Master Craftsman of the Elven World

Chapter 278 The Black Market Where Survival Without Fighting
Lightmoss embarked on her journey to Black City.

Seven said he wanted to come to Almia to have some fun and see the Ranger Headquarters, and then he rode on the Mk Eagle and disappeared into the horizon. It seemed that his mission here was not over yet.

However, the power of the citrine is something that the moss is very concerned about.

[Craft item (?): Citrine pendant - fragments of the blond prince's tears.]

[Description: This crystal is crafted from a fragment of the legendary citrine known as the Prince's Tears. When the King of Almia banished the prince, the blond-haired prince traveled to the desert kingdom, established his own city, transformed the desert into an oasis, and encountered the legendary Pokémon of Dreams and the legendary giants. This crystal strengthens the mind; it is a mythical mineral formed from the prince's soul and will!]

[Effects: Increases mental purification intensity by 50%, perseverance by 50%, and friendship by 50%! It can enhance superpowers/spiritual abilities related to the mind. Those who possess citrine possess unwavering perseverance and are not easily defeated!]

[You have acquired the Citrine, increasing your Spirit Limit! The power of your mental abilities has been enhanced.]

[Note (voice from the citrine): You once had the friendship of giants. Are you one of the chosen ones? Will you be able to meet the King of Giants?]

Is the crystal speaking?
The three crystals possess the prince's will. The blue crystal had previously seen the prince's phantom, but it had never spoken to him. Unexpectedly, the yellow crystal started asking strange questions right away.

Could it be because the blond prince encountered the giants, thus creating a connection between himself and the giants? Or is it because he reacted to the Key of the Giants?
Giants also exist in the Almia region, so why are these legendary giants everywhere, like the Ultraman Tiga statue?

【mission completed. 】

[Rewards: Released Orb x5, Unknown Ability Boost x?, Unified Link x1.]

[Ability Boost: Priority Action +1! This boosts the mental and physical abilities of you and your Pokémon. During battle, intense mental clashes can suppress and exhaust your opponent's mental state, while increasing your mental activity grants you and your Pokémon priority in action!]

The increased capabilities granted are the right to act!
It seems to be manifested as a kind of spiritual power, suppressing the opponent's spiritual power to make them feel tired, while enhancing our own spiritual activity, thus maintaining the initiative. So how should we talk about the moves?

If they keep improving it, could they give every Pokémon a priority move?

My turn, my turn, still my turn!
And UnionConnect is
[United Connectivity: Your "Sensing" and "Connectivity" are increased by 100% in special locations.]

Hmm. There's a subtle reward in this. Lightmoss thought to herself.

However, this power soon proved useful.

Black City.

When we arrived here, it was already evening.

The blood-red sun sank toward the horizon, while the city to the west resembled a pitch-black curtain. Lightmoy suddenly understood why it was necessary to pass through Black City to reach White Forest; the city was simply too enormous.

Just like in the game, endless black skyscrapers block out the sky and stretch out in all directions. The dark city is filled with strange fog, giving everyone who comes here a strong sense of oppression.

A towering building suddenly appeared in the center of the skyscrapers, clearly visible even from the outside. Its top pierced the sky, as if connecting with the universe!

Tall, extremely tall! That's definitely not a normal high-rise building. That very conspicuous and huge building is the "Black Skyscraper"!

On either side of the city are towering mountains, which are part of the massive Reverse Mountain.

"Actually, you could also cross over the lower mountains on the right. Crossing mountains is normal in the Pokémon world, but unfortunately if I had a large Flying-type Pokémon, I could just fly over it from high above."

While Aegislash can fly, it cannot reach very high altitudes and has some limitations in flight, as it is not a dedicated flying Pokémon.

Lightmoss did not intend to stay in this city for long.

"A towering black skyscraper stretches beyond the horizon."

null--

Suddenly, Guangtai heard a strange whisper, and bizarre hallucinations flashed in his eyes. The deep, dark universe appeared in Guangtai's eyes, and a fiercely burning black energy resonated with him.

That energy is at the top of that towering black skyscraper!

"What just happened?!"

Lightmoss quickly inquired about the Tree of Connection in her mind. Although the old tree was destroyed, Lightmoss felt that it seemed to be related to the previous reward, "United Link".

