Cain was quite familiar with the main products in the various areas of the black market.
After leaving the alley, he headed directly towards the Pokémon sales area. In his previous life as a Pokémon hunter, he frequented this place often and had some reputation in the field.
Unlike the items area, the Pokémon sales zone was extremely bustling, with people of all kinds mingling in the crowd.
In front of each shop were iron cages, each containing rare Pokémon. Here, you could see species that were hard to find across different regions.
Although the Pokémon inside the cages appeared listless and sluggish, many people gathered around, pointing and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
At the entrances of some shops, you could see starter Pokémon from various regions, equally apathetic but still attracting curious onlookers. These larger stores, offering a wide variety of Pokémon, were among the most visited.
At some entrances, provocatively dressed women tried to lure customers inside. If someone wasn't familiar with this, they might think it was another type of business, but in reality, it was just a strategy to draw in buyers.
Several people tried to stop Cain to get him into their shops, but he ignored them.
It's not that the Pokémon in these stores weren't rare; often, the stores offered extremely rare Pokémon and even some pseudo-legendary ones.
However, those Pokémon had been specially trained, losing their wild nature. Buying them would be pointless.
Although Cain was looking for a Miltank to obtain milk rich in elements, he didn't intend to buy one at random.
If he found a suitable Miltank, he would train it thoroughly. But if he couldn't find one, he would consider buying it from one of these stores, simply as a tool for milk production.
He walked straight to a store located deep in the street. At the entrance, there were also cages, but these were much thicker, and the Pokémon inside had expressions full of hatred as they watched passersby. Anyone who tried to get close was scared away by their ferocity.
This was the only shop in Saffron City's black market that didn't tame its Pokémon before selling them. It was also the favorite for those looking to develop their Pokémon's power to the fullest.
For those who saw Pokémon as mere toys or ornaments, this shop was not suitable.
There were no shopping guides or attractive women at the entrance, just a black iron door.
Without hesitation, Cain pushed the door, which creaked open, and entered.
Inside, there was no luxurious decor or bright lights, only a few candles emitting a dim light. On both sides of the hallway, the cages were filled with wild, untamed Pokémon.
Ignoring the Pokémon's sounds, Cain walked firmly toward the back of the shop.
Finally, after two minutes, he reached the counter. A woman in a black leather dress sat there, holding a mirror and a lipstick, calmly touching up her makeup, indifferent to the growls and cries of the wild Pokémon.
Noticing someone had entered, she put away the lipstick and, with a small finger, wiped away the excess color from the corner of her lips, then stored the mirror.
She observed Cain and gave him a seductive smile. Her voice, full of allure, softly echoed, "Oh~~ It looks like we have a new customer."
Raising an eyebrow shaped like a willow leaf, with her rosy, radiant face under the candlelight, she gave a slight smile and leaned lazily on the counter, resting her head on a slender, long hand. "Did you come by chance, or were you recommended?"
Before Cain could answer, as he approached the counter, the woman wrinkled her nose, detecting a faint smell of blood. She looked at him in surprise and said, "The smell of blood? It seems you didn't enter by chance. So, do you know the store's rules?"
"Yes," Cain replied in a rough voice, making it impossible to tell if he was a man or woman or guess his age.
Perhaps others didn't know the owner of this store, but Cain was well aware of who it was. The owner of this Pokémon shop was actually the largest Pokémon hunter organization in the Kanto region, the Hunters' Guild.
All the Pokémon sold in the shop had been captured by guild members. They didn't tame them because they believed that only Pokémon with wild instincts were the most valuable.
This woman, who looked fragile, was the store manager, but you shouldn't be fooled by her appearance. She was a registered Pokémon hunter in the Hunters' Guild, with a power level equivalent to a quasi-elite trainer.
Cain also knew the rules she was referring to. Once a Pokémon was purchased, there were no returns. Moreover, regardless of what Pokémon were seen inside the shop, they couldn't be discussed outside.
If someone was found breaking this rule, all guild stores in any region would deny them service. In serious cases, the Hunters' Guild might even pursue them.
Many of the Pokémon in the shop had been obtained by guild members through various means, including capturing them in protected areas designated by the League or stealing from other dark organizations.
The rarest Pokémon were not put on sale in the shop but were auctioned off at the guild's regular sales. All guild shop customers received invitations, as did some important figures from dark organizations.
The Hunters' Guild was one of the most powerful organizations in Kanto, only surpassed by the Pokémon League and Team Rocket. Their regular auction was one of the most significant events for underground organizations.
Moreover, Team Rocket, the largest organization in Kanto's underworld, had a close relationship with the Hunters' Guild.
For example, the Pokémon given to recruits in each trial cycle were provided free of charge by the Hunters' Guild, so all the Pokémon that the aspirants trained had not been tamed.
If you knew this detail, you could understand the close connection between the Hunters' Guild and Team Rocket, though the precise details of this relationship were unknown.
(End of chapter)