Pokemon: The Legendary Trainer

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After rejecting Miyuki, a mid-level Pokémon breeder, Sato stood up and left the Pokémon Center, heading straight for the department store to the east—Goldenrod Department Store.

The Goldenrod Department Store was the most well-stocked Pokémon item store in the entire Johto region. Here, Trainers could purchase some of the most advanced Pokémon gear from all over the world.

Sato's main purpose for visiting the department store this time was to buy TMs that Nidoking could learn. In the Johto region, this was the only large store officially licensed by the Pokémon League to sell TMs.

As long as a Trainer spent enough PokeDollars, they could buy authentic League-issued TMs here. Of course, most of the TMs sold were fairly common.

For example, basic TMs like Water Gun, Ember, and Vine Whip were available in abundance. However, even rare TMs like Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Thunderbolt could sometimes be found here.

That said, such rare TMs were typically only offered in limited quantities on special days—and often not sold directly as products.

The department store frequently used rare Pokémon items as prizes to draw Trainers into promotional events, and these prizes often included rare TMs.

So, money alone wasn't enough to guarantee purchasing something like Flamethrower from Goldenrod Department Store.

As for what kinds of events were held, the store usually determined prize winners through simple Pokémon battles. Sometimes, the items were distributed via paid raffles.

Last night, while staying at the Pokémon Center, Sato overheard from other Trainers that the store would be holding a battle event today—and the champion prize was incredible: a set of three rare TMs—Fire Blast, Thunder, and Blizzard.

The runner-up would receive a mysterious Pokémon Egg from the distant Unova region, and third place would win a six-pack supply of premium Pokémon food, enough for half a year.

Fire Blast, Thunder, and Blizzard were advanced versions of Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam, each boasting a base power of 110.

Naturally, they were far more valuable than their standard counterparts. In the underground black market of Celadon City, Sato had seen only one Thunder TM—which was listed at a price of five million PokeDollars.

Even at such a sky-high price, the TM was bought by a mysterious Trainer within less than a minute. Whether the final transaction price was actually five million was unknown.

This news greatly excited Sato, because he knew that all three of those high-power moves could be learned by Nidoking—and all of them had effects that could potentially trigger Nidoking's Sheer Force ability.

Because of this, Sato decided to participate in the Goldenrod Department Store's battle event. His goal: the three precious TMs.

Sato was very confident in his current strength. As long as no Elite-Four level Trainer showed up out of nowhere, he was sure he could take first place.

And sure enough, the moment the event was announced, it drew a massive crowd of Trainers—not just from Goldenrod City, but also from surrounding towns. Upon seeing the announcement online, many rushed over overnight.

Even though it was only a little past 9:00 a.m. when Sato arrived, the wide plaza in front of the department store was already packed. Several registration booths had been set up, and long lines trailed from each one. A quick glance told Sato there were at least 800 participants already.

The event organizers clearly knew how to run a business. Taking advantage of the crowd, they hung banners advertising discounts on all kinds of Pokémon gear at the entrance. Staff members handed out flyers promoting new products to the waiting Trainers.

At the same time, several food vendors near the plaza seized the opportunity and quickly set up a makeshift food street near the long lines.

Of course, the Goldenrod Department Store sold more than just Pokémon gear—most of its space was dedicated to everyday goods for the general public. So today's sale event targeted not only the big-spending Trainer crowd but also everyday consumers.

As a result, the registration scene was bustling—lively and crowded.

"Sure is packed. With this many people, taking the championship won't be easy."

Sato scratched his head while looking at the sea of people in front of him, lines curling in every direction. His expression was slightly awkward.

Still, he felt no fear—if anything, he was excited. With so many Trainers participating, this was the perfect chance to properly train both his Shiny Pelipper and Nidoking.

He picked one of the shorter registration lines and patiently waited for it to move forward.

Naturally, Natu and Pichu—both restless and gluttonous Pokémon—couldn't sit still for long. Barely ten minutes into the wait, they flew off toward the nearby snack stalls.

When they returned, they were draped with seven or eight plastic bags filled with treats—and they brought back more than ten food vendors, all eagerly trying to sell to Sato.

Roughly half an hour later, Sato finally made it to the front of the line, holding a popsicle in one hand and a stack of different promotional flyers in the other. He was greeted by a pretty staff member in the department store's uniform.

"Hello, honored Trainer! Please write your name and contact information here," she said cheerfully.

"Due to the high number of applicants, the first round will be conducted as one-on-one battles. The event is scheduled to begin tomorrow morning."

"Also, if you change your mind or encounter any issues and choose to withdraw, we kindly ask that you inform us as soon as possible."

The staff member had clearly smiled too much today—her professional grin was beginning to cramp. She explained the rules and structure of the event to Sato in a nearly mechanical tone while completing his registration.

Finally, after Sato completed the process, she habitually handed him a flyer detailing the rules and schedule of the battle event.