In addition, Black City and White Forest are already incredible locations in the game, so...
[The United Link (Black Skyscraper) has occurred!]

[Description: A black skyscraper whose origins are unknown, its top seemingly reaching into space. This is no ordinary building; it possesses extraordinary technological power!]

[Note 1: You sensed the call of energy within the black skyscraper. The United Connection granted by the Tree of Connection amplifies the sensed power in special locations. If you connect with this mysterious energy, something incredible might happen!]

[Note 2: Your Star Pulse may be boosted! Your Pokémon's battle abilities and defense may be boosted!]

[Note 3: A strange power flickers at the top of the black skyscraper; your Miracle Diamond seems to be reacting again.]

Guangtai's expression turned serious.

The world of others, or the inner world, is a black-and-white world that reflects people's inner ideals and desires.

"Is it possible that Aldak is connected to this place? Could he be in the Black Market under some strange identity?"

Those who enter the Otherworld will change their identities and become lost within it; without the help of the Tree of Connection, they will only perceive it as a wondrous dream.

The moss asked carefully, but even the tree that entered could not answer.

In the black city.

A large number of experts were attracted here from all over Unova and even overseas. The vortex of endless desire caused a certain energy to surge here, which Lightmoth, a superpowered person, sensed as soon as he entered!
In this city where everything can be measured in money and value, people wear undisguised desires and smiles on their faces. Some people breathe in the misty atmosphere, while wealthy businessmen, gentlemen, and business people negotiate on the streets, creating an exceptionally modern atmosphere.

Guangtai sensed a variety of emotions. People who came here for money and fame had strong desires, and here, Guangtai encountered some unpleasant things.

"Oh, traveler, you seem to be carrying a very rare Pokémon."

"How about transferring it to me? I'll offer you a price that satisfies you."

A wealthy man became interested after seeing Rotom floating in mid-air and the giant Aegislash, and stopped Lightmoss in his tracks and tried to persuade her, but he was naturally defeated by Lightmoss's Mind Smash.

"I'm sorry, I have no intention of transferring my Pokémon. It's nice to use money to buy things you like, but money can't buy everything."

The wealthy businessman sat by the roadside, his eyes dull and his mind blank, while other rich people who were about to approach him stopped in their tracks.

Rich young masters, young ladies, noblewomen, gentlemen
"He's a superhuman."

"This is troublesome. Looks like he doesn't want to make a trade." "Forget it, let's not provoke him."

These wealthy people shook their heads, muttering comments about Guangtai's behavior, but they didn't come any closer.

Not far ahead, a black vehicle stopped in front of a huge domed building with orange-yellow lights. Several Pokémon, which are rare in Unova, were then unloaded from the vehicle, while the people of Black City watched the scene with indifference.

Pokémon Trading. Lightmoss stopped in its tracks, exchanged a glance with its companion Aegislash, and walked towards the building.

That should be the largest shopping mall in the Black City of the game.

Indeed, some people in the game have considered selling Pokémon, and in fact, this has always been a thing in the Pokémon world.

Not to mention the Magikarp uncle, who is a comedic character, and Team Rocket, who are positioned as villains, Pokémon hunters and mercenaries are also frequently appearing antagonists in the anime.

The despicable behavior of the hunters goes without saying. Pokémon hunters, represented by Bishas and Hunter J, can be said to represent the worst faction in the Pokémon worldview. Compared to them, Team Rocket are considered good guys.

Most of the employers were wealthy people like Gilluta, the collector in "The Birth of Lugia," or nobles and bosses from small countries.

"Huh? What are you doing coming over here? Want to buy a Pokémon?"

"Oh, are you a trainer? This is a brand new catch, very rare in Unova! But it definitely won't be cheap, because they're so rare!"

The hunters watched Lightmoss approach with some wariness, while the two Pokémon beside Lightmoss attracted their attention.

This is a very rare and unusual Pokémon. I wonder how much it's worth!
That was the first thought that popped into the hunters' minds, but the next moment, a violent mental shock directly overwhelmed their consciousness.

When they regained consciousness, a strong sense of guilt overwhelmed them!
What are we doing?

"Selling Pokémon? That's a huge mistake!"

