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Starting from the port at Pallet Town and walking roughly seven or eight kilometers along the eastern coastline, one would see a towering mountain rising from the sea.
The black market that Sato was currently searching for was located within the belly of this mountain range standing in the ocean.
Without a local contact to introduce and guide him, it would've taken Sato a month—and he still might not have found the entrance to this hidden black market inside the sea-bound mountain.
The entrance to the black market was carved into the mountain that extended deep into the sea. There existed a man-made tunnel leading into it through the water, meaning Sato needed either a Water-type Pokémon or diving equipment to access it.
One could usually guess the size of a black market based on the local economy. So, upon seeing how unimpressive Pallet Town's port economy was, Sato had initially assumed the black market here would be small.
But as soon as Sato rode his Swampert through the underwater tunnel and entered, he realized he had been completely, utterly wrong.
The mountain's interior was like a hidden world—spacious, expansive, and lit by bioluminescent flora artificially planted along the cave walls, illuminating the vast black market as if it were broad daylight.
In terms of scale, it was certainly nowhere near the size of the underground black market in Saffron City. But compared to ordinary cities—like Pewter City's black market—this one was massive.
And in terms of prosperity, it surpassed black markets in ordinary cities by far. To Sato's surprise, he even spotted a small dock inside, with numerous small submersible boats moored along the shoreline.
Clearly, the underwater tunnel Sato had taken was just one of many possible entrances. There were likely several other routes into the market he wasn't yet aware of.
The reason this black market had been separated from Pallet Town's main port was largely due to the immense pressure from the town itself. Fearing Pallet Town's overwhelming power, the grey forces could only build this hidden market further out.
In truth, the people of Pallet Town were well aware of this black market's existence. But given how carefully the shady forces at the port kept themselves in check, they simply turned a blind eye.
Even though the grey forces at the port had been heavily suppressed, the black market here was still thriving.
Thanks to its remote location and the fact that it was under Pallet Town's own loose jurisdiction, the League rarely bothered to intervene.
As such, it became an ideal transshipment point for smugglers. Many smuggling ships traveling from Vermilion City to Johto or beyond would stop at this black market to restock, trade, and make purchases.
Likewise, smuggling ships coming from Johto—or even from other Continents to Kanto—would also pause here for supplies and transactions.
If it weren't for Pallet Town's overwhelming strength and the local grey forces being so heavily suppressed, this port might have already become a massive offshore smuggling hub.
Sato's arrival as an outsider quickly drew attention from the black market's resident grey forces. Before long, five burly, shirtless men—each with a tattoo of a monstrous snake on their chest—approached with their Pokémon in tow.
Fortunately, Team Rocket's name still carried weight in Kanto's underworld. After Sato presented his identity and showed off his strength, he was granted the freedom to move about the black market unhindered.
"I'm new around here," Sato said with a smile as he handed a thick stack of League banknotes—worth over 20,000 PokéDollars—to the brawny man who claimed to be from the Sea Serpent Gang. "Could you give me an introduction to this black market? Just a little token of appreciation."
The burly man weighed the bills in his hand and, seeing how well-mannered Sato was, the scowl on his face—left over from having his Pokémon trounced by Sato's Swampert—softened slightly into a grin.
"No need to be so polite. Introducing guests to the black market managed by our Sea Serpent Gang is just part of our job. I'll start with—"
Although recently more Team Rocket members had been showing up and causing trouble in the market, the man knew better than to mess with someone like Sato—strong and clearly tactful.
Soon, after a brief explanation from the man, Sato had a rough understanding of the power dynamics here.
Currently, the black market was jointly controlled by two grey organizations: the Sea Serpent Gang and the Black Fish Gang. However, since the man was from the Sea Serpent Gang, it seemed they currently held the dominant authority.
Both factions were quite formidable. According to the burly man's proud introduction, each gang was backed by an Elite Four-level trainer and had many powerful subordinates.
Sato took the man's words with a grain of salt, though he did believe that the presence of an Elite Four-tier backer was likely.
Otherwise, how could a black market as profitable as this one be left untouched by Team Rocket? Clearly, someone powerful was supporting it from behind the scenes.
Sato also learned that due to several recent incidents involving Team Rocket members using force to seize goods in the black market, most of the people here were currently hostile toward Rocket members.
"No regular Team Rocket rookie would dare stir up trouble," Sato thought to himself calmly after hearing the man's thinly veiled warning. "Looks like Joe was right—this rookie competition really is crawling with so-called 'rookies.' Getting good results won't be easy."
After thanking the burly man, Sato officially stepped into the black market. However, he soon noticed a few tails following behind him—it was clear they were still wary of this strong outsider from Team Rocket.
Truth be told, Sato fully understood the mindset of the grey powers entrenched here.
They probably believed that Team Rocket's sudden influx of members was a sign that the organization intended to take over, hence their hostile attitude.
Sato, however, didn't particularly care. He was just here to trade, not to stir up trouble.
Setting aside the local resistance to Team Rocket, this black market—serving as a smuggling hub connecting Kanto to other regions—was indeed well-stocked and full of rare treasures.
Before long, Sato managed to purchase the last few ingredients needed to prepare the simplified version of Pikachu-family exclusive Pokémon food. He even found an ample supply of Heliolisk shed skins—by far the hardest component to source.
Keep in mind, Heliolisk is a Pokémon native to the Kalos region.
Obtaining its shed skin in Kanto was no easy feat. In Sato's memory, perhaps only the underground black market in Saffron City might also stock this ingredient.
Now that he had successfully gathered everything needed to produce the simplified Pikachu-exclusive food, all that remained was to try making it.
Just as Sato was preparing to leave the mountain black market, he came across a rather useful Pokémon item—one he had recently seen on Daisy's Lopunny.
It was a silver bell engraved with patterns finer than a mosquito's wings—mysterious and delicate.
Yes, this item was the Soothe Bell, a tool known for calming a Pokémon's emotions and improving the bond between Pokémon and Trainer.