50 Stud
Wandering the "flea market" of the "black market" was pretty cool, I found all sorts of random things but nothing overly useful like random mega stones that show up in every other fanfiction I read back in the day…
Why would people sell random pretty marbles they found in an underground market full of desperadoes and thieves? Maybe in an actual flea market where you would find bric-a-brac and homemade chutneys but not here…as far as I know mega evolution isn't a thing yet…
Pretty much everything was either stolen jewellery and expensive trinkets, "genuine TMs", the odd evolution stone, "cheap pokeballs" which looked misshapen with a few that had paint peeling off em, even the odd Pokémon for sale that was caged up or you would have to take it on good faith the the Pokémon you bought was actually in the pokeball they were selling as they didn't want to release them.
The Pokémon being sold were the pretty average sort with pidgey and ratatta being the front runners but when you look at them in the cage they looked sickly and unenergetic…
There were even a few food carts and stands which I found kinda strange but even criminals gotta eat right? But wandering around the flea market didn't really benefit me any except on learning prices on Pokémon that aren't sold by the "hunters lodge"..
Now granted, actual league licensed trainers can buy pokeballs on the cheap, 300 bucks I think , non licensed league approved people can buy a ball at 500 a pop and the underground market average price for a pokeball is around 700-750 bucks….why is that important?
Because "businesses" down here only pay about 300-350 for pokeballs, so unless you are an "offical league trainer" you don't even break even on balls when you go to sell your catches. So without getting balls on the cheap elsewhere you end up on the back foot before you get to the sale which leaves you only able to use cages….big heavy clunky cages which are hard as shit to move and probably aren't strong enough to hold anything worth more than chump change….
I found out most of this from a rather dodgey looking bloke in a large red collapsible show tent….kinda chubby and friendly guy dressed like he worked at a car dealership but just had something about him you couldn't trust. His name was Marvin and was happy enough to answer some of my questions about the markets and Pokémon prices…
Average Pidgeys sold for about a grand maybe less with a pokeball and they would maybe buy them for about 500$ with a pokeball…so not really worth it even as a league trainer, Ratatta was worth even less….Nidoran was worth a good 3-4 grand to sell and about 6-8 to buy depending on its size and temperament….
These were "private" market buyers and seller's fees, the hunters lodge charged more and bought for less but always came with quality assurance….or in other words have had the fight beaten out of them while also kept healthy unlike the mons in the cages I'd seen so far…
Everything was pretty friendly with Marvin and while I wasn't letting my guard down around him, I did loosen up a little….until….he asked to buy Persian for 5 grand.
And don't get me wrong, I had no problem with him offering to purchase Persian, it's basically what he does for a living and from what I've seen of other Persian, well 5 other Persian I randomly seen over my time in this world, my Persian is an absolute unit compared to the normal garden variety house cat and even the one back alley "tomcat" Persian that you see around normally…
And while the meowth line is probably a pretty attractive prospect to early to mid 30d single career women…..Persian just isn't a popular battle Pokémon so you don't see Persian like mine….like ever…
That wasn't what annoyed me….no, what turned me off the man was how he went from a shady and kinda friendly dude giving out useful info to an overbearing prick who told me walking around with something so valuable could be bad for my health the second I turned him down and just how cliche it was….
The dude made threatening implications of how dangerous not selling him Persian could be and how I should listen to his advice being that I was new around here….as I said cliche as fuck..
But I just ignored him and made my way out and back toward where I first entered while expecting the shady salesman to send a couple thugs after me, but nothing came even after waiting for about 20 minutes near the elevator…
So deciding to check out the "hunters lodge" and remembering the fella at the front desks instructions I headed straight and made my way down out of the flea market and toward some actual established buildings…
Being that this was underground there was plenty of darkness in the surrounding areas but the majority of it was filled with big lights from the clearly cemented 4 story up ceiling and random street lamps…
The buildings I was heading towards looked like your average mid class buildings but a bit of a mash up of western and eastern cultures, each building was kind of unique with different feels to it…plenty of "shop fronts" with people moving in out even this time of the day when it's supposed to be a lot less active….
One thing I noticed while walking along the…not road…there would be no cars down here…I guess large foot path? Yeah let's go with that, large foot path…as I was walking down the large foot path looking at the different underground shops that varied from very obvious brothels to what looked like an equipment shop? To be down here they would have to sell some shady "equipment"…but the one thing I notice…was the lack of "homeless"…
I mean yes, almost everyone here was wearing shaggier, darker shades of clothing almost always covering their faces with a few who looked a little worse for wear. But none of them reeked of that desperation that the homeless were known for, not to mention everyone down here moves with purpose…something rare in the homeless….
