After defeating his opponent, Sieg didn't leave. Instead, he wandered around the battle arena at the Pokémon Center.
"Corphish, becoming stronger isn't just based on your own experience; you also need to learn from others. Watching more battles will benefit you."
Sieg instructed Corphish.
"Cor Cor!!"
Corphish nodded seriously, whether it truly understood or not was another matter.
Meanwhile, in the Pokémon Center lobby, Nurse Joy was watching the surveillance footage from Sieg's recent battle.
"He actually won with just two moves, is that Adaptability as its ability?" she speculated.
It wasn't hard to guess, just based on appearance.
Corphish has two other possible abilities: Hyper Cutter and Shell Armor. Pokémon with these abilities usually have distinguishable traits.
For example, stronger pincers or a tougher, glossier shell.
Sieg's Corphish lacked these features, so it could only be the hidden ability, Adaptability.
(Hyper Cutter: Proud of its powerful pincers, its attack stat can't be lowered.)
(Shell Armor: Protected by a hard shell, critical hits are prevented.)
(Adaptability: Moves that match the Pokémon's type become more powerful.)
Around noon, Sieg had lunch at the Pokémon Center. No exaggeration, it was the kind of place he could live in forever.
Free food, drinks, and lodging. There was nothing to worry about.
"Let's check how to earn some League points."
Sieg walked to a self-service terminal and inserted his trainer ID card. After browsing through the information, he discovered that the only way to earn League points was by completing missions issued by the League.
Mission ID: 56557586565
Task: Collect toxins, poison sacs, venom threads, and poison stingers from various Poison-type Pokémon.
Reward: 10,000–200,000 Pokédollars (price determined by professionals, negotiable, long-term acquisition).
Mission ID: 85835883669
Task: Seeking a high-quality Taillow with at least one inherited move.
Reward: 150,000–200,000 Pokédollars, price negotiable.
Mission ID: 55033669523
Task: Guard an orchard on the outskirts from wild Pokémon attacks. Applicants must have at least one bird-type Pokémon at level 30 or higher.
Reward: 30,000 Pokédollars or equal value in berries.
Sieg browsed through them. The missions were divided into two types. The above could be accepted by anyone, with rewards in Pokédollars.
Judging by how they were listed, these were likely posted by private individuals, with the League merely acting as a platform.
After all, League regulations state that all Pokémon-related transactions must be monitored and approved by the League.
The other type of mission was exclusive to League affiliates, offering League points as rewards. These were most likely issued by the League directly.
Mission ID: 36738626856
Task: Assist the police in clearing Wurmple swarms near the edge of Petalburg Forest. Must visit the station for an interview after accepting.
Reward: 10–200 League points. (Ongoing)
Mission ID: 18286868655
Task: Long-term acquisition of high-quality Evolution Stones and premium Pokémon items (evaluated by professionals).
Reward: Based on quality, paid in League points. (Ongoing)
Mission ID: 35738583387
Task: Long-term acquisition of detailed Petalburg Forest terrain maps (verified by system).
Reward: Based on information value, paid in League points. (Ongoing)
Sieg thought it over for a while. Missions involving League points usually require a lot of time and effort.
He ultimately chose the map-making task and also accepted a couple of Pokédollar missions.
"Might as well train in Petalburg Forest and complete some tasks while I'm at it," Sieg thought to himself.
He also wanted to see how Corphish performed on land, compared to battling in water. Wild battles were always more intuitive and intense than indoor ones.
He accepted three missions in total. Aside from the League point mapping mission, he also picked up the toxin-gathering and Taillow search missions.
Three was the maximum number of missions he could accept at once.
You might ask: Why not memorize the requirements first, gather the items, and then accept the missions later?
That would certainly be more convenient.
But other trainers aren't fools either. For long-term acquisition missions, it might work. But with something like the Taillow task, if you hesitate even a bit, someone else might take it first.
By the time you react, the mission's already gone.
"I need to buy some wilderness survival gear first."
After accepting the missions, Sieg didn't head out immediately. Surviving in the wild was no joke, he had to be thoroughly prepared.
"Good thing I still have that batch of Pokéblocks I haven't sold yet," Sieg muttered as he opened his Pokédex, searching for shops that might buy Pokéblocks.
He soon found a frustrating truth: most of these stores already had long-term contracts with breeders. Unless the blocks had very unique effects, they weren't interested.
"Your Pokéblocks are of decent quality, but the effects are too singular. They only restore stamina and boost growth speed."
"Our shop already works with a breeder long-term, so we're not considering other sources right now."
Sieg walked out of the shop, a little frustrated. He'd already heard similar rejections several times. His mood was sour. "Am I really going to have to sell them on the black market?"
Sieg hadn't expected that on his very first day on land, he'd already have to deal with the black market, a place where order barely existed and danger was very real.
"Seems like producing only one type of Pokéblock in bulk wasn't a great idea." Sieg finally decided to go to the black market. He couldn't just let that whole batch sit and go to waste.
There were several ways to find the black market, even though it was hidden.
Besides finding locals to introduce you, the simplest way was to approach some street thugs, those types were usually very well-informed.
"I'll give you 200 Pokédollars, take me to the black market."
Sieg found a homeless man lying in a dark alley and made the offer.
The man gladly agreed, but secretly thought, "This guy's all wrapped up, but his voice sounds pretty young. Maybe I can mug him later?"
Sieg saw the gleam in the man's eye and his shifty expression. Without hesitation, he released his Pokémon.
"Cor Cor!!"
Corphish brandished its claws, letting out a sharp whistle.
People who operate in the grey zones of society only respect strength. If you didn't show some power, they'd never take you seriously.
Having learned from Metako for some time, Sieg understood this well. Naturally, he had to show his muscles.
Seeing this, the homeless man realized Sieg wasn't someone easy to mess with. He behaved obediently and led the way without trouble.
When Sieg finally sold his batch of Pokéblocks on the black market, they were surprisingly popular. The price was even 10–20% higher than in the official stores.
As he was about to leave, the shopkeeper warmly said, "If you've got more Pokéblocks, please come to us first. We guarantee the best price."
Sieg nodded silently and didn't linger in the black market.
"Now I've got over a million Pokédollars, it's time to consider buying a spatial backpack."
Although he'd spent a lot of the 1 million Pokédollars Metako gave him on making Pokéblocks, Sieg still had plenty of savings.
He then entered a shopping mall and began a spree.
Luxury Poké Balls? Got them!
Spatial backpack? Got it!
Multi-functional folding bike? Got it!
High-end wilderness tent? Got it!
"As expected from Devon Corp. I just spent nearly 1 million League Coins and only got the lowest-tier membership card."
Sieg walked out of the commercial building, rubbing the sleek card in his hand and sighed.
But now he wasn't hurting for cash anymore. Since he could consistently produce Pokéblocks, he might as well provide the best environment for his Pokémon.