Before he knew it, fifteen years had passed since he arrived in this mysterious world. As he pushed his bike through the bustling center of Viridian City, Hisoka felt a pang of loneliness. He still felt like an outsider.
In his previous life, he had been a top graduate in mathematics and economics. After graduation, he had rejected high-paying corporate offers to start his own business. He spent over twenty years in the cutthroat world of commerce, experiencing failure, success, and excess before finally selling all his shares to become a globetrotting adventurer.
A plane crash had ended that life. When he next opened his eyes, he was an infant, abandoned at the gates of an orphanage.
This world, which had once seemed like a mere animation, was now his reality. Fortunately, human culture and technology were highly advanced here, and social welfare was comprehensive.
Orphans in the care system began six years of basic education at age three, followed by four years of vocational training. They could choose a specialty that would allow them to support themselves after leaving the orphanage at thirteen.
The mathematics and technology of this world were largely similar to Earth's, though the development paths differed. In some areas, the science here was far more advanced than anything he had known.
Hisoka had specialized in medicinal identification and berry cultivation. While modern medicine here could easily cure cancer, ancient medicine remained relevant. Many rare ailments could only be treated with traditional formulas, making the herbal market extremely lucrative.
Viridian City, situated next to the infinite herbal reservoir of the Viridian Forest, was the heart of the Kanto region's medicinal trade.
*Chunxia Hall!*
Hisoka parked his bike outside and stepped into the century-old pharmacy. This bounty had been posted by the pharmacy through the Pokémon Center, open to any trainer confident in their skills. The pay was generous.
"Tsk, tsk. Prime Arbok skin. Shed no more than three days ago. Exquisite, truly exquisite!" A spherical, middle-aged man used silver scissors to snip a tiny piece of the skin, placing it in his mouth to chew. He looked mesmerized. "The taste is bitter, but there's a hint of sweetness in the throat. This Arbok was definitely in its prime and in perfect health."
"Boss Fu, skip the fluff," Hisoka said, sitting on a swivel chair and tapping the counter. "I'll sell you the whole skin, but on one condition: you pay me right now."
"Hehe..." The fat man, Fu Jin, rubbed his hands together with a sly grin. "Now, now, we've worked together so many times. Don't you trust my integrity? The market price for wild Arbok skin is 200 Poké Dollars per gram.
Skin shed within five days is top tier. I'll give you a twenty-five percent premium. The whole piece is 1,200 grams, plus the 50,000 bounty I promised. That's 350,000 Poké Dollars total."
Despite his merchant's greed and love for haggling, Hisoka knew Fu Jin was a man of his word. The old shop's reputation was spotless.
Hisoka pulled out a green card with a red-and-white Poké Ball design and tossed it over. It was a standard credit card from the Pokémon League Commercial Bank the most basic type, with a savings limit of one million and no overdraft feature.
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