After arriving in Rustboro City, Cain changed his appearance and headed straight to the city's black market.
Although Leafy Town also had a black market, compared to the large cities in the Hoenn region like Rustboro City, Leafy Town's black market was merely a shadow of what it could be.
Before leaving Leafy Town, Cain released the Pokémon he had captured in the mysterious lake, letting them stay in the pond in his backyard. With the Slowpoke herd watching over them, the backyard's security was ensured.
He didn't take Larvitar with him, leaving it under Miltank's supervision to help it better control its strength. Aron also assisted Larvitar in training, hoping it would learn more effectively.
Dressed in a black cloak, Cain made his way to the Pokémon sales area. He first sold the Pokémon obtained from the Void organization team and some captured from the Shadow Unit captain, Rei, keeping only those he deemed valuable.
Among them were Breloom with the Poison Heal ability, Zangoose with the Toxic Boost ability, Yanmega, and Rei's Ariados—all Pokémon that could strengthen his team.
He sold the remaining Pokémon for a total of 3.5 million Pokédollars, a fairly respectable sum.
Next, he went to the Hunter's Guild, completed a few missions that matched the Pokémon he had captured, and sold those that didn't align with any task.
Since all were green-quality or light green-quality Pokémon, they didn't hold significant value but still earned him 2 million points and 2.5 million Pokédollars.
In reality, the hunting missions Cain had organized for his team had generated even more money, but those funds were in the shared account of the hunter team, managed by his trusted subordinate, Sky.
Cain had no plans to touch that money yet, as it was earmarked for the development of both the hunting team and the Heaven team. Once both were fully established, Cain would start reaping the real benefits.
Afterward, Cain headed to the move shop in the black market. In these shops, basic moves like Protect or Hidden Power were common, but rarer moves depended on luck.
The move Cain was most interested in at that moment was Trick Room for Slowking. Although it wasn't an attack, this move was crucial for a slow Pokémon like Slowking in one-on-one battles.
Perhaps for fast Pokémon like Weavile or Honchkrow, this move would be a hindrance, but for Slowking, who was destined to be one of the gym's Pokémon, Trick Room was indispensable.
Rustboro City was large enough for Cain to find a Trick Room TM in the black market, but it came at an exorbitant price: 3 million Pokédollars, with no room for negotiation.
Given the rarity of Psychic-type TMs, especially spatial moves, Cain bought it without hesitation. After all, he had plenty of money to spare.
Cain also acquired several other moves for his Pokémon to diversify his battle strategies.
He bought the Shadow Ball TM for Honchkrow, Skorupi, and Weavile. Although the move's power was moderate, it was a fairly useful ranged option. Additionally, Haunter, who was skilled with Shadow Ball, could help his teammates master the move faster.
Cain also purchased specific moves for each of his Pokémon.
He gave Honchkrow the move Double Team, which could increase its chances of evading attacks, especially while charging up powerful moves.
For Slowking, he acquired Safeguard, an expensive but vital move to protect Slowking from status conditions while it launched its powerful special attacks from a distance.
For Skorupi, in addition to Shadow Ball, Cain purchased Poison Jab, a move that maximizes its Poison type. Combined with its pincers and tail as attack points, the move Poison Jab is perfect for boosting its offense.
For Haunter, Cain decided on Thunderbolt. This wasn't initially planned, but when Cain saw the TM, he couldn't resist buying it, given the rarity of the move and the lack of Electric-type moves in his team.
Although Haunter wasn't an Electric type, Cain trusted its high special attack to make good use of the move.
He also bought the Venoshock move for Haunter, which perfectly complemented Haunter's Poison type, and Blizzard for Weavile—a move Cain found by sheer luck in the shop. He couldn't resist and bought it without hesitation.
In total, Cain spent 13 million Pokédollars, but the moves he acquired would significantly enhance his Pokémon, making the investment well worth it. He still had 45.8 million Pokédollars left, more than enough to cover his expenses for a while.
Just as he was leaving the black market, he received a call from Steven.
(End of Chapter)