Currently, the hottest post on the forum was titled "U20 Tournament! Links to All Provincial Events!" Although the Pokémon Forum had only around 400,000 registered trainers, these users were from all over the country. The scarcity of trainers seemed to make the community very active on the forum.
This particular post had consolidated information on the U20 tournament from all over the country, with direct links to each province's dedicated U20 discussion thread. Since there hadn't been any major Pokémon events lately, the U20 Youth Trainer Tournament, held in various regions across the nation, had become the most highly anticipated event in recent memory.
As Lu Cheng had learned, the U20 tournament wasn't just taking place in Jiangcheng but had regional events all over the country.
Of course, the tournament primarily focused on coastal cities for its pilot runs, and only after those events concluded would it expand nationwide. As a result, provinces like Yunnan and Guizhou didn't have corresponding U20 tournament links.
Lu Cheng clicked on the thread for the U20 tournament discussion in Zhejiang Province. The top-ranked discussion was about Wang Yingjie and his Wartortle.
MuddyMuddy (OP): Who exactly is this Wang Yingjie? I keep seeing news about him on TV.
BaldHeadWithLootingPrevention: I'm curious too. We're not even at the top 128 yet, and these newcomers are getting this much attention?
IAmTheFuturePokémonMaster: I've watched his battle footage, and for his age, he's already quite impressive! OP, don't start drama.
WannaRaiseAGarchomp: Share the group link, let's all get rich together.
MuddyMuddy (OP): @WannaRaiseAGarchomp, this kid can already make appearances at Pokémon exhibition events. I saw his rate—it's 50,000 yuan per show!
GardevoirBar: That's crazy! I was thinking of hiring him for a promo, but 50,000? That's enough to hire an elite trainer!
FlyingStudio (Berry Seller): Come on, hiring a three-badge trainer costs just 30,000. You tell me if it's worth it.
GardevoirBar: Tsk tsk tsk, all this hype will fade soon enough. If he doesn't win the championship, he'll be forgotten in no time.
LeftFireArcanineRightPidgeot: Betting odds are still high though. Wang Yingjie's odds to win are around 1:17, and with so many seeded players yet to debut, who knows what the bookmakers are thinking.
YellowBeltFromOneHeartGym: I'm betting on our gym leader's son to win. That Machop is the real deal—his match was insane!
ExplosionIsArt: @YellowBeltFromOneHeartGym, is that the same gym that got its doors kicked in by someone recently?
"..."
Come on, don't kick a guy when he's down! No need to expose them like that!
Even though Wang Yingjie was definitely a strong rival, Lu Cheng couldn't help but laugh while reading through the thread.
It was still the elimination stage yet this forum section was already buzzing with activity. When the Top 100 matches began, the traffic and attention here would undoubtedly skyrocket. By then, there would surely be plenty of "intel posts," "tactical analysis posts," and all sorts of clickbait threads. In a way, it could be a good source for tracking the latest updates on other competitors. Who knows, maybe one day Lu Cheng himself would appear in one of those threads. Thinking about this, he grinned and bookmarked the forum section.
It wasn't time for dinner yet. Vulpix was dozing off on the carpet, while Treecko, wearing its Competitive Vest, was fully immersed in a manga. The story featured a cheeky boy wearing a straw hat who aimed to become the Pirate King. Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to design the Pirate Empress as a Primarina? Come out here and take a beating! Lu Cheng continued scrolling through the forum with great interest.
This time, he focused on the trading section. As amusing as the off-topic posts were, he couldn't neglect his duties as a trainer. His main goal was to browse for some items that might benefit his Vulpix and Treecko.
Flying Studio (Berry Seller): Buying large quantities of berries—Pecha Berries, Oran Berries, and other basic berries. The more, the better. Fair prices!
Brick-Moving Apprentice Here: Selling a barely-used Raiden Tech Training Belt, suitable for small Fighting-type Pokémon like Machop, Timburr, or Pancham. Student price: 100,000 yuan. Negotiable for in-person transactions.
Moomoo Farm Little Wild One: Help us! Our Moomoo Milk isn't selling!
After browsing for a while, Lu Cheng didn't find any particularly useful items. When it came to TM (Technical Machine) trading posts, most of them were item-for-item exchanges. For trainers, TMs were incredibly valuable, and even if they couldn't use a TM themselves, they could always trade it for something else.
