Slateport City is a large city in the southern part of the Hoenn Region.
The city was originally established because of its clean water sources and abundant food supplies.
As a result, its local market developed rapidly, making it an excellent place for shopping.
Later, the city grew into a major port, with ships coming and going on a regular basis.
Wally needed to travel to Verdanturf Town, where the Breeder headquarters was located, and he would have to rely on one of the ships departing from here.
By now, Wally and Beautifly had entered Slateport City.
Nearly a week of traveling had left Wally looking rather travel-worn, but he had no energy to worry about his appearance.
Getting a ticket and reaching Verdanturf Town as soon as possible was what mattered.
If he missed this Breeder examination, Wally could not afford the devastating consequence of having to wait another year.
“I’d like one ticket to Verdanturf Town.”
After arriving at the ticket counter in the shipyard and waiting for what seemed like an eternity, Wally’s turn finally came.
“A ticket to Verdanturf Town, correct?
Please wait a moment.
Also, do you have a membership card or Trainer credentials?
If so, you can receive a ten percent discount.”
The ticket clerk operated the computer before looking up at Wally.
“No…” Wally shook his head.
“In that case, please present some form of identification.”
Wally handed over his identification.
The clerk glanced over it, quickly typed a string of information into the computer, and then returned the document to him.
“Please verify the information.
Name: Wally.
Age: ten.
Place of birth: Cerulean City, Kanto Region.
Current guardian: Agatha.
Is all of this correct?”
The clerk’s information was accurate.
After confirming it, Wally paid the 2,000-Poké Dollars fare, and couldn’t help feeling a pang of regret.
This was nearly all the money he had brought with him.
After spending it all on the ticket, he no longer had anything of significant value on him.
“All right, your registration is complete.
Thank you for your patronage, and please be sure not to miss the departure time.”
After receiving his ticket, Wally checked the information.
The ship was the Po Lang, and its departure was scheduled for seven o’clock the next morning.
It seemed he would have to spend one night here.
As he wandered somewhat aimlessly through the streets, Wally suddenly remembered that he still had a few homemade items in his backpack.
He wondered if he might be able to sell some of them.
“I remember Slateport City has an open-air market.”
After thinking for a moment, Wally remembered the place—the Slateport Market, an open-air marketplace where all kinds of goods were sold.
He hurried over, only to realize that he didn’t have a stall.
With a helpless shake of his head, Wally began wandering around instead.
Since he was already there, he might as well have a look.
Besides, he had no money anyway, so there was no chance he’d be tempted to buy anything.
The Slateport Market sold an enormous variety of goods.
A stuffed doll priced at 3,000 Poké Dollars made Wally click his tongue in surprise.
It cost considerably more than his ship ticket, and he couldn’t imagine what anyone would want it for.
There were also various rare Berries, priced anywhere from several dozen to several hundred Poké Dollars.
Then there were potions made by Breeders, most of which sold for close to ten thousand Poké Dollars.
Wally couldn’t help marveling at the money-making ability of Breeders.
One potion capable of increasing a Pokémon’s Attack had even been marked up to 9,800 Poké Dollars per bottle.
After seeing that the other potions were similarly priced, Wally shook his head.
These things probably required at least an intermediate-level Breeder to formulate.
Judging by the appearance of the shopkeeper, however, they were probably just reselling the products, which explained the inflated prices.
“There’s even something like this?”
Wally stared at a small, stove-shaped object in surprise.
It was the first time he’d seen one in person.
Until now, he’d only encountered pictures and descriptions of it in books.
Sea Incense: An Incense with an incredible fragrance.
When held, it increases the power of Water-type moves.
Although it was a consumable item, it was still extremely tempting to Trainers.
Sea Incense was made from special flowers and leaves.
The production process itself wasn’t particularly difficult; the real value lay in the rarity of its ingredients.
Wally glanced at the price.
It was also around ten thousand Poké Dollars.
A single Poké Ball cost only two hundred Poké Dollars.
Clearly, these items weren’t meant for ordinary Trainers.
Wally didn’t linger and continued exploring the market.
The Slateport Market wasn’t particularly large, and Wally examined things quickly.
Before long, he’d nearly finished browsing the entire place.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed an unusual stall.
The stall’s owner was a girl wearing a hat.
Judging from her appearance, she didn’t seem very old.
What caught Wally’s attention was what she was selling.
He walked over and discovered that the stall was covered with various homemade potions.
The potions were scattered haphazardly across the ground, without any descriptions or labels.
Very few people stopped to look.
“May I open one and take a look?”
Wally asked the girl.
“Of course.”
The girl’s voice was very young, confirming Wally’s guess that she was probably around his age.
His request wasn’t unusual.
When it came to potions intended for use on Pokémon, buyers had every right to inspect them before purchasing.
After receiving permission, Wally picked up a small bottle and pulled out the stopper.
He brought it toward his nose, then gently wafted the scent toward himself with his other hand.
Several names immediately surfaced in his mind.
Without saying anything, Wally continued examining the other small bottles.
Besides similar potions, there were also several powdered substances, all of which aroused his curiosity.
After thoroughly examining them, Wally suddenly realized that his behavior might have been somewhat rude.
However, the potion he was holding at that moment made him frown.
If his judgment was correct, there was a minor flaw with it.
“Sorry for taking so long.”
After apologizing, Wally asked, “May I ask if these potions have been certified?”
“What do you mean?”
The girl, her face partly hidden beneath her hat, looked confused.
“The effects of the other potions should be fine, but this powder has a minor flaw.
If I’m not mistaken, it’s made by grinding Gloom’s saliva together with Lum Berry, Seopu Leaves, and Lanyin Grass.
It’s a potion that can treat burns on Grass-type Pokémon more quickly than Burn Heal and Burn Heal.”
Wally understood the medicinal properties of the powder, and there was nothing wrong with the combination of ingredients.
The problem lay with the Gloom’s saliva.
“The Gloom saliva you used came from a female Gloom.
But the proper formulation requires saliva from a male Gloom.
The side effects aren’t particularly serious, but in a critical situation, they could potentially cause an unexpected problem.”
Wally could identify the effects of most of the potions at the girl’s stall, although there were a few whose underlying principles he couldn’t figure out.
This particular powder, however, had made him hesitate.
He had a miscellaneous book to thank for that.
He had once read about Gloom in it and learned that the saliva of male and female Gloom could have subtle differences in their effects.
“If you don’t believe me, I suggest having it tested.”
Leaving those words behind, Wally walked away.
By the time the girl reacted, he had already disappeared into the crowd.