Slateport City

Slateport City is a large city in the southern part of the Hoenn region.

Slateport City was established here due to the clean water sources and abundant food, making it a rapidly developing local market and a great city for shopping. Over time, it further evolved into a bustling harbor city with ships frequently coming and going.

Terrance needs to rely on the ships here to reach Lilycove City, where the headquarters of the Breeders is located.

At this moment, Terrance and Beautifly had already entered Slateport City after a week-long journey, making Terrance look a bit travel-worn. However, Terrance had no energy to care about his appearance. For now, he urgently needed to book an S.S. Ticket so that he can head to Lilycove City.

If he missed this Breeder Examination, Terrance wouldn't be able to bear the fatal consequences of waiting another year.

"I'd like an S.S. Ticket for Lilycove City." Terrance arrived at the ticket counter in the shipyard after a long wait. It was finally his turn in the line.

"S.S. Ticket to Lilycove City, right? Please wait a moment. Also, do you have a membership card or Trainer's credential? That way, you can enjoy a 10% discount," the ticket attendant said, manipulating the computer before looking up at Terrance.

"No..." Terrance shook his head.

"In that case, please show some ID card," the ticket attendant said.

Then, Terrance handed his ID card to the attendant, who glanced at it and quickly typed a few words on the computer before returning it to Terrance.

"Next, please verify your information. Name: Terrance. Age: 10 years old. Birthplace: Cerulean City, Kanto. Current guardian: Arlan. Do you have any questions?"

The ticket attendant was spot on. After receiving confirmation, Terrance paid 2000 yen for the S.S. Ticket, feeling a pain in his heart.

It was almost his entire savings. Now that he had bought the S.S. Ticket, he no longer had anything valuable on him.

"Great, registration is complete. Thank you for your support. Please don't miss the departure time."

After receiving the S.S. Ticket, Terrance checked the information. The ship was called S.S. Tidal, and it was scheduled to depart tomorrow morning at 7 o'clock. It seemed like he would need to stay in this place for one more night.

Feeling a bit bored as he walked along the street, Terrance suddenly remembered that he had some handmade trinkets in his backpack, although he didn't know if he could sell them.

"I remember there's an open-air bazaar in Slateport City." Recalling faintly, Terrance thought of a place, Slateport Market, an open-air bazaar selling various items.

Hastily arriving there, Terrance suddenly realized that he didn't have a stall at all.

Shaking his head helplessly, Terrance wandered around. Since he had already come, he might as well take a look. Anyway, he had no money and wouldn't develop any thoughts of buying things impulsively.

The items sold at the Slateport Market were diverse. Terrance couldn't help but click his tongue in astonishment at the plush dolls worth 3000 yen. They were much more expensive than the S.S. Ticket, and he couldn't help but wonder what purpose buying them would serve.

In addition, there were various kinds of valuable Berries, ranging in price from tens to hundreds of yen.

There were also medicines produced by Breeders, fluctuating in value at around ten thousand yen. Terrance couldn't help but admire the money-making ability of Breeders.

Like a bottle of medicine that could increase a Pokémon's attack power, which was even being sold for a staggering 9800 yen per bottle. Seeing similar prices for other medicines, Terrance shook his head. These things probably required an intermediate Breeder to produce, and judging by the stall owner's appearance, they were most likely just reselling goods, which explained the inflated prices.

"There are also things like this here?"

Terrance looked surprised as he examined a small stove-shaped item, feeling somewhat surprised.

It was the first time he had seen this thing in reality. He had only seen pictures and descriptions of it in books before.

Sea Incense: A curious-smelling incense that, when carried, boosts the power of Water-type moves.

Although it was a consumable item, it was still highly tempting to Trainers. Sea Incense was made from special flower petals. While it wasn't difficult to make, the value lay in cherishing the materials. Terrance checked the price, and it fluctuated around ten thousand yen.

A Poké Ball cost only two hundred yen, so it was obvious that these items were not meant for ordinary Trainers.

Not lingering any longer, Terrance continued to wander to other places.

Slateport City Market was not that big, and Terrance was quick in observing things, so it didn't take long before he had almost covered the entire market.

Just as Terrance was about to leave, he noticed a special stall. The stall owner was a girl wearing a hat, who appeared to be quite young.

What caught Terrance's attention was what the girl was selling. He walked up to the stall and discovered that it was filled with self-made medicines.

The medicines were scattered on the ground and were without any descriptions, so there were only a few people who approached the stall.

"Can I open it and take a look?" Terrance asked the girl.

"Of course," the girl's voice was youthful, confirming Terrance's speculation that she was around the same age as him. It was normal for Terrance to make such a request since these medicines are used for Pokémons and buyers had the right to appraise them.

After obtaining permission, Terrance picked up a small bottle and pulled out the cork. He brought it close to his nose and fanned the faint scent of the liquid with his other hand.

Without thinking too deeply, several names flashed through Terrance's mind.

Not in a rush to speak, Terrance continued to look at a few other bottles. Besides similar liquid medicines, there were also some powdered substances that piqued his curiosity.

After observing to his heart's content, Terrance suddenly realized that his actions were a bit impolite. However, the bottle of medicine in his hand made him furrow his brows.

If he wasn't mistaken, this medicine had some minor flaws.

"Sorry for looking for such a long time."

Expressing his apology, Terrance asked, "May I ask if these medicines have been certified?"

"What do you mean?" The girl with her face covered by the hat looked puzzled.

"The other medicines should be fine, but this powder has some flaws. If I'm not mistaken, it is made from Gloom's saliva, Rindo Berry, Grepa Berry's leaves, and Blue Silver Grass. It's a medicine that provides faster healing effects on the burn injuries of the Grass-type Pokémon compared to Burn Heal."

Terrance knew the pharmacology of this powder, and the combination was not wrong. However, the issue lay in the saliva of Gloom.

"You used saliva from a female Gloom, but the correct recipe of the medicine requires saliva from a male Gloom. Although the side effects are not significant, it could lead to unexpected consequences in critical situations."

Terrance could tell the effects of most of the medicines at the girl's stall, except for a few whose principles he couldn't understand. But this bottle of powder made him hesitate. Thanks to reading about Gloom in a miscellaneous book, he learned that the saliva of Gloom could have subtle differences depending on the gender.

"If you don't believe me, I suggest you get it appraised."

Leaving those words behind, Terrance walked away, and by the time the girl came back to her senses, there was no one in front of her anymore.