As they arrived at the lucky kid's machine, the air was thick with the heady scent of sweat and the low murmur of chatter. Bodies pressed in, a swarm of humanity drawn to the flashing lights and ringing bells of the slot machine's siren song.
The young man at the center of attention stood, unremarkable in appearance, with an expression like weathered wood as he gazed unseeing at the machine before him. Both of his hands were locked on the handle, only occasionally moving to feed the ravenous slot with coin after coin.
"Tsk, tsk," someone muttered, their eyes flicking to the numbers spinning in the machine's window. "His luck's better than a rabbit's foot. Just look at all those wins."
Another voice chimed in, "See? This is how you do it. Keep plugging in coins, no big score but a steady stream of little wins."
A man nearby cursed under his breath, "Hell, that's more than I make in a year. Luck's a cruel mistress, favoring the foolish and the few."
A hushed suspicion rippled through the crowd, "Think he's cheating? Those black-suited hooligans were just here. And yet, this guy's haul's bigger than theirs."
"Ha! Don't be ridiculous," came the scoffing retort. "Look over there. Folks have won even more than him."
The conversation swirled around them, a symphony of speculation and envy as people jostled for a better view. Wataru leaned in for a closer inspection of the young man's hands. They rested open, no sign of any sleight of hand or mechanical mischief.
"Got a tech to take a look?" Wataru asked, puzzled. "Can't see anything wrong with the machine. Hands are exposed, no way to hide anything."
"They came, they looked. The machine's fine. They tested it this morning." Sato replied softly.
Yet, despite his initial good fortune, the young man's luck seemed to wane as more people joined the fray. The stream of coins became a flood, an unrelenting tide of chance, and still, the jackpot eluded him.
"Son, it's time to cut your losses," a good-natured, round-bellied man said. "Your luck's run dry. Time to cash out and move on."
The young man remained deaf to the world around him, lost in the rhythm of coins clinking into the hungry slot machine. One hundred, two hundred, three hundred - the game continued in a feverish haze, as the onlookers watched with bated breath.
"Looks like his luck's run out," someone sneered, relishing the turn of fortune.
"Tsk, shush. Let's see how far he'll go," came the hushed reply. Though the sentiment was shared by all, no one dared speak it aloud.
Behind the throng, Wataru and Sato breathed a silent sigh of relief. If the young man failed to break through the ten thousand coin mark, then the matter could be laid to rest.
As the coins kept pouring in, the jackpot remained elusive, taunting the young man with each passing moment. Five hundred, six hundred, seven hundred - it was as if the machine had drained every last drop of luck from him. Finally, he gave up, defeated.
In the game corner, the staff swapped his remaining coins for a game card, the only tangible thing to show for his efforts.
As he left, envious gazes followed him like a cloak, the game card clutched tightly in his hand. He headed straight for the exchange office, driven by the hope of turning his virtual winnings into a tangible prize.
And in the wake of his departure, the console he'd abandoned suddenly became the center of attention. Among the veteran players, whispers circulated that there was more to his success than mere luck. Perhaps, they speculated, the console itself was glitched or malfunctioning in some way.
Some whispered that the young man's success was due to some cunning method, a hidden strategy that others had yet to discover. And so, they scrambled to imitate him, heedless of the risks.
But for every glimmer of hope, there was an equal measure of danger. Some, in their haste to mimic the young man's playstyle, risked losing everything they had earned. It was a precarious game, a dance with fate.
Meanwhile, the 'slow-witted' young man sat before the computer, struggling to navigate the virtual marketplace. He was no computer whiz, that much was clear.
After five minutes of fumbling, he finally managed to add his chosen items to the cart. With a swipe of his card, he paid in game coins, translating his digital riches into something more tangible.
He exchanged most of his winnings for TMs, carefully selecting each one with a sense of wonder and awe. But even as he reveled in his newfound wealth, he couldn't ignore the stares of two young men, Wataru and Sato, who watched him with thinly-veiled resentment.
