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It's undeniable that the top three prizes offer immense allure for any Trainer, especially the Key Stone at the top of the exchange list.
The power of Mega Evolution is something every strong Trainer dreams of achieving.
Of course, with that kind of appeal, the prices are exorbitant. Exchanging for the Key Stone requires a staggering 1000 gold game coins. In PokeDollars, that's a cool billion—a sum so high that winning it through gambling is virtually impossible.
Even so, this invaluable Key Stone had already been redeemed by some wealthy individual.
Unfortunately for Sato, the Life Orb and Toxic Orb, which he coveted most, had also been exchanged, at costs of 800 and 500 gold game coins, respectively.
"The top prizes starting at 500 gold coins—clearly, gambling won't get anyone that far. What a rip-off," Sato thought to himself with a sigh, noting the sky-high exchange rates for the top three items.
Even with his exceptional dynamic vision, allowing him to excel at slot machines, earning even 500 gold game coins would take a few days of dedicated play— and that was assuming the game hall didn't interfere.
Sato was fully aware that these enticing rewards were merely bait to lure patrons and capitalize on people's greed.
The game hall used these prizes to draw in the crowd, hoping to make money from players' dreams of winning big with little investment.
Nevertheless, since these items were listed on the exchange board, the hall must have them available; wealthy Trainers could show up at any moment willing to buy with cash. Failing to deliver would ruin the game hall's reputation.
Clearly, the value of the third and fourth item was the dividing line in the prize pool, with the price of the fourth item being 250 gold game coins.
In the end, Sato decided to aim for items he could reasonably acquire in a short time without drawing too much attention. Luckily, beyond the top three, the other items had relatively "reasonable" prices.
The Miracle Seed, in eighth place and still available, caught his eye—an invaluable item for Trainers like him.
For a Grass-type Pokémon, a Miracle Seed is a treasure. In games, it enhances Grass-type moves' power, but in the real Pokémon world, its effects likely go far beyond that.
While Sato didn't know exactly how Miracle Seeds worked in real life, he was sure it would benefit his team's key member, Bellossom.
Even if it only powered up her Grass-type moves, that alone would be worth it, as most of Bellossom's moves were Grass-type.
Additionally, if Bellossom received the Miracle Seed, her Grassy Terrain healing effect might even increase—something Sato would consider a worthwhile investment.
"To find a Pokémon item here that boosts move power and suits Bellossom perfectly? This is too good to pass up," he thought, eying the Miracle Seed on the exchange list.
Upon asking the staff and confirming that no one had redeemed it yet, he felt resolute.
The Miracle Seed was also available in Team Rocket's internal exchange system. However, the catch was that it required Elite-level clearance—access, more than cost, was the real barrier.
Now, if Sato could win 25 gold game coins in this arcade, he could bypass many access restrictions and secure this rare Pokémon item for himself.
(Note: Only one Miracle Seed is available for exchange.)
Wasting no time, Sato took out 2,000 PokeDollars and exchanged them for 20 copper game coins, quickly heading into the gaming area to find an unoccupied slot machine.
He had to earn enough game coins to claim the Miracle Seed before some wealthy Trainer decided to buy it outright.
"Oh my gosh, three sevens again—that's incredible!"
"Right? Her luck is insane. I haven't hit three sevens in a month, and she's gotten it three times in just ten minutes."
"Oh, when will Lady Luck shine on me like that…"
Just as Sato settled at an empty slot machine, a series of exclamations nearby caught his attention.
He turned his head to see a large crowd gathered around another machine, all watching from several meters away, amazed or chuckling at the scene in front of them.
Amid the onlookers, Sato spotted the person at the center—a familiar face he'd recently battled: Alice Sasaki.
She sat in front of the slot machine, her face no longer downcast but glowing with excitement as the machine poured out coins. Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.
Beside her stood an older man resembling a butler, with neatly combed hair and a well-groomed beard. He stood as straight as a lamppost, appearing remarkably fit, and he watched Alice with a fond, albeit slightly exasperated, expression.
Noticing the growing crowd, Alice's face shifted, taking on an aloof, superior look. In a dismissive gesture, she grabbed a handful of game coins from the slot and scattered them on the ground a short distance away.
Many of the onlookers brightened at this, diving for the scattered coins in a frenzy.
"Hmph, a bunch of peasants, just like stray dogs with no one to care for them."
Alice's face grew even more disdainful as she watched the crowd scrambling for the coins. But then, as if reminded of something unpleasant, her expression soured again, and she threw a few more coins into the machine.
In the next moment, the sound of "ka-ching, ka-ching!" rang out, and Alice, perhaps out of frustration, began hammering the unfortunate machine with her little gloved fists.
The poor slot machine, as though to appease her, displayed another triple-seven, causing an overflow of coins to spill out once more.
With a sigh, the elderly butler stepped forward to help gather the coins into a container meant for organizing game coins, gently advising Alice with a few choice words.
Alice, clearly respectful of the butler, softened her expression, though she seemed unconvinced by his words. Shaking her head, she resumed her assault on the slot machine.
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