The next two days since Horthy received such a valuable information, he would just continue to mop floors and assist Joy with the poke Center. It was monotonous and maybe boring, but it would pay the bills and, maybe get him related to the Joy clan, one of the most influential and powerful families in the world.
The Joy clan has a long and important history. The women in this large family are traditionally destined to work in Pokémon care. Regions worldwide depend on their services, not only in nurseries, where they help healing Pokémon and saving their lives, but also in breed, raising and research. They often assist important researchers, such as the famous Professor Oak, providing essential support and care for Pokémon used in scientific studies.
During his brief time at the Pokémon Center, Horthy discovered that the government of each region provides financial support to its respective Joy clan. This subsidization allows Pokémon healthcare to be "free" for all trainers. Of course, this isn't truly free. The cost is covered through taxes paid by ordinary people and various expenses incurred by the trainers themselves.
For example, to be a trainer, a person must first pay for a license. And when that trainer finally gets their license, they would have to renew that license every 3 months, and if they don´t, they would have to pay a fine. Of course, just if they make it alive to the end of the month, that is.
What many people don't realize is the high mortality rate among Pokémon trainers in the wild. This is a closely guarded secret, particularly by the Kanto government and the Pokémon League. They keep this information hidden from the general public.
Because if young people knew that in reality, it wouldnt be all stars and rainbows of colors, with cute and powerful pokemon that follow their every command, they wouldn´t risk their lives, while paying taxes, food, new clothes every week, transport and things a pokemon would need besides food and medical care.
And even like that, for the few ones that actually could financially make it to be a trainer and risk their lives, they would be restricted almost always to be a mono-type kind of trainer. Why? One would ask. Easy answer, it is just cheaper, and there are types much less dangerous than others.
Bug catchers that raise and breed their bug pokemon since the very start and grow fast, water type trainers that know that their pokemon would burn or poison them to death, and grass types that could just leave their team on the sun to raise and grow stronger without a risk.
These were the cheaper and most safe type of pokemon, and having only one kind of pokemon, makes it easier for the team to be together and dont have risks.
Because let´s say for example, a trainer has a Caterpie and a Pidgey in the same team... the risk is pretty much obvious, the risk of one killing the other one for food is almost certain. So overall, those are the reasons most of the trainers go for the mono-type path.
All this information, given by Joy to Horthy and heard from the trainers that would stop by the Center, were such basic things for Horthy´s future plans, but very vital as well.
And speaking of information...
Horthy found himself wandering in the dark, towards the direction of the so called, Black Market that those two guys talked about. His heart bumped at such a rate, he felt as if it would jump out of his chest at any moment, but he ignored that, and decided to further take the risk. He might be arrested, be caught, maybe killed, but if he wanted to stop having a miserable life and change it, he would have to be brave.
With lantern in hand, he tries to make as less sound as posible, being careful to not step on any branch or falling.The absolute worst thing that could happen, aside from being caught by the authorities, was to stumble into the territory of a swarm of angry Beedrills. Those creatures were notoriously territorial, and an accidental disturbance could- no, it would certainly kill him.
After several minutes that felt like an eternity, he finally glimpsed a faint light in the distance. He couldn't help the wave of nervousness that washed over him, cold sweat prickling at his skin. He paused, forcing himself to take several deep, steadying breaths, trying to quell the rising tide of fear.
Eventually, he calmed down a little and shook his head, remembering his objective in the place. So bravely, he continued walking foward again, and movement could be perceived. To his ears reaches the sound of footsteps, movement under the lights where he walks to, and... flapping?
"What is-" He looked up and almost imperceptible in the darkness, he saw a massive figure and a pair of wings with a big flame at the end of its body heading to the place where he goes. Before he could overthink again if what he does is correct, he hurried up the pace to reach the place as soon as posible.
When he finally made it to what seemed like the entrance of the market, things of every kind can be seen... separated by alleys, several stalls are separated by what seem to be categories. Several items for pokemon available to buy, depending on their species and type. Some had cages with small pokemon inside.
"They really are that well organized..." Horthy whispered to himself.
He inspected the place well from his place, when he noticed how the people around him behaved, the only voices heard were from those speaking with the sellers on the stalls. Besides them, nobody talked between themselves, everyone avoided eye contact and was dressed with expensive clothes, what made Horthy gain suspicious looks on his direction, as his clothes were poor and old.
Horthy bit his lower lip and tried to ignore the gazes as he moved foward, looking around the stalls. Many had cages and weak, drugged or dead pokemon inside them, others had pokeballs on their counters.
"Hey there young trainer!" A fat man behind a stall called out for Horthy as he spotted him, who doubted and pointed at himself in hesitation. "Yes you, who else... come, come." Horthy turned fully to the man and walked to get closer and speak with the vendor. "Look to what I have hear, you might find it interesant."
The man proceeded to move aside and show him what seemed like... "Is that the energy source of a Starmie?" Horthy asked in disbelief, reasking himself his life coiches. "Indeed! Only for 60.000 Pokedollars, it got hunted at its peak strengh in a orange level danger area. It might be a good thing for your water or psychic type pokemon, dont you think so?" The stout man beamed, proud of his macabre merchandise.
