"Zii! Zii!!"
The tightly bound Zubat struggled in pain as Bellsprout's Vine Whip held it firmly in place.
Its energy was steadily draining, yet it continued to thrash desperately.
"Don't waste time. Pidgey, try attacking the bound Zubat with Quick Attack."
Since Zubat was already restrained, Icarus decided it could serve as practice for Pidgey.
"Pidgey!"
Hovering in midair, Pidgey had been waiting since Bellsprout secured the target. The fatigue from using Quick Attack earlier had already faded.
"Whoosh!"
Drawing on instinct and the lingering sensation from before, Pidgey flashed through the air.
"Bang!"
Zubat was struck hard and crashed to the ground, completely losing its ability to fight.
"Good. With a little more training, Quick Attack can become a regular move."
Icarus nodded in satisfaction.
Quick Attack was essentially a sudden burst of speed during a charge—Normal-type energy mobilized for impact. Since Pidgey had already learned it, it only needed familiarity and refinement.
"Alright. Let's capture the Zubat first. Flying-types are accepted regardless of aptitude."
"Bellsprout, Sleep Powder."
"Shasha!"
A cloud of powder settled over the unconscious Zubat.
Soon, it fell into a deeper sleep.
A blank Poké Ball struck its head, red light flashing as it was pulled inside.
"Click—"
The ball shook briefly—
—and split open.
The sleeping Zubat fell back onto the grass.
"…Seriously?"
Icarus couldn't help complaining about the efficiency of ordinary Poké Balls. Even injured and asleep, this common Pokémon still broke free.
He tossed another one.
"Click!"
This time, the locking sound came quickly.
"Spri~"
Bellsprout gently picked up the Poké Ball with its vines and handed it over.
"Nice eyesight, Bellsprout."
Icarus praised it and stored the ball in his backpack, planning to sell it along with the Rattata from earlier.
He wasn't going to the Pokémon House. They bought in small quantities at a 20% discount. The black market paid slightly more—usually an extra 1,000 to 2,000 Pokédollars. Not enough for Pokémon supplies, but useful for daily expenses.
"It's almost eight. The city gates close at nine. Let's head back. If we find something on the way, we hunt. If not, we go home."
He glanced at his watch and made the decision.
As for the guard who once said he'd secretly open the gate if it was late—
Icarus didn't believe they'd risk punishment for him.
---
On the way back, they encountered three Oddish.
With Bellsprout assisting and Pidgey leading the attack, the trio quickly turned them into additional spoils.
The only setback was that Bellsprout was injured.
Oddish often learned Acid at this stage, and three streams of Acid had sprayed simultaneously. Bellsprout, lacking Flying-type mobility, couldn't avoid all of it.
Fortunately, its Poison-type resistance was strong. The damage was minor.
After applying wound medicine, only faint marks remained on its brown stem.
By 8:40 PM, they returned safely to town.
"The black market should still be open. I'll sell these two first, then go home and sleep."
Icarus skillfully located the entrance, paid the fee, and entered.
Unlike before, he now walked confidently.
Most Pokémon sold here were untamed. Buyers had to spend time building trust. Once registered in a Poké Ball, Pokémon naturally developed a baseline of trust—but true loyalty required time.
He had heard of a special Poké Ball that greatly increased friendliness upon capture, but it was expensive—only worth it for rare Pokémon.
At a stall, he noticed a Leaf Stone larger than the one in the grocery store, priced at 6,000 Pokédollars.
For a moment, he was tempted.
"Spri spri."
Bellsprout tugged at him, signaling that the energy inside felt weaker than the previous one.
That snapped him out of it.
In the black market, item quality wasn't guaranteed. If you misjudged and lacked strength to demand fairness, you simply took the loss.
He decided he would continue buying evolution items from the grocery store instead. At least their reputation was reliable, and prices were fair.
---
Eventually, Icarus entered a larger shop specializing in Pokémon sales.
No greetings. No smiling attendants.
Just a male clerk who pointed toward the appraisal window.
"…They could learn something from the Pokémon House."
Icarus sighed inwardly.
Still, higher purchase prices meant customers who cared more about money than service.
When his turn came, the evaluation process was transparent.
"The Zubat is ordinary low-tier. The Rattata is ordinary mid-tier," the appraiser said flatly. "We offer 11,000 for Zubat and 17,000 for Rattata. Acceptable?"
Icarus calculated quickly.
Zubat earned 1,000 extra for being Flying-type. Rattata was common, so only 500 more than standard.
He nodded.
Setting up his own stall might earn more—but after a full day of hunting, he didn't want the trouble.
"Ding."
His phone notified him: 30,000 Pokédollars transferred to his bank card.
An additional 3,000 Pokédollars was given in cash for small expenses.
He then sold the Oddish and Weedle materials from tonight's hunt, earning another 5,600 in cash.
After calculating—
He now had 130,000 Pokédollars in his card
and roughly 10,000 in cash.
For the first time—
He truly felt like he was making progress.
(End of Chapter 66)
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