As an official Gym, Trainers who came to challenge it could only do so for free the first time.
If they challenged it again afterward, they had to pay a fee of three hundred Poké Dollars each time.
This not only encouraged Trainers who failed their challenge to work harder and improve their strength, while also controlling the number of challengers who came, but it also gave the Gym Trainer some extra income.
After all that each city could only have one official Gym.
The main source of income for an official Gym came from the city’s annual taxes, with five percent of the yearly tax revenue allocated as the Gym’s income.
Otherwise, why would Gym Trainers waste their precious time on these rookie Trainers?
The level of development of the city determined the Gym’s income, and the Gym also had to play a role in driving the city’s development.
The two sides complemented each other.
During this period, because of Jasper’s Crystal Onix, the number of Trainers coming to Pewter City had increased greatly.
Challengers came one after another every day, and these Trainers also fully promoted Pewter City’s development.
Although most of them came simply to see this precious Crystal Onix, quite a few also wanted to prove their own strength.
For those rookie Trainers, Jasper no longer chose to attack as ruthlessly as he had at the beginning.
After all, most of them had just set out on their journeys and were filled with hope for the future.
If he beat them too badly and left a shadow in their hearts, that would not be good.
This was also not the duty of a qualified Gym Trainer.
As for those Trainers who had some strength, even if they lost, Jasper would still give them a Badge as encouragement.
The one who left the deepest impression on Jasper was a Trainer from Celadon City named Komori.
It was said that he had once reached the top four of the Indigo Conference and was a powerful Trainer.
He was also the only person Jasper had lost to during this period.
Both were final evolutions, and their typings gave them a four-times advantage against the Crystal Onix.
Their strength was excellent, and the way they used various Grass-type status moves was even more perfect.
On top of that, Jasper had not expected the opponent to make use of Vileplume’s Chlorophyll ability.
It had taken a direct hit from the Crystal Onix and used Sunny Day.
Immediately afterward, under the harsh sunlight, Vileplume’s speed rose to an extremely terrifying level.
Although Jasper had been very careful, in the end, the Crystal Onix still failed to dodge and fell into a poisoned state.
Its stamina drained heavily, and it finally collapsed beneath Venusaur’s Solar Beam.
This battle also made Jasper put his plan to capture a second Pokémon on the agenda.
Where there was light in this world, there was also darkness.
Every region had different dark forces, and these dark forces could usually satisfy desires that could not be fulfilled beneath the sunlight.
After hanging a sign at the Gym entrance that read, “The Gym Leader is away on business. The Gym will be closed for one day,” Jasper specially disguised himself.
Then he went to the underground black market located beneath a manor outside Pewter City.
There might be Pokémon from other regions being sold in these black markets.
Jasper had originally planned to take a look after some time.
Who knew?
Maybe there would be a Pokémon he liked. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
“Sir, this is a private manor. We do not receive guests. May I ask what business you have here?” A giant man dressed in black and wearing sunglasses stood at the entrance of the manor and spoke stiffly to Jasper.
If someone did not understand the way in, they would probably be scared away eight times out of ten, Jasper silently complained in his heart.
“Darkness that walks beneath the light. I’m here to buy a few things,” Jasper said in a low voice, pressing down the brim of his hat.
The first sentence was equivalent to the password for entering this place, while the second sentence stated his purpose.
Jasper had already asked around through other channels before coming here.
“So you are a guest. We need to verify whether you have the capital to purchase goods,” the giant man in black said, his tone easing slightly.
“All right, no problem.”
In the underground black market, Jasper handed over the bank card printed with the Poké Ball pattern.
This underground black market in Pewter City clearly was not very high-grade.
As long as one’s net worth exceeded two million, they could enter and purchase goods.
After all, Pewter City’s economic development could not compare to big cities like Celadon City and Saffron City.
The scale and level of this underground black market also could not compare to those large cities’ underground black markets.
Moreover, from what he understood, the underground black market in Saffron City even held a Pokémon auction every year.
At that time, all kinds of rare Pokémon would appear at the auction, and there would even be pseudo-legendary Pokémon from various regions being auctioned.
However, the corresponding requirements were extremely high, far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
No wonder people said that ninety-nine percent of this world’s resources were controlled by one percent of the people, while the remaining one percent of resources was fought over by the other ninety-nine percent.
The real world was not as beautiful as the anime portrayed.
Taking the elevator down to the underground black market trading center, Jasper looked around.
There were not many people coming and going, and the entire trading center seemed somewhat deserted.