I made a mistake in last chapter it was Cascarrafa, not Levincia City & he stays in
Los Platos.
---
Since Dragonite is an incredibly rare Pokémon in Paldea, letting it walk around in the open would undoubtedly attract too much attention.
Having previously experienced the chaos of being swarmed by people wanting to take pictures with Dragonite, Kai decided to avoid that trouble altogether.
Poliwag, while not commonly seen in Paldea, is abundant in Kanto, making it much less of a spectacle.
So, even though it turned a few heads, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
With some time to kill before his midday meeting, Kai decided to explore Cascarrafa with Poliwag.
Since he had made the trip here, he figured he might as well see if there was anything worth buying and bringing back home.
Cascarrafa was divided into three levels, each connected by massive elevators, and thanks to the city's scenic beauty and vibrant atmosphere, it attracted a steady stream of tourists.
As a result, the elevators were constantly packed, with people queuing up just to get a ride.
Kai had landed his Dragonite in an open area close to the second level, so he had no need to join the suffocating line.
Still, curiosity got the better of him, and he glanced inside one of the elevators.
As expected, it was jam-packed.
However, among the crowd of tourists, one person stood out.
From the back, they appeared to be wearing a white chef's uniform, probably a cook at one of Cascarrafa's many famous restaurants. The city's food scene was well-known, after all.
But what really made them noticeable was their bright golden hair a rare sight in Paldea.
A foreigner? Kai wondered.
Something about them tugged at his memory, but before he could piece it together, the thought slipped away.
Shrugging, he put it aside.
He had another destination in mind a famous antique market in the area.
With the system's ability to identify authentic items, maybe he could strike gold and walk away with a valuable hidden gem.
---
"Sir, you have an excellent eye! This here is a 2000-year-old chamber pot a royal relic from the ancient Paldean Empire! Its historical significance is immeasurable!"
The moustached vendor practically beamed with pride, raising three fingers as he enthusiastically continued,
"But since you seem to be a true connoisseur, I'm willing to slash the price for you. How about 30,000 Pokédollars?"
Kai, holding the so-called "ancient relic," almost dropped it in sheer horror.
Thirty thousand?!
For an old pot?!
Even worse, if this really was a chamber pot, who knew what kind of things had been inside it?!
His hands trembled slightly.
"System, verify this thing for me."
[Ding! The item is fake.]
Kai let out a silent sigh of relief.
At least it wasn't actually an ancient royal chamber pot.
Otherwise, he'd probably scrub his hands raw with Poliwag's Water Gun just to get rid of the psychological trauma.
The vendor, meanwhile, was closely observing Kai's reaction, trying to determine whether he had hooked himself into a naïve tourist to scam.
Seeing that Kai wasn't immediately rejecting the offer, the vendor grew even more confident.
This young man was probably a traveller from another region; maybe Kanto Paldea didn't have many Poliwag, after all.
Tourists like him were the easiest to rip off.
Just as the vendor was about to push harder, Kai gently set the "antique" back down and casually said,
"I'll think about it and check out some other stalls first."
Then he turned and walked away.
Poliwag glanced at the stunned vendor, stuck out its tongue in a playful taunt, and happily bounced after Kai.
"...Huh?"
The vendor stood there in shock.
The guy didn't even try to haggle. He just… left?
Maybe the 30,000 Pokédollars price tag had been a little too steep.
Next time, he'd start at 20,000.
---
As Kai walked through the market, he muttered in disappointment,
"We've checked out six stalls already, and not a single genuine item. This whole place is probably just a scammer's paradise."
He had really hoped to experience one of those "lucky jackpot" moments like in novels where the protagonist randomly picks up a priceless treasure.
Instead, all he had done was waste time… and touch an old fake chamber pot.
Feeling uncomfortable, he found a quiet corner, squatted down, and had Poliwag use Water Gun to wash his hands.
As he scrubbed thoroughly, he grumbled,
"This whole market is a scam. I bet not a single real antique exists here!"
Just as he said that the system's monotone voice echoed in his mind.
[Correction: There is one genuine item. 50 meters behind you, a shop is selling a damaged teapot.]
Kai froze mid-wash.
A damaged teapot?
He turned and saw, at the far end of the market, a somewhat hidden antique store.
What were the odds?
Kai recalled that in Paldea, there were two types of teapots used for evolving Sinistea into Polteageist:
"Cracked Pot" (Fake)
"Chipped Pot" (Authentic)
Both could be used for evolution, but the Chipped Pot was far rarer and more valuable so much so that collectors drove its price up significantly.
He quickly looked upmarket estimates on his phone.
Cracked Pot: 7,500 Pokédollars
Chipped Pot: 150,000 Pokédollars
A 20x price difference?!
Kai's heart pounded with excitement.
This was his chance!
He squatted down and whispered something into Poliwag's ear.
Poliwag's eyes gleamed as it nodded seriously.
"All right, I'll leave it to you," Kai said, barely able to contain his smile.
A few minutes later, Kai casually walked out of the antique shop while Poliwag balanced a small wooden box on its head.
Once they were a safe distance away, Kai eagerly opened it and saw the precious teapot inside.
A Chipped Pot is the real deal.
And the best part?
He had bought it for just 7,600 Pokédollars.
"That one purchase just made this whole trip worth it!" Kai grinned.
He glanced at the time and realized it was almost noon.
"All right, we should head to Kofu Lounge"
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