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----------------- Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝕟𝕖𝕥
Sato had no interest in stone gambling, as he had learned from the The Encyclopedia of Stones he obtained from Mr. Kade in Larousse City that most gamble stones were artificially created.
While there was some professional skill involved in stone gambling, identifying the true nature of a stone at a glance required extensive experience in their manufacture.
In fact, Kade himself was a master at creating gamble stones. By producing these stones for others, he amassed the funds necessary to hire powerful Trainers to help him collect rare stones from around the world.
Kade's The Encyclopedia of Stones explicitly documented the process of making gamble stones, along with methods for distinguishing whether a stone contained valuable material.
Sato had read through the guide multiple times, but its vast and complex content—filled with technical jargon—left him unable to fully grasp all its concepts.
He neither had the interest nor the time to study it in depth.
Additionally, he discovered that his system's detection function was ineffective against most artificially manufactured gamble stones.
It could only analyze stones that were genuinely mined from natural deposits.
At this large stone gambling stall, Sato found only about twenty genuine gamble stones. Considering the stall displayed several hundred stones, the ratio was pitifully low.
Among those genuine stones, the best one—aside from the Float Stone—contained a high-quality Thunder Stone. The rest were rare gemstones, none of which were particularly valuable.
Sato nonchalantly walked into the stall. His first move was to pick up the clearly labeled Float Stone, priced at a mere 20,000 PokéDollars.
Then, he took the Thunder Stone-containing stone marked at 50,000 PokéDollars. To maintain appearances, he also bought two artificially made gamble stones, each priced at 500,000 PokéDollars.
He acted no differently from the other customers—examining his chosen stones with a "professional" air before making his purchase—ensuring that neither the stall owner nor his employees took notice.
After transferring 1.07 million PokéDollars to the stall owner, Sato immediately requested that the two most expensive artificial gamble stones be cut open on the spot while discreetly storing the Float Stone away.
The Float Stone was about the size of an adult man's fist. Because of its small volume, the odds of it containing valuable material were low.
Furthermore, its notably lighter weight made people assume it was hollow, leading to its undervaluation.
To the untrained eye, it looked just like any ordinary roadside stone. Only someone with extensive knowledge of Pokémon-held items—and the opportunity to examine it firsthand—would recognize its true nature.
Thanks to his system's detection function, Sato had unearthed this hidden gem. Now, it had finally fallen into the hands of someone who recognized its worth.
Pokémon Item: Float Stone
Effect: Halves the holder's weight
Description: A stone imbued with mysterious power, a gift from the world itself.
As expected, artificial gamble stones were mostly worthless. When the two he purchased were cut open, they turned out to be empty, wasting 1 million PokéDollars.
Fortunately, the stone containing the high-quality Thunder Stone was real. As soon as it was revealed, the onlookers—who had been waiting to mock Sato—were left stunned, their faces turning green with envy.
"Brother, you hit the jackpot! You spent only 50,000 PokéDollars and got a high-quality Thunder Stone! Do you know how rare those are? They're much harder to form than Fire Stones or Water Stones. This thing is worth 10 million PokéDollars at the bare minimum! You turned 50,000 into well over 10 million—unbelievable!"
Following the stall owner's instructions, the stone cutter exaggerated his reaction, shouting loudly while dramatically raising the Thunder Stone high for everyone to see.
Hearing his words and seeing the gleaming high-quality Thunder Stone, even more envious people gathered. Those suffering from "green-eyed syndrome" surged forward, flooding into the stall in hopes of their own lucky find.
"Not bad, this stall owner knows how to do business."
Sato noticed how the owner was using him as free advertising but didn't mind.
He retrieved the Thunder Stone from the cutter and turned to leave, ignoring the latter's request to cut open his Float Stone.
To the stall owner and cutter, it seemed obvious that Sato had hit it big and was eager to cash in his Thunder Stone.
However, just as Sato stepped out of the large stall, he was stopped by a burly man, who towered over him by two heads. The man's overwhelming presence radiated a menacing aura.
"I don't like being blocked. Either move, or die."
Dressed in black and wearing a mask, Sato raised an eyebrow beneath his mask and spoke in a cold, emotionless tone. As soon as he finished, his entire demeanor changed—one that those nearby found eerily familiar.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on, brother! I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm here to give you money! This is Team Rocket's turf—I wouldn't dare try anything!"
The burly man instantly wiped the contempt from his face, switching to a friendly, ingratiating smile. He had recognized the unmistakable aura of a fellow Rocket.
Meanwhile, three masked figures—dressed similarly to Sato but with bright red masks—had discreetly appeared nearby, surrounding the scene.
These were Team Rocket's enforcers stationed in Saffron City's underground black market.
The burly man wasn't lying—this was indeed Team Rocket's domain. If he dared lay a hand on Sato, it would be suicidal.
"You want this, huh? I'm a fair person. This is a high-quality Thunder Stone. The market price here is 15 million PokéDollars—I'll sell it to you for that."
Sato nodded, withdrawing the freshly obtained Thunder Stone.
Since his price was fair and reasonable and the presence of Team Rocket enforcers made it clear there was no room for negotiation, the burly man agreed without hesitation.
He swiftly transferred 15 million PokéDollars to Sato's account before hurriedly taking the stone and leaving.
"Thanks for the help, brothers. Here's a little token of appreciation."
Although the three enforcers had simply stood by without intervening, Sato understood the value of keeping good relations. He transferred 500,000 PokéDollars to each of them.
As the saying goes, money makes the world go round. His generosity delighted the enforcers, who immediately warmed up to him.
Sato seized the opportunity to casually probe them for information. Thanks to this, he soon discovered an unexpected surprise.