Continuing his journey, the morning air had grown much cooler, perfect for traveling.
Finally, after passing through a small field area, he spotted traces of buildings.
Fallarbor Town was a settlement surrounded by small farmlands.
Due to its proximity to Mt. Chimney, volcanic ash frequently drifted here, causing the vegetation to grow exceptionally lush.
Though technically a town, its level of development rivaled that of some less advanced cities.
The reason was simple: a large community of research scholars lived here, including several Pokémon professors. These academics primarily studied ancient Pokémon, meteorites, and fossils.
Sieg had come to Fallarbor Town because it served as the inland region's only transportation hub, equipped with both port and bus station facilities.
The Hoenn region's economic centers were concentrated along the coast and maritime areas, leaving the inland relatively impoverished.
Upon entering the town, Sieg immediately noticed the difference. Unlike other towns with their relaxed, easygoing atmospheres, the people here seemed perpetually hurried and significantly more reserved.
Sieg suspected this was the influence of the research community, these academics weren't exactly known for their social skills.
Their online reputation had never been particularly stellar.
After checking into a room at the Fallarbor Town Pokémon Center, Sieg's first priority was taking a refreshing shower in the bathroom.
Emerging clean and revitalized, he ordered room service, a large spread of food including specially processed meats.
Of course, Sieg couldn't eat all of this himself; most was intended for Sandile.
As time passed, Sandile had not only failed to overcome its dependency on meat but had grown even more addicted to the pleasure of tearing flesh with its powerful jaws.
Sieg could only try to limit its consumption of low-quality scraps, using these processed Pokémon meats as acceptable substitutes for proper meals.
Through this period of training, Sandile had noticeably grown larger, and its scales had changed from their original deep black to an earthy tan color.
While still rough to the touch, Sieg did his best to maintain them, since the back scales were Sandile's primary defense mechanism. Keeping them consistently smooth was nearly impossible.
Watching Sandile devour a massive chunk of beef in the corner, even Sieg found his own appetite stimulated.
After gulping down a bottle of Miltank milk, Sieg wiped the residue from his lips. Ever since trying it at the Lavaridge Town hot springs, he'd developed a taste for this particular drink.
Reportedly, it contained added calcium powder that benefited human bone development.
After finishing his satisfying meal, Sieg left the Pokémon Center and found a secluded corner to don his black robes and mask.
The town's streets were nearly deserted, with only scattered pedestrians. This seemed to be due to the local afternoon siesta tradition, most residents stayed indoors during midday.
This worked perfectly for Sieg's purposes.
After navigating several dim alleyways, he located an abandoned shop, the town's only black market entrance, which had taken considerable effort to discover.
Entering the shop, Sieg looked around and found it had been derelict for quite some time, with no one even manning the counter.
In a corner, he found a hidden switch. Upon pressing it, a section of the adjacent wall revealed a secret door leading to a narrow passage illuminated by dim lighting.
After walking for some time, when his vision readjusted, he found himself in a bustling marketplace.
Fallarbor Town's black market.
As the inland region's sole transportation hub near the continental interior, this was a major stopping point for most people operating in gray areas.
Unlike Rustboro City's black market, which was entirely underground, this one was surprisingly brazen, the entire market operated in open-air format.
Perhaps the League's control over this area was weaker than elsewhere.
Consequently, this black market was much smaller than those in major cities, with fewer participants as well.
However, their attire was nearly identical to Sieg's, loose black robes covering their bodies and various masks concealing their faces. Few dared show themselves openly.
This was because the market included not only members of various criminal organizations, but also many League-affiliated trainers and representatives from prominent families.
The League chose to look the other way regarding this arrangement.
After all, Fallarbor Town housed renowned research scholars, including numerous scientific professors, many backed by ancient, established families.
To secure their support, the Hoenn League made certain concessions, necessary for maintaining control over the poorly governed inland regions.
This black market, apparently operated by various League families, was one such compromise.
Many shops displayed emblems at their entrances, the family crests of various clans.
Fallarbor Town's core power structure consisted of an interest group formed by these research families.
This didn't concern Sieg, however. He viewed it as mere entertainment and had no intention of dealing with these major families.
Though small, the market was fully functional.
Sieg located the vendor area and rented a stall, then began displaying the various Pokémon he'd captured in the wild.
A wooden sign beside his goods listed prices and detailed information.
After arranging everything, Sieg retrieved miscellaneous items from his backpack, rare Pokémon body parts and some uncommon but ultimately useless materials.
Other vendors noticed Sieg was selling a level 30 Pokémon and regarded him with newfound wariness.
Soon, customers began inquiring about prices.
The level 30 Kadabra, with its decent natural ability and high level, could serve as a powerful temporary team member after minimal training.
The difficulty and strength of Psychic-types were well-known throughout trainer circles.
"300,000 Pokédollars. That's my final price!"
After turning away yet another bargain hunter, Sieg felt somewhat exasperated.
Pokémon that had clearly belonged to other trainers were indeed difficult to sell. If they couldn't be properly trained, they'd be worthless investments.
Sieg had already lowered his asking price appropriately, but unfortunately, no one showed interest. Meanwhile, several of his wild-caught, low-level Pokémon had sold successfully.
This included the Smoochum, which fetched an even higher price than his listed price for Kadabra.
Just as Sieg was about to pack up his stall in disappointment, another black-robed figure approached to inquire about Kadabra.
"Excuse me, vendor, where did you capture this Kadabra?" A clear female voice emerged from beneath the loose black robes.
A woman?
Sieg felt slightly surprised but responded coldly, "Found it by chance in the wild. If you're not buying, don't ask unnecessary questions!"
Sieg gave a vague answer, he could hardly admit it was a Team Rocket Pokémon.
"Well, alright then. 300,000 Pokédollars it is."
The woman extended a slender hand from her wide sleeves. Sieg's sharp eyes caught a glimpse as he accepted the payment card.
"This customer seems quite young, probably a teenage girl?" From that brief glimpse of smooth skin, Sieg estimated she couldn't be over twenty years old.