But I guess it makes sense with a 50$ entrance fee and homeless being notoriously broke in most instances, but I was expecting maybe some pick pocket kids or something? But so far I've seen nothing like that…
I made my way down the foot path coming in close to the first left that didn't lead down a pitch black alley way that just screamed trouble. Seeing the blue neon sign of "cloud 9" hanging from the establishment I was getting ready to make my left while side eyeing the women dressed in dental floss width g strings and tiny tank tops trying to entice passers by into their house of pleasure, when all of a sudden a woman's voice calls out
"Well, Aren't you just a little darling, what brings you to my little house of flesh?"
I look forward to see a decent looking woman who looks to be in her early 30s, dressed in a short midnight blue cocktail dress, pretty blonde hair and green eyes and a sweet smile on her face that if you didn't look to closely looked genuine..
"Im just passing by…"
Her eyes were on me but also shifted to Persian from time to time and things were kinda tense, almost tense enough for me to miss the meowth that seemed to be walking by her side who was staring at my Persian
"Awww don't be like that, why not come in and chat for awhile? Im sure wherever you're going can wait a little"
Clearly not getting or just straight up ignoring the fact I just wanted to get on with my day the lady insisted
"Listen lady, whatever it is you're sellin I ain't buyin so let's just go out seperate ways yeah?"
She just smiled at me without changing expression at all and spoke in a sultry voice
"Oh sweety I'm not looking to hurt you if that's what's running through your mind, I was just hoping to have a little chat about your Persian here"
I respond in my heavily augmented voice with clear annoyance
"I'll tell you what I told the last fella, he ain't for sale"
Why is everyone trying to buy Persian? Would slowpoke have caused more or less drama?
"Oh I know that my dear, looking at how your big pussy cat hovers over you so protectively and the way he's eyeing me like he would claw my limbs off for even approaching you makes that very clear….Pokémon so attached to their trainers make poor purchases and even poorer theft targets still if you actually want to be able to use them….they usually spiral into an almost fatal depression in most cases"
Well that was good to know?
" well if your not looking to steal or buy him, what are you looking to talk about?"
"Why don't we speak about this inside and out of the street where many ears are always listening yeah?"
"No thanks"
She still looked unfazed by the fact I wasn't going along with her into her little fortress
"I told you I wasn't trying to hurt you sugar, why not just come inside so we can speak"
"That's exactly what someone who wanted hurt me would say…"
"Well…..I guess we can do it this way I suppose"
She reaches into her cleavage and pulls out a pokeball before enlarging it to toss it.
But before the new mon came out of its ball I already had machoke and Slowpoke out and ready to rumble with Persian already moving toward the lady with claws glowing a shiny metallic colour, intending to go for the kill and luckily for her, her little meowth managed to block it with a transparent dome like shield that barely held back the fatal metal claw if the large cracks were anything to go by..
Machoke was already barreling toward her when her mon was finally released, his giant meaty fist that was illuminated by yellow arcing electricity was blocked by another translucent barrier but this time had a pink shimmer on its surface…
The Pokémon she pulled out was hands down the ugliest and freakiest thing I've seen since I've come to this world…. A 5'8 nightmare with a porcelain smile, almost human features and gangly limbs spread out looking ready to intercept a tackle….a mr.mime…
Machoke was blocked by a barrier by the slender man lite but he was having none of that as his fist shifted straight into a knife hand and went for a brick break, breaking the barrier with contemptuous ease
The prostitute who was attempting to mug me shouted in a shocked voice as machoke went for a kill
"WAIT!!"
But machoke and me were not hearing excuses as his fist came down in hopes to smash the horror clowns face in only for it to teleport out from infront of machokes attack to next to my assailant…
The woman shouts again with her meowth and mr.mime at her sides
"WAIT WAIT WAIT!, THIS IS ALL A MISUNDERSTANDING!!"
Slowpoke this whole time has had a teleport primed and ready to pull the 4 of us out at a moments notice while also keeping an eye behind us and in the air…not making the mistake of never looking up…
"I told you he wasn't for sale lady, you should have just taken the hint!"
She shouts back in a fit of panic and anger..
"I DIDNT WANT TO BUY HIM!! I WANTED TO SEE IF YOU WOULD STUD HIM OUT!!"