After scrolling for a bit longer, a post titled "Buying Poké Balls!" caught Lu Cheng's attention. Including his commemorative ball, Lu Cheng had five Poké Balls. He wondered if selling two of them could help refill his wallet a bit.
"System, can I sell Poké Balls?" Since the system had mentioned that some items couldn't be transferred or sold, Lu Cheng decided to ask.
Ding—All Poké Balls, except for the Master Ball, can be transferred or sold
Lu Cheng clicked on the post, which was made by a user named Old Liang's General Store:
Old Liang's General Store (OP): Buying Poké Balls—7,000 per regular Poké Ball, 30,000 per Great Ball. For Ultra Balls and other specialty balls, DM me for pricing. Also buying commemorative balls—any amount!
Boss Cat's Studio: Dude, Poké Balls sell for 8,000 everywhere else. Why are you only offering 7,000? Are you flipping them?
Old Liang's General Store (OP): @Boss Cat's Studio (LOL), don't mess with me, fellow tradesman. My account has diamond status, and I've been in this forum forever. Check my history. 7,000 instant transfer, no delayed payments. How's that for honesty?
Moomoo Farm Little Wild One: I can vouch for him. I'm one of his regulars. Sold him some Sweet Honey last time, and the prices were fair.
Uchiha Magnemite: How much for commemorative balls?
Lu Cheng was also curious about the price of commemorative balls. At 7,000 yuan per regular Poké Ball, he figured it wouldn't be worth selling them, since he would just need to buy more later. However, the commemorative ball that had been sitting in his system space for a while seemed like it might be worth selling if the price was right.
Scrolling down, he saw Old Liang's General Store post a price chart, listing various editions of commemorative balls and their corresponding prices.
Old Liang's General Store: After the Pokémon Ball Factory started using commemorative balls as a promotional strategy, five different editions of commemorative balls have been released. The price of each edition varies, with prices increasing based on the release order. You can check the list to compare.
According to the chart, the most recent edition of commemorative balls, which only featured a slight color variation from the standard red and white ball, had a buyback price of 20,000 yuan. Meanwhile, the oldest edition, with a gold-trimmed white border design, was valued at a whopping 100,000 yuan—ten times the price of a regular red-and-white Poké Ball!
---
If there are any mistakes let me know!
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Could it be… worthless? Lu Cheng worried, feeling a pang of anxiety. The list didn't mention any commemorative balls with this kind of design. The thought that the 100,000 yuan he had hoped for might slip away made his heart ache.
Just then, he noticed that Old Liang's General Store had posted another message, which read:
"Anyone looking to sell Poké Balls, feel free to add me on QQ: XXXXXX."
To be cautious, Lu Cheng decided to add him on QQ and ask about his commemorative ball.
---
Old Liang was a second-hand dealer, also known as a "scalper." His early experience as a trainer had helped him build a vast network of connections, and even after he had to retire due to an injury, he continued thriving by reselling Pokémon items. On Pokémon Market, his three diamond-rated high-reputation accounts were proof of his substantial daily transactions. However, times were getting tougher for independent sellers, and trainers were more inclined to buy from big companies. This forced Old Liang to actively seek out sellers, though wealthier clients were often stingy, preventing him from offering higher prices. Reluctantly, he had to lower his buying prices.
Recently, the trend among wealthy circles was to compare their Pokémon balls. The top of the list was the luxurious ball from the Red Flag Pokémon Ball Factory, with its black-and-gold design seemingly tailor-made for the rich. One of these balls sold for as much as 100,000 yuan. Next on the list were various editions of commemorative balls. In recent years, these commemorative balls had been discontinued, and although there were occasional re-releases, older editions were becoming increasingly rare. Old Liang had caught onto this trend and began to profit from it. Besides commemorative balls, handcrafted Pokémon balls were also in high demand, though these only circulated among a small group of wealthy individuals, beyond Old Liang's usual business.
The past few days, Old Liang's QQ had been buzzing with messages, most of which were either advertisements or pranks, leaving him frustrated. Still, he couldn't afford to slack off, so he diligently went through each message.
"Do you buy luxury balls?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"Well, it's stuck to the billboard. Teach me how to pry it off, and I'll sell it to you!"
Old Liang was so angry his face darkened, and he immediately blocked the person.
