c16: Exchange "Meowth"?
"I have an Espurr here, and a Sneasel Pokémon egg—how about trading for a top-grade Grass Evolution Stone and a Miracle Seed?"
At this moment, a Trainer approached Chen Xiaoxiao's stall and made his offer.
Chen Xiaoxiao's heart stirred as she glanced at him. He appeared to be a middle-aged Trainer, roughly in his early thirties, with a copper-colored Elite Trainer Badge displayed on his left chest by far the most experienced and high-ranking customer they had encountered so far.
Leng Yue's eyes lit up upon hearing the name Sneasel (known in certain translations as "Nyura"), but she didn't speak just glanced subtly at Chen Xiaoxiao, clearly interested.
"The value of an Espurr and a Sneasel egg doesn't match a top-tier Grass Evolution Stone," Chen Xiaoxiao said coolly. "And you're asking for a Miracle Seed too?"
She knew Leng Yue wanted it, but the trade seemed unbalanced. Still, she kept her tone measured.
"Espurr eggs sell for 15 million on the open market," the man replied. "And this Sneasel egg came from a pair of Elite-level parents. I had to defeat both of them myself to get it. I'd say it's more than a fair exchange."
"Let me see them first," Chen Xiaoxiao said, keeping her expression neutral while her mind raced.
The man nodded and placed a Pokémon egg on the table. Then he released a small, feline-like Pokémon from a Poké Ball. It had gray fur, pink eyes, white-tipped ears, and tufts of fur sticking out from its head and neck unmistakably an Espurr.
Seeing the cute Psychic-type, Leng Yue's expression softened, her eyes shining.
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Espurr
Gender: ♂
Level: 15 (Common Advanced Tier)
Type: Psychic
Nature: Gentle (+Special Defense, -Attack)
Ability: Keen Eye (Prevents accuracy reduction from opponents)
Hidden Ability: Own Tempo (Prevents confusion)
Qualification: Elite
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Pokémon Egg (Sneasel)
Gender: ♀
Type: Dark/Ice
Nature: Adamant (+Attack, -Special Attack)
Ability: Inner Focus (Prevents flinching)
Hidden Ability: Pickpocket (Steals an item when hit by an attack)
Qualification: Elite
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Chen Xiaoxiao kept her face calm, but internally she was screaming: "Both have Elite qualifications?! Uncle, are you just handing out money?!"
"Are you a Grass-type specialist?" she asked abruptly.
Although she was tempted very tempted and more than willing to accept the deal, she still wanted to haggle. If the man truly needed Grass-type items for his team, he might settle for less. And besides, she hated to be taken advantage of, especially when she was the one holding valuable stock.
"Yes, I focus on Grass-types. Otherwise, I'd be raising them myself," the man replied, unsure why she'd asked.
Chen Xiaoxiao's gaze sharpened. "You say this is a Sneasel egg but the Pokémon League's Registry can only confirm around two hundred Pokémon eggs by pattern and aura signature. Sneasel eggs aren't among them. How do you prove it's really a Sneasel egg?"
The Trainer hesitated, but before he could reply, she continued.
"And you claim the parents were Elite-level. As a Grass-type specialist, how exactly did you manage to defeat two Elite-level Weavile which are Dark/Ice types and have the speed and type advantage against almost all Grass-types?"
She glanced again at his copper badge, expression skeptical.
Even though the badge indicated he was an Elite-level Trainer, her implication was clear: unless he had some unusually strong or off-type Pokémon in his roster, the odds of him taking down two Elite Weavile were slim.
Leng Yue blinked, impressed at how quickly Chen Xiaoxiao had dissected the situation. She looked again at the egg still tempted but stayed quiet, awaiting the man's reply.
"At that time, one of the Weavile had just laid the egg, which caused her strength to decline significantly, while the other was too distracted protecting her to fight properly. That's how I managed to succeed. They were both incredibly strong I can guarantee this is a genuine Sneasel egg."
The middle-aged Trainer hadn't expected Chen Xiaoxiao's question about his Grass-type specialization to be a deliberate tactic linking type disadvantage against Weavile to cast doubt on his claims. He had no choice but to explain the situation honestly.
At the same time, he knew well that the Sneasel egg was hard to authenticate. The Pokémon League's Identification Division had no definitive testing method to verify eggs of this species, which had kept him from selling it through normal means. Even commercial egg brokers wouldn't offer more than a few million, so he'd come to the Free Trade Plaza to try his luck with private Trainers.
"Alright," Chen Xiaoxiao said. "I'll offer you three Advanced Grass Evolution Stones and one Miracle Seed. Since there's no valid third-party certification that proves this is a Sneasel egg, I'm the one taking all the risk."
"No, that's far too low," the Trainer rejected flatly. "Espurr alone is worth the three Advanced Grass Stones. A Miracle Seed is basically equal to an Advanced Stone in value. And this Sneasel egg is worth much more especially since both parents were Elite-level. I can trade it for a top-grade Grass Stone."
Chen Xiaoxiao gave a calm look, but her mind stayed razor sharp.
"But you can't prove that, can you?" she countered. "Let's say I believe it really is a Sneasel egg. Let's even say I believe the male parent had Elite strength. But what about the one that supposedly just gave birth? Was her strength truly weakened by the process or was she never Elite-level in the first place? Your story is unverifiable. How about this: three Advanced Grass Stones, and two Miracle Seeds. That's my final offer. Ultimate-grade Grass Stones are out of the question. This is the best price you'll get from anyone today, and I'm confident no one else will offer more. You might want to think it over."
On the surface, Chen Xiaoxiao kept her tone neutral. But inside, she was shouting: "Hurry up and agree! Take the deal!"
"Alright!"
It was as though her mental plea had worked. The middle-aged Trainer, after battling with indecision, finally nodded and accepted the deal.
Once the agreement was reached, the exchange process went smoothly. The Pokémon egg and Espurr had already been placed on the table. Chen Xiaoxiao carefully picked up the Pokémon egg and handed it to Leng Yue, who had been starry-eyed and motionless ever since she first saw it. Meanwhile, she took Espurr into her arms and pulled out three Advanced Grass Stones and two Miracle Seeds, laying them out for the Trainer to inspect.
As she gently cradled Espurr, Chen Xiaoxiao comforted him in a low, soothing voice. She ran her fingers through his soft fur, letting a faint psychic wave pulse through her touch a subtle gift from her own psychic affinity. Then she produced a high-quality Energy Cube from the system inventory, one specifically formulated for Psychic-types, and offered it to Espurr as a peace offering.
The middle-aged Trainer carefully examined the Grass Stones and Miracle Seeds, confirming their authenticity with a scanning lens, then handed over Espurr's Poké Ball to finalize the transaction.
Chen Xiaoxiao activated the Poké Ball's self-destruct function rendering it inert and nullifying the bond between Espurr and the previous Trainer.
"Espurr, would you like to become my Pokémon?" she said softly, producing a Luxury Ball from her pocket. "I promise to take good care of you. There'll be plenty of delicious food, every day."
"Meow!"
The Espurr gave a happy chirp, then pressed the button on the Luxury Ball with one paw.
With a flash of light, the capture was successful. Espurr was now hers.
Well, it was the same method as always but in Chen Xiaoxiao's case, she had an edge. Thanks to her psychic constitution, she exuded a natural super-affinity that made Psychic-type Pokémon instinctively comfortable around her. Espurr had felt that warmth and responded to it.
"Pleasure doing business with you."
Standing up, Chen Xiaoxiao offered a firm handshake to the middle-aged Trainer. The deal was sealed, and Espurr had found a new home.
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