The next morning, Eliana woke with the sun, her mind clear and sharp. The call from Mew had added some fun to her life. She had confirmation that Team Rocket was indeed using its DNA to create something. That Eliana herself and Ralts both also had Mew's DNA within them. Maybe she could eventually make her own Mew clone, if she stole Team Rocket's information about it. Or she could just help them, that'd be easier since it wouldn't put a ginormous target on her back.
And the Golden Magicarp was no longer just a way to get some extra cash; it was a source of information, a way to tap into the criminal underworld's gossip network. The people there should know all about any recent happenings in the criminal community.
She pedaled towards the coast, the salty air growing stronger with every rotation of the bike's wheels. The cheerful facade of HopHopHop Town gave way to the gritty reality of the docks. Crates were stacked high, painted with the faded logos of shipping companies. The air smelled of brine, diesel, and fish. Gulls wheeled overhead, their cries echoing against the metal hulls of the ships.
The Golden Magikarp was exactly what she expected: a dingy, two-story building painted a nauseating shade of yellow. The sign, depicting a Magikarp in a crown, was cracked and peeling. A couple of burly men in stained aprons stood by the door, their eyes scanning the street with practiced disinterest.
Eliana parked her bike and walked towards the entrance. The men straightened up as she approached, their expressions hardening.
"This ain't a place for kids," one of them grunted, crossing his arms.
"Yeah scram little girl, before your poster is on the missing kids wall." Another let out a cruel cackle.
Eliana rolls her eyes, not bothering to grace these buffoons with a response. She focused on the one who had spoken, her mind a needle. The man's thoughts were a simple, brutish loop of violence, alcohol, and a deep-seated fear of his boss. She pushed past the surface thoughts and found the memory of Mack's call from the night before. She amplified it, making it a blaring siren in his head.
The guard's face went pale. He grabbed the other guard's arm. "Hey, wait a minute. She's... she's the one Mack called about. The kid with the goods."
The second guard's sneer faltered. He looked at Eliana, really looked at her, and for the first time, he saw past the pretty face and the slight frame. He saw something cold and ancient in her eyes. He swallowed hard and stepped aside.
"Right this way, little miss," the first guard said, his voice suddenly deferential. He pulled open the heavy wooden door.
The inside of the Golden Magikarp was dark and smoky. The air was thick with the stench of stale beer and desperation. A handful of patrons hunched over the bar, while others played cards at rickety tables in the corner. No one looked up as she entered.
The guard led her to a stairwell at the back of the room. "He's upstairs, last door on the left."
Eliana ascended the creaky steps, Ralts a silent, invisible presence beside her. The hallway was narrow, lined with more stacked crates. The last door was slightly ajar, spilling a sliver of light into the dim hallway.
She pushed it open without knocking. The room was a small office, cluttered with maps, ledgers, and more empty bottles than Eliana could count. A man with a potbelly and a thinning comb-over sat behind a desk, counting a stack of credits. He looked up, annoyed at the interruption.
"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" he snapped.
Eliana closed the door behind her. "Mack sent me."
The man's demeanor shifted instantly. He leaned forward, his eyes glittering with avarice. "So you're the little birdie with the shiny eggs. Let's see 'em."
Eliana pulled out her phone again, her fingers moving with practiced ease. She didn't show him the Golem or the Electabuzz this time. She pulled up the Cloyster, its form a formidable, grey shell, jagged and impenetrable on the phone's screen. "A fully evolved Cloyster, with a not a scratch on it."
The man's eyes widened. He was a professional; he knew what he was looking at. This wasn't just a strong Pokémon, this was a collector's item. "How much?"
Eliana smiled, a slow, predatory smile. "I was thinking sixty thousand PokéDollars."
The man laughed, a harsh, barking sound. "Sixty? For a shellfish? Kid, you're dreaming. Thirty and that's me being generous."
"Fifty-five," Eliana countered, her voice dropping to a low, steady purr. She let a sliver of her power leak out, a subtle pressure that made the air in the room feel heavy and cold.
"And you'll take it, because I know you sell to a very specific clientele in Celadon City. The kind of clientele who value discretion above all else. Imagine their reaction if they found out their supplier was dealing with a little girl who got her merchandise from... let's just say an untraceable source."
The man's face went from red to white. He knew she wasn't bluffing.
"Fifty," he choked out, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Done," Eliana said with a bright, cheerful smile. She initiated the transfer, her phone chiming as the credits hit her account. She pulled up the profile for the Golem next. "Now, about this one..."
An hour later, Eliana walked out of the Golden Magikarp, her account significantly heavier. She had sold the Golem, Cloyster, Electabuzz, and Rhydon for a tidy sum, leaving the seller sweating and swearing under his breath. But she had gotten more than just money, she had information. She'd sifted through the seller's greedy, panicked thoughts while they haggled, plucking out names and locations like ripe berries. Saffron City was a hub, a nexus of illegal trade. And there was a name that kept coming up, a ghost in the machine: a buyer known only as "Silph."
(¬‿¬) Ralts stuck his tongue out, not caring about the place.