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After achieving his goal, Sato wasted no time lingering in the Pokémon trading district and quickly rode away on his high-speed bicycle.
Having spent a significant amount of money to purchase Ditto, Sato's funds had now reached a dangerously low point. As such, he decided not to stay any longer in the black market of Saffron City and headed directly toward Team Rocket's base.
To be honest, Sato had considered selling his PokeBlocks in the free trade zone of the black market. However, after some careful thought, he decided to abandon the idea for safety reasons.
Although Team Rocket had a strong influence in the Saffron City black market, they didn't completely dominate it. The local force, the Golden Gang, still controlled about a quarter of the black market and was known to have a deep hatred for Team Rocket.
Thus, if Sato were to sell the highly profitable PokeBlocks on the black market, he would be exposing himself to a high level of danger. Moreover, the black market of Saffron City was full of hidden masters, and even an average person could easily outclass him, a novice trainer who had only recently started his journey.
Until his strength grew, Sato decided it was wiser to keep a low profile.
The journey back was smooth, and with the protection offered by his association with Team Rocket, Sato safely returned to their base. He used the services of a Psychic-type Pokémon stationed there to teleport back to the surface of Saffron City.
The teleportation hall in the base only offered one-way service, and this time, the number card Sato had been given was collected by the Alakazam that teleported him back to the surface.
"Being a trainer really makes money flow like water... 7 million PokeDollars gone in the blink of an eye. What a shame—I was hoping to buy some useful TMs from the black market, but I guess I was being too optimistic. That amount of money isn't nearly enough," Sato mused as he emerged from a quiet alley, now wearing his usual trainer outfit. He gazed up at the clear blue sky, reflecting on his recent expenditures.
Although he had only been in Saffron City's underground world for a few hours, returning to the surface felt like seeing daylight after a long absence. The warm sunlight on his skin made him feel unusually comfortable—the underground world had been too oppressive, a place where staying too long might make one "sick."
Upon returning to the surface, Sato immediately took the Pokéball, which was vibrating intensely on his belt, into his hand. After a brief moment of thought, he decided to release Ditto, allowing it to enjoy the sunlight and fresh air of the outside world.
"Ditto~~" As expected, Ditto, who hadn't seen the sun in quite some time, was extremely excited. It instantly transformed into an Aipom, climbing onto Sato's head and chattering loudly. The nearby pedestrians gave Sato and Ditto curious looks.
At that moment, Ditto noticed all the humans around them, and its expression grew serious. It glared warily at the passersby.
"Alright, Ditto, we're back on the surface now. No need to worry—no one will try to capture you here. If you don't want to attract attention, how about transforming into this hat? That way, you can stay outside and won't draw any unwanted attention," Sato suggested, quickly guiding Ditto back into the alley as he spoke.
After being confined for so long, Ditto was eager to breathe freely and enjoy the warmth of the sun. At the same time, it was still quite wary of anyone besides Sato.
Ditto happily accepted Sato's proposal, glancing at the cap in Sato's hand before transforming from an Aipom into an identical hat.
"Great, let's go then, Ditto. Let's take a look at the world outside. Soon, I'll introduce you to your new companions," Sato said with a smile, placing the Ditto-turned-hat on his head.
He then walked out of the alley again, following street signs and asking a few people for directions as he made his way slowly toward the nearest Pokémon Center.
As Sato walked, the Ditto, transformed into the cap on his head, subtly opened a pair of tiny eyes to observe the surroundings. When it saw the colorful scenes around, especially the various delicious foods being sold at street stalls, its little eyes sparkled with longing.
Noticing that the people nearby had friendly and peaceful expressions, very different from the tense atmosphere of the black market in Saffron City, Ditto's wariness began to fade.
Sato, of course, was fully aware of the movement on his head. Taking the hat off briefly and seeing Ditto's small eyes fixed on a nearby barbecue stall, he immediately understood what Ditto wanted.
Soon, Ditto transformed back into an Aipom, sitting happily on Sato's shoulder, munching contentedly on a grilled corn cob held in both its hands and tail.
Based on directions he received by asking around, Sato knew he was now in the western part of Saffron City. This meant that after visiting the black market, he had traveled from the eastern side of the city all the way to the west.
After walking for another twenty minutes, Sato finally arrived at a Pokémon Center. The time was now 11:43 a.m., almost noon.
Upon entering the Pokémon Center, Sato returned Ditto to its Pokéball (now a handmade Pokéball) and asked Nurse Joy to give it a full treatment.
While Ditto was being treated, Sato found an empty spot in the public hall, took out some snacks, and rested for a while. He had been busy all morning without much of a break and was starting to feel quite tired.
As Sato rested, a number of other trainers had gathered in the public hall. They grouped together in small clusters, happily chatting.
At a nearby table, a few trainers were discussing something that immediately piqued Sato's interest.
"Have you heard? A week from now, Bruno of the Kanto Elite Four, the Fighting-type master, and Lorelei, the Ice-type master, will be coming to Saffron City to hold an exhibition match."
"Yeah, of course! That's all over the headlines in today's PokeLeague Daily. Who doesn't know? Too bad it's only for those who qualify in the pre-battles. Only the top two finalists get a chance to battle the Elite Four."
"Exactly! Even though it's an exhibition match, getting the opportunity to face the Elite Four is so rare. If someone manages to defeat one of their Pokémon in battle, they could instantly become famous. Who knows, they might even gain the favor of Bruno or Lorelei! Wow, I'm thinking of joining the pre-battles. What do you say? The registration deadline is tomorrow, so it's not too late."
"If you want to go, go ahead. I'm not about to embarrass myself. I've seen tons of powerful trainers sign up, most of them have collected Gym badges already. I even heard that Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron City, has joined as well."
"Yeah... with so many strong trainers competing, people like us, who haven't even collected a single Gym badge, would probably get knocked out in the first round of the qualifiers."
"An exhibition match with two members of the Elite Four—this is amazing! Even if it's not their full strength, just being able to gather data on their Pokémon would be a huge advantage."
Listening carefully to the conversation between the chatty trainers nearby, Sato's eyes lit up with excitement.
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