As he waited for his items to arrive, the tension in the air grew palpable. And when a middle-aged man finally emerged from behind the counter, carrying a box, Wataru pushed it towards the young man with a sour look.
"Here's your items, along with an anonymous bank card. There's three hundred and seventy-five thousand on it. Check it if you want," he grumbled.
But even as he spoke, the envy and jealousy in his heart could not be concealed. After all, the young man had earned more in a single day than they could in years.
The young man, Cain, nodded silently as he picked up the box, ignoring the hostile stares that followed him out of the game corner. A group of tattooed men eyed him with ill intent, whispering among themselves as he made his escape.
As he stepped out into the late afternoon sun, a smile played at the corners of his lips. This slow-witted young man was no fool. In his previous life, he'd navigated the game corners with ease, mastering the art of gaming the system.
Using the A.I. system to subtly manipulate the internal programming of the game console was child's play to him. But he knew that he couldn't win too fast, lest he attract unwanted attention. There had to be a balance between wins and losses, with the total amount of coins earned surpassing those lost.
And so, he'd bided his time, steadily accumulating his digital fortune. He knew that as long as he didn't exceed a million Pokédollars in winnings, he could avoid the scrutiny of the game corner's higher-ups. After all, this was a gambling den, a place where fortunes ebbed and flowed like the tides.
The higher-ups had their own bottom line to consider, and a few days of lower earnings were just a minor blip on their radar. As for the employees, well, they'd just have to take a hit to their bonuses.
Cain knew that he had to be careful, especially when he was nearing the million-Pokédollar threshold. To avoid attracting unwanted attention, he'd purposefully lost a few rounds, consoling the employees and leaving with a handful of TMs.
In a place like this, earning a bit of extra cash was nothing out of the ordinary. But if he treated it like an ATM and showed up every day, he'd be asking for trouble. No matter how cleverly he disguised himself, his height and build would give him away in the end.
And so, Cain was treating the game corner as nothing more than a source of supplementary income, with plans to only return after a long time.
But as he made his way out, he couldn't help but shake his head at the envious gazes that followed him. He knew that his newfound wealth would draw attention, and that some would be tempted to take risks to claim it for themselves. But he hadn't expected them to be so brazen, so quick to act.
Even before he'd left the game corner, a group of hooligans had their eyes on him, tracking him with all the subtlety of a herd of elephants.
Changed the names as requested for your immersion. =3
However, they were not ordinary hooligans, but rather members of a small gang with a fierce reputation. This gang spent every day in the city's game corner, preying upon those who looked weak but were lucky enough to have sizable winnings. Today, Cain's image met all of their requirements: he had won a large sum of money, and he looked vulnerable enough to be an easy target.
The gang followed him from a distance, not willing to attack him immediately, but waiting for their other members. Even though Cain looked like an easy mark, they knew that they had to follow their boss's orders and attack with all their strength, no matter what kind of prey he was.
Despite their bravado, the gang was not particularly strong. They had already sent someone to inform the others, so they didn't have to wait too long.
When the boss finally arrived with the rest of the gang, they made their move. One million Pokédollars was a huge sum of money for a small gang like theirs, and they were willing to do whatever it took to get it.
Cain, for his part, seemed to play right into their hands. He walked directly to a place where there were fewer people, and led them all into a small alley in the old city. His behavior only encouraged their arrogance, and they followed him closely, afraid that their prey would slip away.
Cain threw out a Great Ball, and with a flourish, called forth his Murkrow. This was the kind of situation he relished: a thrilling battle, with danger lurking just around the corner. But Cain still took precautionary measures. He was wearing a brand new human skin mask, so he didn't have to worry about being recognized.
In this area, there were very few people - only Cain and the people who were following him. As the number of people dwindled, the tension between them grew. Some of the more irritable members of the gang could no longer restrain themselves, and began to chase after Cain, their speed increasing as they closed in.
Despite the fact that they could see Murkrow perched on Cain's shoulder, it didn't intimidate them. In fact, it only fueled their ferocity. But what they didn't know was that Cain had been controlling his footsteps all along, keeping them close, but not too close.
