Although Dratini is everywhere in the Great Lake in the games, here in the Paldea region, Dragonite is such an ultra-rare Pokémon that it's impossible not to attract attention.
Having had the experience of being surrounded by passersby asking to take photos with his Dragonite, Lucas chose to avoid the hassle at its root.
Poliwag is also uncommon in Paldea, but it's very common in Kanto. While it draws some attention, it's not overwhelming.
Since there was still some time before the agreed meeting at noon, Lucas decided to wander around Cascarrafa City with his Poliwag.
After all, since he made the trip to another city, he might as well see if there was anything suitable to buy and bring back.
Cascarrafa City is divided into three tiers, connected by massive elevators that go up and down. Thanks to the city's pleasant environment, it attracts many tourists.
Because of this, the area in front of the elevators is often packed, and you have to queue to ride them.
Since Lucas had Dragonite land near the second tier in the wild, he didn't have to squeeze onto the elevators.
As he passed by, Lucas curiously glanced inside the elevator. Sure enough, there was a long line of people, just looking at it made him feel suffocated.
However, among the crowd of tourists, there was one person who stood out.
From the back, the person looked to be wearing a white chef's uniform—probably a chef from a local restaurant, considering Cascarrafa's thriving food industry.
But the most eye-catching feature was the man's bright golden hair. Such pure blond hair is rare in Paldea—was he someone who moved here from another region?
A spark of recognition flashed in Lucas's mind, but he still couldn't quite place it.
He didn't think much of it, quickly forgetting about the matter, and planned to take Poliwag to visit the nearby famous antique market.
With the system's help, maybe he could become a master at finding hidden treasures and getting rich overnight!
"Sir, you have great taste! This is a royal chamber pot used by the Paldea Empire's royal family two thousand years ago. It has immense collectible value!"
"Since you look like a discerning customer, I'll give you a special price to make friends. How about this price?"
The middle-aged vendor with a thin mustache animatedly flashed a "3" with his hand, his face full of the expression that buying this means you're guaranteed to profit.
After browsing for a while, Lucas knew that the vendor's "3" referred to the price.
30,000 Pokédollars.
Why don't you just rob me?!
And, just thinking that this antique might be a chamber pot made Lucas's hand tremble as he held it.
Lucas asked in his mind, "Is this thing real or fake?"
[Ding! Fake.]
"Just as I thought." Lucas let out an almost invisible sigh of relief. Good thing it's not a real used chamber pot. Otherwise, he'd want to die and have Poliwag use Water Gun to wash off a layer of his skin.
The vendor kept an eye on Lucas's expressions and movements, quickly assessing whether he could be ripped off.
First, the man's Pokémon seemed to be a Poliwag, a species from the Kanto region, which is quite a distance from Paldea.
Although there are scattered Poliwag in Paldea, the vendor figured this man was a tourist—exactly the kind of person to scam.
Just as the vendor was about to double down and close the sale with this gullible tourist, Lucas deftly put the pot back on the stand, said he'd look at other stalls, and turned to leave.
Poliwag glanced at the confused vendor. Sensing some shady business, it made a funny face at the man before following Lucas away.
"Huh?"
The vendor was left stunned, unable to believe what just happened. The customer didn't even try to haggle—he just left.
Was it because he wanted to make more money and raised the price of the old chamber pot he bought for 30 Pokédollars a bit too much?
Should have asked for less—next time, he'd quote 20,000 Pokédollars to the next customer.
Lucas, clueless about how greedy the vendor was, just complained in his mind, "We've checked out six stalls, and not a single real item. Is this place just a den of fakes and scams?"
He'd hoped to pick up a bargain like a novel's protagonist, but all he got was a handful of disappointment.
He found a secluded corner to wash his hands, still feeling uncomfortable after touching the chamber pot. He squatted down and had Poliwag use a Water Gun to wash his hands.
While washing, Lucas grumbled, "There probably isn't a single real antique in this whole market!"
[There's a Chipped Pot for sale in an antique shop 50 meters behind you.]
Lucas: "?"
He paused, turned to look behind him, and sure enough, there was an antique shop at the end of the alley.
What luck?
A Chipped Pot —he remembered this was the item needed for a true Polteageist to evolve from Sinistea. Because of some collectors, the price for the authentic teapot was much higher than for the fake one.
That said, both kinds of teapots could brew fragrant tea, but the authentic one had a superior flavor.
After drying his hands, Lucas took out his phone and searched the prices for the Cracked Pot and Chipped Pot. He couldn't help but swear out loud.
Cracked Pot: 7,500 Pokédollars (estimate)
Chipped Pot: 150,000 Pokédollars (estimate)
A 20x difference—have people gone crazy?
After hesitating for a moment, Lucas rubbed his hands together, picked up Poliwag, and whispered in its ear.
"Poliwag!"
Poliwag nodded thoughtfully, assuring Lucas that it had everything under control.
With such a reliable partner, Lucas couldn't help but smile.
"Let's go!"
…
In less than ten minutes, Lucas left the antique shop, acting casual as Poliwag carried a small wooden box containing the teapot.
Once far enough away, Lucas finally accepted the box from Poliwag, his heart pounding.
This was a valuable item worth 150,000 Pokédollars—he had to keep it safe!
Holding the box close, Lucas squatted down, a look of praise on his face as he patted Poliwag's head. "Thanks to you, everything went so smoothly."
"Poliwag!"
Poliwag puffed out its chest, looking proud.
Their plan was simple: go into the shop and have Poliwag insist on buying what the shopkeeper thought was a cheap Cracked Pot, but was a valuable Chipped Pot.
Everything went smoothly. Thanks to Poliwag's acting, Lucas got the Chipped Pot for only 7,600 Pokédollars.
"Just this alone made the trip to Cascarrafa worth it." Lucas stopped patting Poliwag, checked the time, and muttered, "It's about time to go see Mr. Kofu at his restaurant."
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