shouting about their featured Pokémon for the day.

Customers were also selecting their preferred Pokémon, and live demonstrations of their skills were an essential part of the process.

Kane wandered around the market, mainly focusing on the prices. He had a rough idea of what to expect, and it was not much different from his previous life.

Pokémon prices were determined by five main factors:

The first factor was regional differences. Since this was the Johto region, the local Pokémon were easier to obtain, and thus cheaper. The Kanto region, not far away, would be more expensive, while the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions would be even more expensive. There had been no Alolan or Galarian Pokémon in the past seven or eight years due to the distance, and the cost of transportation and risk outweighed any potential profit.

The second factor was the form of the Pokémon. Evolved Pokémon were naturally more expensive than those that had not yet evolved, and some of the final evolution forms that were too vicious rarely appeared on the market. First, they were too expensive to buy, and second, even if purchased, not everyone would have the ability to control them, and they could even hurt themselves. Therefore, over time, these Pokémon gradually disappeared from the market.

The third factor was potential, which was determined by the base stat total of the Pokémon after evolving. This was the basis for determining the price.

The fourth factor was rarity. Pokémon like Caterpie and Weedle, which could be found everywhere in the forest, had a completely different price from a Pikachu.

The fifth factor was ability, which was generally determined by the number of moves a Pokémon knew and whether it had any special moves.

The sixth factor was the ease or difficulty of evolution. For example, Pokémon that required special conditions to evolve would not be popular, and no one would buy a Magikarp or a Feebas, as they would probably die before they could evolve.

Based on the Pokémon from the Johto region, the prices of Pokémon in their initial forms can be roughly divided into five tiers.

Tier 1: For Pokémon with a base stat total of over 540 after their final evolution, they are priceless and rarely appear in the market. If they do, it would only be at large auctions.

Tier 2: For Pokémon with a base stat total between 500 and 540 after their final evolution, their prices start at 40,000 and vary with no specific basis. These Pokémon are often in short supply because they are mainly the starter Pokémon, which are almost monopolized and collected by the Pokémon League to be distributed to their official trainers.

Tier 3: For Pokémon with a base stat total between 450 and 500 after their final evolution, their prices range from 20,000 to 40,000. These Pokémon sell reasonably well, but their cost is equivalent to an average worker's annual salary. They are typically purchased by families with a good financial background but no connections, for their children to use on their travels.

Tier 4: For Pokémon with a base stat total between 400 and 450 after their final evolution, their prices usually range from 10,000 to 20,000. These Pokémon are bought by ordinary families for self-protection, and they have the highest sales volume.

Tier 5: The final evolutions with base stat totals below 400 were priced mostly under 10,000, and the primary target market was similar to that of Tier 4.

Some might argue that base stat totals aren't the only determining factor for a Pokémon's worth, which is indeed true. However, when it comes to merchandise, there has to be a certain standard.

What else should be considered if not base stat totals? Of course, if you can discern a Pokémon's potential with the naked eye, you can choose one yourself.

If you think a Pokémon's abilities don't match its corresponding base stat total, you don't have to buy it; no one will force you. Alternatively, if you believe you can train a monster Beedrill like Giovanni and defeat a Dragonite, you can earn big, all you need to buy is a Weedle.

Just remember one thing: this is a market, and all Pokémon here are products, nothing more.

Moreover, the above pricing applies to most cases. For instance, a Magikarp's chances of evolving into a Gyarados are slim, so its price is naturally low. To reach a price above 40,000, it must already be an evolved Gyarados.

After getting a general idea of the prices, Cain was just about to make a list.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard a trader sigh, when he turned around to take a look, he saw that a merchant has lowered the price of a Ditto he was selling by 2000 to 3000 Pokedollars.

"I've been trying to sell it for three days, and I really took a loss by purchasing it."

The vendor kept complaining about the Ditto in the cage.

It wasn't really the vendor's fault, as Dittos were indeed hard to sell. First of all, its base stat total was only 288, which was pathetically low. Most of its abilities were related to the Transform move, which only had a purpose in battles when it transformed into the opponent's Pokémon. However, using a Ditto meant that a trainer had to be proficient with the abilities and moves of all Pokémon, and how many people could do that?

Its hidden ability, "Imposter," allowed it to transform into various objects. In the following years, the infamous "Master of Disguise" took advantage of such a Ditto for disguising and escaping while committing numerous crimes, always succeeding. However, Dittos with this ability were very rare.

Seemingly unable to endure the vendor's insults, the Ditto directly transformed into a dog.

Cain smirked, "This Ditto is saying that he's being looked down upon."

Being able to transform at will meant that this Ditto's level wasn't low, and it had the hidden ability "Imposter."

"Boss, I'll take this Ditto," Cain said as he approached the cage.

The vendor was naturally overjoyed to see a customer interested, and the Ditto, seeing someone interested, quickly changed back.

It could be seen that this Ditto was abused, looking at it's appearance, he had not eaten for at least a day.