I give a lot quick and loud whistle letting machoke and Persian know to pull back a sec but also to be ready to rumble at the drop of a hat, but not waste time though…
As machoke and Persian pulled back they were both stacking buffs, Persian with a subtle work up and machoke with a far less subtle swords dance with astral blue looking swords spinning around his body as he hopped on the balls of his feet ready to charge at any time…
"Well why didn't you just say that instead of being vague and mysterious while pulling out a Pokémon…."
The lady answers still frazzled and flustered very aware how close to death she just came at Persians claws
"I was pulling out my Mr.Mime to put up a soundproof barrier around us because you didn't want to come inside for privacy!!"
As she said that a faint barrier shimmered around our whole area blocking sound from coming from outside of it causing machoke and Persian to get ready to launch themselves at the offenders before I give another whistle to hold them in place….
"And you thought doing that directly in front of me while I was on guard was a good idea?"
"I didn't think you would instantly go for the kill!!"
Both me and her have a bit of a stare off for a minute before I give her a nod before recalling machoke but leaving Slowpoke and Persian out….
"Listen kid….I get having your guard up down here but arceus above….going straight for a kill the minute someone pulls out a pokeball is just bad manners…"
"….I like to think of it as keeping the initiative if someone has plans that are bad for my health…"
She seemed to cool down a little but kept Mr.Mime out with her meowth and speaks up again..
"Whatever kid….look all I wanted to say was I was interested in hiring that Persian of yours to stud for a few of our meowths in heat…and after seeing that thing move I'm even more interested.."
"Uhhh why?"
"Because cloud 9 is my joint kid and as good as the business of the flesh is it never hurts to make a little extra on the side, so we breed top of the line meowths for the wealthy looking for a pet or companion and lately the breeding stock has been less than ideal, seeing that specimen you were walking down the street with I was hoping we could come to some sort of arrangement.."
It didn't sound like too bad of a deal if persian was down for it but it wasn't what I came in here for today and I wanted to see the hunter lodge so..
"Maybe we can organise something like that some other time but not today, I got some other stuff to do….what's your name? I'll come see you when I get more comfortable with the idea?"
She smiles at that and responds
"Names Ivanna kid, what's yours?"
"You can just call me kid…I'll drop by cloud 9 at a later date if Persian is down for it and we can talk details…"
"Sounds just peachy.."
She starts walking toward her business giving me a wide berth with her Pokémon at her side while my Persian and Slowpoke were eyeing her carefully even as she entered the door ignoring the shocked and scared faces of her stable of hoes that were gawking at the situation…
I moved on my way taking that original left I was meant to take not bothering to withdraw Slowpoke even if it was considered "rude" to have more than one out after I got into a bit of a brawl with a prostitute of all things…or a madam? Is that what they're called?
Only a few minutes later I came across a rather large building with the logo of the hunter lodge or what I assumed was the hunters lodge if the HL that intertwined have any hint to..
It was a brick building with a few small windows here and there with 2 big class doors indicating the entrance..
I made my way inside to see a mid sized front room with with seats off to the side and empty cages in the back corner of the room and a big counter with 3 people manning it, no other "customers" here…
I made my way up to the rather ordinary looking man who looked bored at the counter reading a book and speak
"Hey I have some questions…"
He looks up from his book and looks around to find no one around but looks down to see a hoodie covered persian who's forehead barely makes it over the counters height…
"Uhhhh…..what do you wanna know?"
"Just general price of Pokémon that I want to sell here…"
He looks at me with confusion and doubt before seeing Persian and Slowpoke and looking back my way before explaining…
Honestly, it was more or less what Marvin told me with regular Pokémon not worth catching without being an official league trainer to get pokeballs on discount or somehow having a way to get cheap pokeballs another way…
I didn't bother asking the price to buy Pokémon or what Pokémon they had at the moment because anything I would be interested in I probably couldn't afford so after a bit of a chat on different species they pay more for I made my way out and was heading back to the elevator when as I came across a darkish alley, I heard a woman's scream...
I did the thing anyone should do in this particular situation…and minded my own god damned business and kept moving away from the screaming while wishing her the best of luck in her trying time.
But as I did, I came across the next alley only to hear what sounded like metal smashing against metal with an insane amount of force weight next to my head and saw a gigantic bee with massive stingers for arms about 2 feet away from my face with its arms glowing greenish and being held back by a pink shimmering barrier….
"Shame…..would have been much easier if you just died there kid….much less painful…"
Out of the approaching alley a man stepped out and the alley behind me a woman stepped out looking rather annoyed… I take back my luck wished upon you….
An ambush then….
Without waiting I threw machoke and mitanks balled out from my front hoodie pouch as Persian lept at the Beedrill…