Cain's smile widened, and even Murkrow couldn't contain its excitement. They had left the trial island behind, and Cain hadn't experienced a decent battle since. Moreover, Murkrow's suppressed desire to fight could finally be completely released today.
The sky slowly darkened, and the light in the small alley began to blur. The few sparse figures that were originally there had all disappeared. It was the perfect time for the leader of the gang to make his move. He waved his hand, and signaled for everyone to go.
As soon as he did, the impatient ones started running towards Cain. But he was ready for them. He grabbed the Great Ball with Slowpoke inside, and suddenly darted into another alley, leaving them in his wake.
"Chase! Hurry up and follow him!" The leader of the gang knew that Cain had spotted them, so he abandoned any pretense of hiding and pursued him with all his might. He even called forth his fastest Pokémon to help him close the distance.
After surviving on the trial island for half a month, Cain was no longer as skinny as he once was. Though he wasn't as muscular as some, he had undergone methodical training in the jungle and had even put in extra work during that time. While Cain wouldn't boast about it, he knew his body was stronger than those street thugs who only knew how to play all day.
With the cover of the night, Cain's body became a blur, as he transformed into a cheetah and darted through the alleys. It didn't take long for the pursuers to lose sight of him.
But compared to an outsider like Cain, the members of the small gang had grown up in Goldenrod City. They had nothing to do all day, so they often wandered the streets and knew the city like the backs of their hands. They weren't worried that Cain would disappear under their noses.
"Split up and search. Two people per group," the leader ordered, knowing it was safer to work in pairs. Though dealing with a young man like Cain was akin to using a butcher's knife to kill a pig, there were many young and powerful people in this world.
Obviously, it wasn't the first time that his subordinates had worked together. In no time at all, the gang members split into pairs and disappeared into the winding alleys, their footsteps echoing through the dark streets like the beating of drums.
Little did the gang members know that the person they were searching for had changed into a sleek black outfit, blending perfectly into the darkness of the alley.
A pair of cold, emotionless eyes watched as the gang dispersed, their footsteps echoing through the empty streets.
Cain silently adjusted his breathing, trying not to make a sound. Murkrow on his shoulder tensed up, ready to attack at any moment. This reversal of hunter and prey was Cain's favorite kind of battle.
The hooligans had the advantage of numbers, and although they only had common Pokémon like Raticate and Beedrill, they were still a force to be reckoned with. However, now that they were split up, there was no one to stop Cain's attack.
After adjusting his breathing, Cain cautiously stepped out of the alley. Murkrow's night vision was impeccable, and with its help, Cain's movements didn't slow down at all.
Gastly, who had been hiding in the shadows, appeared beside Cain. In this environment, it was his territory, and he was ready to protect his trainer at all costs.
Before long, Cain discovered two people who were searching for him. Gastly approached them quietly, and before their Pokémon could react, he hypnotized their trainers. Murkrow then sprang into action with lightning-fast movements and powerful attacks, taking down all of their low-grade Pokémon.
They were just a couple of street hooligans, with Pokémon obtained through swindling and no systematic training. Against the strength and skill of Murkrow, they didn't stand a chance.
"You wanted to attack me? Then be prepared to face the consequences," Cain declared, his voice cold and deadly.
Both of the gang members had fallen asleep under Gastly's Hypnosis, and Cain now held his favorite dagger. He had become more skilled in using it with every passing day, and as the cold light in his eyes flickered, he covered their mouths with one hand and plunged the blade directly into their throats.
As he wiped the blood from the dagger onto their clothes out of habit, he also collected the few items of value from their pockets. Though it wasn't much, it was still better than nothing.
The Pokemon, on the other hand, were of no interest to Cain. Murkrow didn't hold back when he attacked and killed them all, with quick and deadly precision.
After dealing with the two gang members, Cain disappeared once again into the darkness, with his trusted Murkrow and Gastly by his side.
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