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Compared to the wide array of high-tech weapons, the number of high-tech armors displayed in the room was far more limited—barely more than a dozen items in total.
It was understandable. Most people who wandered the black market were desperados of various sorts, never knowing when they might die. Naturally, investing in powerful offensive weapons was considered far more cost-effective.
In just the short time Sato had been standing there, several mysterious buyers wearing the same golden masks had already splurged and purchased multiple high-powered weapons.
Among them, the Vulcan Grenade, essentially a money bomb, was the most popular—many of the buyers had picked up seven or eight of them.
Sato figured these people were either about to go all out in some deadly confrontation or were planning to use these tools to make a massive fortune. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so willing to drop that much money on such extravagant gear.
As much as it pained him, Sato realized he didn't count for much in this room in terms of wealth. With his current finances, he could at best afford a few high-tech weapons.
Luckily, Sato hadn't come here this time to buy destructive weapons. His main purpose was to find armor that could enhance his survival capabilities in the wild.
In fact, no matter the world, weapons always advance faster than armor. Compared to the cost-effective high-tech weapons available here, the high-tech armor felt a bit lackluster.
Sato noticed that not a single piece of armor on display could withstand even one of the high-tech weapons in the room. In other words, the spears on sale here could easily pierce through the shields also on sale.
Perhaps because of this, even the most ruthless black market merchants didn't dare to set the armor prices so high that no one would consider them.
The high-tech armor here was priced on average at only one-fifth the cost of the high-tech weapons. In this shop where most product prices were outrageously inflated, the relatively low price tags on armor stood out like a crane among chickens.
Sato walked a full circle around the glass cabinet displaying the armor and committed the general functions of the limited selection to memory. After careful consideration, he finalized the armor pieces he intended to buy.
The first item he chose was a special type of fabric. According to the description, this cloth was made from the fur fibers of various powerful Pokémon.
It boasted numerous advantages: lightweight, elastic, breathable, easy to wash, quick-drying, wear-resistant, heat-resistant, warm, and highly resistant to electricity. Most importantly, its defensive capabilities were quite reliable.
From the promotional video shown in the display, Sato could clearly see that this fabric could withstand many Pokémon attacks.
At the very least, against lower-power moves like Razor Leaf, Poison Sting, or Thunder Shock, it could take multiple hits without issue.
Clearly, clothing made from this fabric belonged to the top tier of personal protective wear in the Pokémon world. Sato estimated that wearing gear made of this fabric would boost his survival chances in the wild by at least 20%.
Naturally, with all those advantages, the fabric came at a steep price—5 million PokeDollars per square meter. By standard textile measurements, a full bolt of cloth cost 91 million PokeDollars.
(Note: A standard bolt measures approximately 13 meters in length and 1.4 meters in width.)
Sato wasn't planning to buy an entire bolt. Typically, one bolt could make six outfits, and he only needed three to rotate through.
So, he decided to buy half a bolt of this specialty fabric, which still cost him a hefty 45.5 million PokeDollars.
After swiping his card to confirm the payment, he received the half-bolt of fabric from a young, beautiful female clerk.
Black market merchants were as ruthless as ever—they only sold the cloth and didn't provide any tailoring services. If Sato wanted to get new outfits quickly, he'd have to spend a lot more to hire a skilled tailor.
Next on Sato's list was a pair of running shoes. At first glance, they looked completely ordinary, but their functions reminded Sato of the special running shoes that Ruby had received from his father Norman in the Pokémon Adventures manga.
According to the description, these shoes had several advantages: durable, sturdy, breathable, waterproof, fireproof, and shockproof. The soles even featured a mini anti-gravity system and various speed-boosting tech gadgets.
Put simply, even an old and frail person could run like the wind in these. They could easily outpace a sprinter like Bolt at full speed.
Aside from greatly increasing movement speed, the shoes also allowed short-duration hovering. That meant even if the wearer accidentally fell from a height, as long as they landed feet first, they could descend safely without fear of injury.
One more feature—the shoes could instantly boost the wearer's leg strength.
By twisting the switch on the shoe, combined with its internal shock absorption system, the wearer could easily kick down a tree with one strike—and come out unscathed.
In short, they were very much like the high-tech kicks worn by a certain little anime detective, giving the wearer instant super-powered legs.
Despite the steep price tag of 30 million PokeDollars, Sato didn't hesitate. He swiped his card immediately. When faced with an unstoppable enemy, speed could be your best chance at survival.
Especially when moving in a group—so long as you ran faster than the others, your odds of survival skyrocketed.
After buying the shoes, Sato moved toward what looked like an ordinary sleeping bag—his final high-tech armor purchase.
The sleeping bag's standout feature was camouflage. Its surface was made of a special optical material. As soon as it was placed anywhere, it would shift color like a chameleon to blend seamlessly into its surroundings.
To further enhance its concealment, the scientists had added automatic scent filtration and odor-blocking features. As long as someone was hiding inside, even Pokémon with highly sensitive noses would struggle to detect them.
No doubt, once Sato had this sleeping bag, he could sleep peacefully outdoors even without any Pokémon standing guard.
In a dangerous environment, a device that could offer restful sleep was absolutely essential. After all, if you were constantly anxious and sleep-deprived, you'd break down even without an enemy defeating you.
The sleeping bag's tech level was clearly higher than both the fabric and the shoes, and its price reflected that—50 million PokeDollars. Still, Sato didn't hesitate and happily paid the cost.
After buying all three pieces of high-end armor, Sato couldn't help but feel a twinge of pain for his wallet. Together, the purchases had cost him 120 million PokeDollars, reducing his liquid balance to just a bit over 200 million.
However, just as Sato was about to step away, he glanced back at a nearby glass case that had attracted almost no attention from other buyers. His foot froze mid-step.
At that moment, Sato's eyes locked onto an item inside the display case. A flicker of intense greed flashed in his eyes.