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"I'm sorry, Leader, but these PokeBlocks weren't made by me. I got them from my superior. If you want to place an order, you can leave me your contact number, and I'll check with my superior. However, if your order is too small, I might not be able to convince them. Also, it'd be best if you paid a deposit."
Even though the man before him was stronger, Sato showed no fear. He patted himself down, stood up, and spoke to Ryoichi Sakata with an unhurried and composed demeanor.
To avoid raising suspicion, he even deliberately made his voice sound hoarse.
Of course, this so-called "superior" was entirely fictitious. But with his steady tone and confident expression, even the usually cautious Team Rocket members nearby found themselves half-believing his words.
Even Ryoichi Sakata was no exception.
In truth, what convinced the surrounding Team Rocket members wasn't just Sato's apparent lack of fear toward their Battalion Leader—it was the sheer insignificance of the quantity he was selling.
The 500 or so PokeBlocks he had were barely enough to meet the demand of Pewter City's underground Team Rocket base. It was like trying to fill a bottomless pit with a handful of sand.
Given how little he was selling, he seemed no different from a small-time retailer operating in the countryside.
Especially after hearing the latter half of Sato's statement, the onlookers quickly jumped to their own conclusions.
They assumed that Sato was nothing more than a minor reseller—someone with access to a supplier but without the financial resources to purchase larger quantities.
"I see. The quality of your PokeBlocks is indeed impressive. In that case, I'll place an order for 1,000 Bitter PokeBlocks. Here's half the deposit—please take care of it."
Ryoichi Sakata nodded, squeezing out a faint smile.
With that, he transferred 2,800 Team Rocket points to the account listed on a piece of paper at Sato's stall.
"This is excellent. Rest assured, Leader, 1,000 PokeBlocks is no small deal. I'm sure my superior will be pleased to accept the order. Send me an address, and within five days at most, I'll have the goods delivered to you."
Seeing the 2,800 points in his account, Sato's tone became noticeably warmer. He exchanged knowing smiles with Ryōichi Sakata, who clearly knew how to grease the wheels.
If one went by Sato's stall prices, a medium-quality PokeBlock would typically cost 5 points, meaning half the deposit should have been 2,500 points.
But Sakata had sent 2,800—an extra 300 points. The meaning behind that small "tip" was obvious, and Sato wasn't one to turn down easy gains.
After finalizing his order, Sakata quickly left. Sato noticed him glancing around the crowd, clearly looking for his supposed supplier.
Once Sakata was gone, Sato didn't immediately pack up. Instead, he looked expectantly at the other Team Rocket members who had yet to leave.
As expected, with Sakata paving the way, three more people soon stepped forward to place orders for medium-quality PokeBlocks—one of whom was the ill-tempered female vendor next to him.
Like Sakata, they each paid half the deposit. These three were also quite savvy, bringing Sato another 5,000 points in deposits and an extra 500 points in tips.
Satisfied, Sato decided it was time to wrap things up. He packed away his stall, recalled his Swampert, and made his way toward the public restroom.
However, as he moved, a few individuals with greed in their eyes began to tail him, following him into the restroom.
Inside, Sato removed his mask and cloak. Of course, he still wore a Ditto-crafted human-skin disguise on his face. As his pursuers entered, they saw his altered face and continued their pursuit.
Unfortunately for them, the public market was full of people wearing Team Rocket grunt uniforms. Blending into the crowd and lowering his head for another quick transformation with Ditto, Sato easily shook off his followers.
To be safe, he wandered the market a few more times before finally removing Ditto's disguise and heading back to the female vendor's stall.
With a swift exchange of points and goods, the vendor, wearing rubber gloves, handed Sato a Black-Spotted Venomvine before quickly packing up and leaving.
Just as Sato was about to store the vine in his spatial equipment, a familiar voice called out behind him.
"Where have you been? I've been looking for you in the public market for over ten minutes."
Turning around, Sato found himself face to face with Ryoichi Sakata's cold expression.
"You must be Battalion Leader Ryōichi Sakata. I've been here for a while, but I spotted something good earlier and didn't have enough points on hand, so I had to make a few trades first before coming back."
Sato had already prepared an excuse in advance, but he still put on an embarrassed smile, acting apologetic.
The truth was, Sakata had deliberately left Sato waiting after sending his message, showing up over twenty minutes later. But by then, Sato had already disguised himself and was busy running his stall.
Because of Sato's altered appearance, Sakata mistakenly thought that he was the one being stood up. This misunderstanding had left him with a rather poor impression of Sato.
"Hmph. It'd better be just that. Follow me."
Hearing Sato's explanation, Sakata frowned slightly before glancing at the Black-Spotted Venomvine in his hands. Recognizing its nature, he gave a small nod, but his tone remained cold and commanding.
Sato's expression remained neutral, showing no dissatisfaction. He nodded silently and followed Sakata, though his eyes kept darting toward the man's shoulders with a hint of wariness.
Eventually, Sakata led him to a secluded corner of the public market. There, under Sato's somewhat surprised gaze, Sakata began setting up a stall of his own.
The stall was just as simple as Sato's had been, and the goods on display were pitifully few—just three Poké Balls.
However, using his system's scanning function, Sato quickly discovered that these Poké Balls contained rare Pokémon: Ursaring, Porygon, and Miltank.
Each one was not only of excellent quality but also well-trained. Their levels and the number of Technical Machine (TM) moves they had learned indicated that they had undergone rigorous training.
"Lord Caesar has given orders for me to assist you in the upcoming Rookie Competition. These three Pokémon have been well-trained and will surely be of great help to you in the competition. I'm handing them over through a transaction, so it won't be considered a violation of the rules. Enough talk—choose one."
After finishing his preparations, Sakata sat down on the ground and stared straight into Sato's eyes.