"Do you buy commemorative balls?"
"Can't you read the chart yourself?!"
Lu Cheng was taken aback by the seller's outburst. Why is this guy so hot-tempered? Still, after some hesitation, Lu Cheng snapped a photo of his commemorative ball and sent it to Old Liang.
"I'm not a scammer; it's just that I can't find this type of commemorative ball on your chart."
Seeing that Lu Cheng had actually sent a picture, Old Liang let out a sigh of relief. Finally, a real transaction.
"Sorry about that, brother. I just dealt with a scammer, so I'm a bit on edge. Let me take a look."
Old Liang assumed that the seller must have overlooked something, since there were only a few types of commemorative balls. But when he looked at the picture, he was stunned.
"Whoa!" Old Liang almost shouted.
"Brother, where did you get this commemorative ball?"
"Just tell me if you're buying it or not. If not, I'll sell it elsewhere,"
Lu Cheng typed, annoyed at Old Liang's prying.
"Yes, yes, I'll buy!"
Old Liang quickly realized his behavior had been out of line and explained,
"Brother, this isn't just any commemorative ball."
"?"
"The rarest commemorative ball we usually recognize is the Red Flag Pokémon Ball Factory's 60th-anniversary gold-trimmed ball. The key feature is the golden pattern around the button. This type of commemorative ball is valued at about the same price as a luxury ball—around 100,000 yuan."
"But aside from those five well-known commemorative balls, Red Flag Pokémon Ball Factory actually released a first edition during its initial public bidding. This ball was exclusively given to VIP guests who participated in the bidding. Only one batch was ever produced, and its defining mark is the small golden stamp on the lower left corner of the ball."
"Can you send me a clearer photo?"
Staring at the commemorative ball in his hand, Lu Cheng was suddenly at a loss for words.
"(Picture) How much can I sell a commemorative ball like this for?"
"200,000!"
Old Liang gulped nervously.
Seeing that there was no response from the other end for a while, Old Liang quickly typed,
"Brother, that's already the fairest price. Let me be honest with you, this thing could easily sell for over 200,000, but the problem is finding a buyer!"
"If you sell it to those big companies, they'll definitely lowball you, and you might not even get 150,000 for it!"
Lu Cheng took a deep breath. The current situation was that this commemorative ball could fetch him 200,000 if sold. The system remained silent. It seemed that the commemorative ball, based on its original design, was indeed the rarest one. Human thinking truly worked differently.
Lu Cheng suddenly asked, "System, what's your opinion?"
Ding—Commemorative balls and other common items can be transferred or sold. The host may handle it as you wish!
Hearing the system's confirmation, Lu Cheng smiled and began negotiating with Old Liang.
"250,000, or I'll sell it to someone else!"
Old Liang was practically jumping with anxiety. His earlier offer of 200,000 had obviously been a lowball attempt. But if he really bought it for 250,000, his profit margin would be minimal.
"Brother, we're both in business. This commemorative ball is right up my alley. Give me a break—how about 220,000?"
Old Liang replied with a pained expression.
"250,000, no bargaining!"
Lu Cheng stood firm.
Old Liang gritted his teeth, his eyes red with frustration. Fine! He'd list it at a higher price in the market; someone would eventually buy it. Besides, someone who could get their hands on such a rare ball probably came from a well-off background—it might be worth it to make a friend.
"Alright, 250,000 it is!"
Old Liang finally agreed.
"Are we meeting in person?"
"No, just give me your address. Let's go through the official Pokémon Market transaction channel."
Lu Cheng didn't want to reveal his identity, so he opted for the safer route.
"Alright, I'll send you the deposit first. What's your bank account number?"
Old Liang acted swiftly. Once they agreed on 250,000, he didn't feel much regret. He immediately transferred 100,000 yuan as a deposit to Lu Cheng and added,
"Brother, if you get your hands on any more rare items, make sure to let me know! Prices are negotiable!"
"If you're free, check out my shop too. My three-diamond rating is no joke!"
Lu Cheng responded with an "OK" emoji, staring at his bank account, which now showed a 100,000 yuan balance. He was a bit dazed. In just one afternoon, the 100,000 yuan he had spent earlier was now back in his account!
---
If there are any mistakes let me know!
Read up to 30+ Chapters! [patreon.com/WiseTL]