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The Floating Market on Route 108 wasn't exactly hidden. It was located inside a massive abandoned oil tanker drifting along the waterway—yes, the very same derelict ship players could enter in the games.
With the seasoned treasure diver Haike leading the way, Sato finally arrived at the derelict vessel around six in the evening.
By that time, quite a crowd had already gathered on the ship. Many of them were fellow undersea treasure hunters like Haike. The only difference was that, unlike Haike's empty hands, most of them had managed to bring up plenty of "good stuff."
Indeed, treasure hunters like Haike formed the backbone of this floating market. The items they salvaged from the seafloor were usually traded here, while buyers like Sato came in search of opportunities.
In short, the place was essentially a crude antique trading market. Its only unique point was that this was a first-hand market for underwater relics.
Because of that, rare and precious antiques often surfaced here. Anyone with keen enough eyes could strike it rich.
Of course, like most antique markets, this place was also flooded with forgeries so convincing they could pass as genuine. Without enough discernment, buyers were little more than easy prey.
Still, the world was never short of people who thought too highly of themselves.
Even though the market overflowed with fakes, the lure of overnight wealth kept drawing in crowds. Most who came were overly confident in their own judgment.
Sato, however, hadn't come here to bargain-hunt. His true goal was to find members of Team Aqua. He needed a suitable guide and a plausible identity to infiltrate their base hidden along Route 108.
By now, dusk had fallen. Neither Haike nor the other divers who had come with them had any interest in diving again. Much like the wild Pokémon habitats on land, the ocean depths grew far more dangerous at night. Diving then was nearly suicide.
So, most of the people from Haike's speedboat, like Sato, had entered the increasingly lively Floating Market instead.
Blending into the crowd, Sato slipped away in the blink of an eye. Haike and his companions soon lost sight of him. Alone, he began combing the market for signs of Team Aqua operatives—while also glancing over the "relics" on display.
"Come take a look! Fresh from the seafloor, ancient porcelain! Just look at the glaze and patterns—absolutely authentic, no question about it! Only 199,998 PokéDollars apiece!"
"Ancient coins for sale! A massive collection spanning multiple dynasties! Each one a masterpiece among masterpieces! Just 9,999 PokéDollars each!"
"Old Pete's Antique Stand—ten years in business, reputation guaranteed! I swear on my name, every item here is genuine! If you find a fake, I'll pay you back tenfold!"
Like a normal bustling bazaar, stall owners each had their own tricks to hawk wares. Some even sent their Pokémon to help pull in customers.
Sato, clad in high-quality trainer gear, naturally drew attention. Many sharp-eyed stallkeepers dispatched their Pokémon to approach him.
As he walked, he was "warmly greeted" by the likes of Poliwhirl, Seel, and Tentacool. If not for the Kecleon perched on his shoulder—capable of firing off Thunderbolt—he might really have been dragged to some stalls by these overeager Pokémon.
With his system's detection ability, finding valuable items here should have been easy. But when he activated it, Sato quickly discovered just how deep the waters of forgery ran.
Of all the antiques he examined, over 95% were fakes. Some even looked as if they'd been freshly dredged from the sea, yet they too were sophisticated counterfeits.
As for the remaining 5% genuine items, they weren't especially precious—nothing that would fetch any real fortune.
"So this is supposed to be a first-hand market? The flood of counterfeits here is worse than in second- or third-hand ones."
"I bet some of these people really did bury things on the seafloor for years just to pass them off as salvaged. Incredible craftsmanship. Without my system's appraisal, I'd be nothing but a walking wallet here."
"Still, isn't Team Aqua supposed to be running this place? I haven't seen a single member yet. Could it be this market is left to manage itself?"
Shaking off the pushy sales pitch of a sultry stallwoman and her Primarina, who were trying to sell him a badly corroded bronze sword, Sato glanced at the oddly dressed crowd, inwardly exasperated.
He had already circled the market two or three times, keeping his psychic senses spread wide to observe everything carefully. Yet there wasn't a single trace of Team Aqua members.
Still, he wasn't worried. He realized he might simply be early. In the time he'd spent browsing, more and more people had flooded onto the derelict tanker.
The stalls and crowd kept multiplying. If no one from Team Aqua showed up soon to maintain order, chaos was inevitable. After all, this wasn't any regulated market.
Most who came weren't ordinary people. Over 90% were powerful trainers. Even the few "civilians" present had no shortage of skilled trainer bodyguards at their sides.
Here, strength was currency—and often the most decisive form of it.
Sure enough, without anyone keeping order, tensions escalated. Hot-tempered individuals began making trouble.
One burly thug, eyeing an antique he couldn't afford, decided to strong-arm the stallholder. Tossing down only 100 PokéDollars, he tried to walk off with the item.
But stall owners who dared set up shop in a lawless place like this weren't easy prey. Snarling, the vendor released a level 36 Octillery and ordered it to attack.
The thug only grinned viciously. With a command, his level 39 Kingler charged head-on to meet the challenge.
In an instant, a wild Pokémon battle broke out in the middle of the Floating Market—no rules, no safety net.
But before the clash could truly unfold, two thick bolts of lightning suddenly split the air, striking both the Octillery and the Kingler in succession.
The two Water-types convulsed violently under the surging electricity, collapsing unconscious on the spot.
Moments later, a massive tentacle shot up from the sea, coiling tightly around the thug. Under his terrified screams, it bound him fast, then yanked him straight into the ocean's depths.