The other hunters also vaguely came to their senses. They stared at each other blankly, and then suddenly hugged each other and burst into tears!
The power to shatter hearts seems to have increased; is it the effect of the citrine?
Guangtai seemed to be deep in thought, while the hunters, whose hearts had been purified, shouted about atonement and then unlocked all the iron cages. They then gathered together as if they were collecting money.

"We even sold some Pokémon to the black market in Black Market before. Looking back now, it's really damn bad! The Pokémon we captured and controlled must have been in so much pain. We couldn't even understand their feelings and only thought about making money!"

"That's right, money is important, but we can't make dirty money because of it. We should use this dirty money to atone for our sins and buy back all the Pokémon we sold!"

The hunters changed their ways, took the money and went straight into the shop, then brought out a lot of Pokémon, leaving even the shop owner and the wealthy people inside stunned.

This... wasn't this what you sold to us? Why did you buy it back?
Forget it, as long as I have money, there's no need to worry about anything else.

A hunter said, "We will never do these things again. That means we will become people who protect the environment and protect Pokémon."

The agent exclaimed, "What? Are you kidding me? Aren't you making any money?! Rich people really love rare Pokémon!"

A hunter said, "That's right, we want to make money, but not this kind of money! That's it, we're quitting."

The agent exclaimed, "You guys! You're all insane!"

The hunters' sudden change of heart angered the black market brokers, as well as the new batch of Pokémon they had promised to sell. The hunters also refused to deliver the Pokémon, which infuriated the brokers.

“What about the demands and deposits of those wealthy people? This isn’t something you can just return! This concerns my reputation. This is an underground transaction, and there are consequences for failure and refusal.”

"Want to take back these Pokémon? Hmph, then let's see how strong we are!"

The middleman waved his hand, and a large group of trainers immediately surrounded them. Many people in the mall watched the dispute unfold with great interest, but the reformed hunters were no match for these people.

"Heroga, use Crunch!"

A Pokémon resembling a hellhound beside a trainer pounced on the hunters and attacked them. At that moment, Lightmoss walked in, and a huge Aegislash appeared in front of Houndoom, followed by a fierce swing of its massive blade!
Houndoom let out a mournful cry and was sent flying at incredible speed, crashing into the wall behind it and losing its ability to fight!
The Holy Sword is extremely effective against Dark-type Pokémon, while Rotom chuckled and used electricity to make the iron cages float up.

Hmm, is this what Xiaoju meant by "making a scene"?

Guangtai scanned the situation in the mall.

In the Black Market, Pokémon battles can happen anytime, anywhere, and sometimes even Pokémon attacks can occur on trainers.
It seems to be the same in games—"Although it's sudden, please fight me!"
"If we win, we can take those Pokémon with us, right?"

"Although it was very sudden—"

Lightmoss clapped her hands: "Then, let's fight!"

The trainers looked around and then threw out Poké Balls one after another. One Pokémon after another appeared in the mall, indicating that a large-scale battle was about to take place.

Trainers in black coats stepped forward, attempting to stop Lightmoss. Their gazes were grave, and one of them said:
"You give off a very dangerous vibe."

"Or, let's decide through a battle. If you can defeat everyone here, your wish will be granted, how about that?"

Experienced trainers, elite trainers, backpackers, waiters, maids, rich young masters, miniskirts, researchers, and some superpowered individuals!
"We have no grudge against you, and we have no intention of accepting any rewards! But the superpowers you possess make us tremble. Our instincts tell us to fight you here!"

"As long as we can defeat you, we will definitely reach a higher level in the black skyscraper! Until we reach the universe!"

These superpowered individuals sensed it; the Poké Balls around them were floating, radiating a strong energy field.

"The art style of Black City is indeed different from other cities; the sense of dissonance is too severe, it's almost like we're in another world."

What kind of place is it where you can't survive without fighting?

"There are many powerful trainers in this mall! If you don't have the strength, don't even think about getting an advantage here!"

"These are all experts who have passed through Zone 4 of the Black Skyscraper!"

A veteran trainer whispered, glancing at the intermediary but shaking his head dismissively, while saying to Guangtai:
"Here, the strong rule. If you can defeat us, then it's not impossible for you to take these Pokémon with you."

"Show your strength in this black market where strength reigns supreme!"

"Let's go! Nut dumbbells!"

Outside the battlefield.

A man wearing a hat and a black trench coat watched the scene with great interest.

"Hmph, what an outstanding young talent."

(End of this chapter)