Horthy shook his head slowly, attempting a neutral tone, though a tremor betrayed his financial anxiety. "That price… uh… that far exceeds what I can realistically afford." The chubby man hummed thoughtfully, then clapped his hands together, his gaze sweeping down Horthy's worn clothes before a soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Okay, I understand. What are you actually looking for then? Maybe I can still help you find what you need."
"Maybe… a cheap Pokemon? One that is alive…?" Horthy muttered more to himself than the vendor, but his voice carried clearly enough. The man scoffed, unimpressed. "Don't you know?" He leaned forward conspiratorially, pointing towards the right side of the main street. "In the alleys to the right, you'll find a red-haired man with a smart suit. He has… different options."
As the man finished his cryptic direction, the lively tone he'd initially displayed vanished, his attention snapping elsewhere. He began arranging items on his stall, pointedly ignoring Horthy as if he were invisible, utterly meaningless.
Horthy simply sighed and followed the man´s instructions, once again, trying to ignore suspicious gazes and acting as everyone else acts in such a dark place. He eventually reached the alley, and found it even more depressing than he expected. Indeed, there were several cages filled with pokemon for sale, many more than he had seen at the main entrance of the market.
He wandered for a while, carefully watching everything so as not to miss any potential opportunity, when he eventually saw a red-haired man with what was obviously the biggest stall in the alley.
"Hello..." Horthy greeted shy to the Ginger in front of him with a neutral gaze and crossed arms. "What do you need kid, make it quick." Horthy noded and looked at the cages behind the stall. 'A Sunflora? Unusual in Kanto... There is a Sandshrew covered in scars, and and Eevee!? Oh... but it has a white eye, half blind huh'
"I clearly said make it quick kid... what do you want." The man asked impatient and cutting Horthy´s thoughts, as his index finguer taped continuously on his crossed arm, a deep frown on his face. Horthy cleared his throat and points at the Eevee. "That one... how much for the Eevee."
The man raised an eyebrow and turns to the little fox-like pokemon, who turned to both men as it heard them talking about them. "This pokemon is way out of your league kid, you know what is the value of such a pokemon?" Horthy sighed and noded, he knew perfectly why an Eevee could be expensive. It is a very rare species, and its capacity to evolve in any type a trainer desires...
"73000"
"50000 no more no less."
"71500"
"... 52000"
"71000"
"55..." The man let out a wide smile as he sees and hears Horthy get weaker, so he gives his final offer. "67000"
Horthy tightened his teeth in rage, but didn´t let it cloud his judgment. "I am sorry nurse Joy..." From his pocket, he took out three ultra balls, which ones Horthy had stolen from the Poke center. He knew he would need money and tools to potencially but something in the market. And the money, most of it was stolen as well, but all of it from his time in the orphanage.
In the orphanage, he used to steal and later escape from it for moments and sell what he stole to absurdly high prices outside to desperate people. Of course he also used to do small works for them sometimes when he could, like mowing the grass or helping some granny with the shopping, but gave almost no money.
But most of the money was stolen, and most of that money Horthy once stole, was technically supposed to be given to the government and then directed to the orphanage's meager budget, but the caretakers shamelessly saved them on their own pockets instead, leaving the children wanting.
It was often because of this lack of money on their pockets that suddenly dissapeared, that all of the orphanage got several and terrible punishments, as getting hit, forced labours on the place or the worst one, not food for days.
And now here Horthy is, using all of the money he did along his whole life, haggling over the price of an Eevee. He never cared much about the other kids in the orphanage, their fates were their own, and he certainly didn't care if they were similar to him, cast aside and forgotten. He always operated alone, and only he cared about himself and his own survival. Not even his own blood relatives cared for him, or even bothered to acknowledge his existence.
His dad preffered to fight and die in a meaningless war, and his mother abandoned him when she was left alone. So, why should he extend any form of empathy to the other kids? At least that was Horthy´s logic, one he used as shield in a world that showed him no empathy.
"Those pokeballs... are expensive kid, where did you get them?" The ginger behind the stall asked, and making Horthy snap back to reality and momentarily forget about his past, focusing again on the task at hand. "Not that I care of course, the important is that these rare pokeballs, might actually be worth the money you are missing to afford Eevee."
"The man grined and without hesitation, put the pokeballs inside his pocket." Horthy sighed deeply and from his own pocket, hands him all of the pokedollars. When the man finished counting the bills, he laughed heartedly and saved the money behind the stall. "Good deal sir" Both men shook their hands sealing the deal, and shortly after, the red haired man turned around, grabed Eevee´s pokeball, opened its cage and inmediatly called it back.
"This is all yours now" He gave Horthy the pokeball and looked at his eyes with a mocking expression on his face. Horthy simply grabed the ball and turned to leave, ignoring everything else, and wanting to head to the exit of the Black Market already.
'Was it worth it?' He asked himself as he looked down at Eevee´s pokeball in his hand, but in the end, it didn´t matter. The bills come and go, he now had a pokemon he had to take care of...
He could now finally leave this horrible place and hopefully, never come back. He got after all, a rare pokemon and he could start something big from scratch, making him smile a little. But...
Tap tap
When it seemed that he was about to simply leave the place, someone taps his shoulder, and Horthy by instinct turns around. "Good night intruder" The last thing he could see is a beast of a man with black clothes and a small red R on the left breast, about to punch him on the jaw.
Then, everything turned black...