Further up in the shopping area was a section dedicated to selling evolutionary stones. Unlike artificially manufactured items, evolutionary stones were rare and couldn't be mass-produced, making them far more expensive.
A single Fire Stone of average quality could be sold for three thousand.
After browsing through the stores, Albus finally purchased everything he needed: Thornberry, Bubble Rock, Big Rhizome, and Yaojin Fruit.
Just as he was about to head downstairs, a large crowd caught his attention.
"What's going on over there?" he asked a nearby staff member.
The staff member explained, "That's the free trading market set up by our shopping mall. Trainers can sell items they've collected during their journeys or trade them with other trainers."
Since Albus had nothing urgent to do back at school, he decided to check it out.
As he approached the market, he heard a loud voice calling out, "Magikarp! Magikarp! High-potential Magikarp! You don't need to pay 998—only 100 dollars, and you can take it home!"
Albus sighed. "...Why is there an uncle selling Magikarps here?"
The Magikarp in the tank floated idly, its dull eyes staring into nothingness. There was no sign of "high potential" at all.
"Hey, kid, want one?" The vendor, a middle-aged man, grinned. "These are carefully selected! Buy one now, and it'll evolve into a mighty Gyarados in no time!"
Albus remained expressionless. Did this guy think he was some gullible kid?
If he really wanted a Magikarp, he wouldn't need to buy one. His family's Powerful Duck could easily bring him several a day—for free.
Seeing that Albus wasn't interested, the vendor sighed in disappointment.
Albus continued browsing the market, noticing a diverse range of vendors. There were young trainers who had just begun their journeys, teenagers, and even older men selling items.
The items for sale were equally varied—rare berries, evolutionary stones found in the wild, large pearls, and even materials that had fallen off Pokémon.
For example, the Fury Scale from a Gyarados was said to help Magikarp evolve more quickly.
Beyond these, several stalls displayed ancient-looking pottery.
As Albus wandered through the market, he used his identification ability to analyze the items.
Eventually, he stopped in front of a particular stall filled with a messy assortment of objects. Among them, an orb about the size of an adult's fist caught his eye.
It was dark purple, glowing eerily under the mall's bright lights.
Albus turned to the stall's owner. "Uncle, what is this?"
The stall owner, a scruffy-looking young man in a gray jacket, frowned. "Who are you calling uncle?!"
Albus blinked. "Huh?"
The man sighed. "I'm only eighteen!"
Albus stared. This guy looked older than he had in his past life. He was about to correct himself and say "big brother," but for a ten-year-old, calling someone in their thirties "big brother" also felt weird.
The stall owner gave up. "Forget it. Anyway, that's a treasure I found in some ruins. Want to buy it? A fair price—two thousand dollars."
"That's too expensive!" Albus frowned. "Are you trying to scam kids just because they're young?"
The stall owner looked offended. "I told you, I'm only eighteen! I just look older because I spend a lot of time in the wild. I'm a professional adventurer—I explore ruins and dig up ancient treasures."
To prove his point, he pulled out an official-looking document from his pocket.
Albus glanced at it. "Fine. But your price is still too high. I'm not interested."
"Wait, wait!" The stall owner quickly stopped him. "I'll give you a discount—one thousand dollars!"
Albus narrowed his eyes. "You seem eager to sell it."
The stall owner's face stiffened before forcing a smile. "Of course not! I just think you look like someone who'd appreciate it."
Albus crossed his arms. "Two hundred dollars."
"That's too low!" The stall owner shook his head. "At least five hundred!"
"Then I'm not buying it." Albus turned to leave.
The only reason he wanted the orb was because his identification ability had revealed its true nature:
[Cursed Orb]: An ancient orb containing mysterious power. It is highly attractive to Ghost-type Pokémon. Keeping it close to a Ghost-type Pokémon may help them learn powerful moves.
This item didn't exist in the games. Albus didn't have a Ghost-type Pokémon yet, but he might in the future. When that time came, the orb would be invaluable.
Since the stall owner clearly didn't know what the orb did, Albus had decided he would only buy it if it was under a thousand dollars.
But now, the man's eagerness to sell it made him even more suspicious.
Sure enough, as Albus walked away, the stall owner became desperate. "Alright! Two hundred it is! Just take it!"
Now Albus was even more suspicious. He picked up the orb and examined it. "This isn't just a glass fake, is it?"
The stall owner forced a laugh. "Of course not! It's a genuine relic! I just think you're a good kid."
Albus narrowed his eyes. "Flattery won't get you more money."
"Haha, just think of it as making a friend!" the stall owner said with a strained smile.
Albus sighed, paid the two hundred dollars, and walked away.
As soon as he was out of sight, the stall owner let out a sigh of relief, hurriedly packed up his stall, and ran off into the night.
—
Back at school, Albus placed the orb on his desk and began preparing nutritious meals for his Pokémon, following instructions from his book.
He had lived alone in his past life, so he had developed excellent cooking skills.
Judging by the satisfied expression on his Mimosa's face, his meal was a success.
"Tomorrow, we can start training," Albus muttered as he wrote down a step-by-step training plan.
Nutrients needed proper exercise to be fully absorbed, helping Mimosa grow stronger.
After finishing his notes, he glanced at the clock—9 PM.
Since he had class the next day, he quickly freshened up and went to bed.
As he slept, the dark purple orb on his desk emitted a faint glow.
A mist-like substance rose from it, slowly forming into a shadowy figure.
The temperature in the room dropped instantly.
Mimosa, in its sleep, shivered and instinctively curled up closer to Albus.
Will Young, on the other hand, remained sprawled out on the bed, sleeping soundly as usual.
—