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The public market in Team Rocket's underground base in Pewter City wasn't far from the mission hall.
After walking for a short while, Sato arrived at his destination. It was around 10 a.m., the busiest time of the day for the market.
However, the sender of the message was rather peculiar. They hadn't specified a meeting spot in the public market, leaving Sato completely in the dark about what to do next.
Still, Sato wasn't too worried. He knew that if the other party hadn't provided a meeting location, they would likely come to find him instead.
All he had to do was wait patiently in the market for a while.
The only concern he had was whether the other party would make him wait too long—or worse, stand him up entirely.
"Hmph, what an attitude. Just one message, and I have to come all the way here to meet them, only to be left hanging. Who exactly is this Ryoichi Sakata to Caesar? He sure has some nerve," Sato thought, somewhat dissatisfied.
He had already spent about ten minutes wandering around the market, but no one had approached him.
The public market was bustling with people, with at least a hundred stalls set up.
Various Pokémon-related items were displayed in abundance, and the sounds of vendors shouting prices and haggling customers filled the air.
Stepping into the market, Sato immediately felt as though he had entered Saffron City's underground black market. Of course, Pewter City's Team Rocket market couldn't compare to Saffron's in scale or notoriety.
For example, the items being sold here seemed rather ordinary to Sato. Having attended an auction in Saffron's black market and spent a fortune there, he found most of the goods here unremarkable.
However, even in a small market, valuable items could still be found. Using his system's identification function, Sato managed to spot a few valuable items among the stalls.
As one of the most infamous dark organizations in Kanto, Team Rocket was not as ruthless as some other groups, but acts of theft and even murder were still common within its ranks.
Because of this, most of the items circulating in Team Rocket's public market were stolen goods.
Yet, among them, there were always a few hidden gems.
At this moment, Sato had discovered something noteworthy at a small stall—a withered purple vine, about two meters long, speckled with tiny black spots.
It looked hideous.
Despite its ugly appearance, Sato was excited. According to his system's identification function, this purple vine was none other than the Black-Spotted Venomvine, one of the key ingredients used to prepare food specifically for Nidoking.
According to a tattered book on Poison-type Pokémon breeding, the Black-Spotted Venomvine only grew in areas inhabited by the Nido family, usually within their burial grounds.
Like many Poison-type Pokémon graveyards, the burial sites of the Nido family were deadly toxic wastelands where no other plants could survive.
Indeed, the vine thrived by absorbing the toxins from the deceased Nido Pokémon and the abundant Poison-type energy in the area.
As a result, the vine contained a highly concentrated version of the toxins found in the Nido family's bodies.
Over time, these toxins became even purer and more potent, while also accumulating an exceptionally high concentration of Poison-type energy.
Because of this, the Nido family held the Black-Spotted Venomvine in high regard. It was one of their favorite foods, known to enhance their growth and significantly strengthen their internal toxins when consumed regularly.
However, due to its rarity, only high-status members of the Nido family could eat it regularly.
The burial grounds of the Nido family were heavily guarded, and since the vine was highly valued by them, most trainers had no idea of its worth and wouldn't bother trying to obtain it.
As a result, this rare plant was seldom found on the market.
From the Poison-type breeding book, Sato had learned that this venomous plant, infused with Nido family toxins, was also a key ingredient in many specialized Poison-type Pokémon foods. It had a wide range of applications.
In short, the vine was extremely valuable and considered a monopoly ingredient. Its market price was around 1.2 million PokeDollars per meter.
The vine in this stall was nearly 2.5 meters long, meaning it was worth at least 4 million PokeDollars.
Unfortunately, the stall owner knew its true value. The seller had clearly marked its price as 5,000 Team Rocket points.
Sato still wasn't entirely sure how valuable Team Rocket's internal points were, as their exchange rate with PokeDollars varied widely—sometimes differing by a factor of 100 or even 200.
In general, Team Rocket members privately traded points at a rate of 1 point for 1,000 PokeDollars. By that calculation, 5,000 points were equivalent to 5 million PokeDollars.
Before leaving Pewter City, Sato had about 600 points left. After receiving 3,000 points as compensation from the brute he defeated earlier, he now had a relatively decent amount.
With a net worth of several hundred million PokeDollars, the value of these Team Rocket points was insignificant to him.
However, at this moment, he lacked the necessary points to purchase this rare Poison-type Pokémon food ingredient.
The stall owner—a woman wearing a Ninetales mask—was adamant about only accepting points. Even when Sato offered 6 million PokeDollars to buy the vine, she refused outright.
Sato understood her reasoning. Within Team Rocket, points were the true currency. Their value far exceeded that of PokeDollars.
If not for the fact that many rare items required a specific rank to redeem, Team Rocket points would be even more valuable. In the eyes of most Team Rocket members, they were worth more than gold.
As a result, few members were willing to exchange their points for PokeDollars. However, the opposite was always welcomed—acquiring more points was highly desirable.
"Get lost! I already said no. If you don't have 5,000 points, I'm not interested in trading—no matter what you offer," the masked woman snapped, shaking her head when she saw the low-grade Dusk Stone Sato tried to use to cover the remaining cost.
"Fine, if you won't trade, then don't," Sato stated.
Since he couldn't convince her, he had no choice but to find a way to earn the remaining 1,400 points.
After glancing at the stall owner again, an idea suddenly came to him.
Sato walked into a public restroom within the market. When he emerged, he had changed his appearance and was now wearing a pale mask.
Soon, he returned to the stall owner's side. Under her suspicious gaze, he pulled out a simple wooden chair and sat down in an open space nearby.
Next, he took out a clean cloth and spread it on the ground.
Sato had made up his mind—this time, he was going to become a vendor himself.