Now that he had some money, Eric decided to shop a little.
He found a TM shop where he bought 2 Protect TMs. Each cost him 50,000P, but it was a necessary expense. Protect was invaluable in the real world.
There were other useful TMs as well, but they were outside his budget for now.
Steel Wing, 150,000P
Will-O-Wisp, 180,000P
Hex, 550,000P!
There were many things in the Black Market that interested Eric. One of them were Energy Crystals. These crystals contained condensed energy that could be absorbed by Pokémon.
Tier 1 Ghost Crystal: 500,000P
Expensive!
These crystals were divided by tiers, with one being the lowest. All crystals in the shop were tier 1. They didn't have anything higher than that.
Eric still felt poor. But now he had a way to earn money quickly. His system allowed him to check the potential of Wild Pokemon, giving him a huge advantage!
He then went to see what Pokémon were being sold.
C Grade Nidoran - 250,000P
C+ Grade Beedrill - 140,000P
C Grade Bellsprout - 120,000P
C Grade Ekans - 120,000P
Buying Pokemon from the shops cost a lot more than what you would get if you sold them. The same quality Beedrill that Eric sold for 90,000beas being sold here for 140,000P. This was the advantage of owning a shop in the Black Market. Getting a permit for one was a hassle and came with a lot of restrictions, however.
Not interested in anything else, Eric quietly left the Black Market. Now that he was not poor, he could finally explore Redwood peacefully.
---
Eric felt that it was time he start enjoying his second life. He didn't feel as weak as before, and also had money now. If he's not living like he wants, then what was the point of this second chance.
Eric began touring Redwood, visiting food stalls and other shops. But wherever he went, he felt that people were avoiding him. They would look away, not making eye contact with him. Was it because he still looked poor? He thought. Eric then went and bought some good looking clothes. But that didn't change how people reacted to him.
'What the hell? Is it my hair?'
Eric wanted to relax a little today, but instead he was getting more and more irritated. His impression about humans didn't improve. Why were they so judging about how he looked?
'Fine then!'
He decided to visit a very fancy salon, as if proving to himself he was not poor.
Eddie's Salon.
Just as Eric entered the salon, he was greeted by a barber. This barber did not avert his eyes from Eric like the others, and had quite the personality.
"Oh Brother you look intense!"
The barber shouted the moment he saw Eric.
He then gestured for Eric to take one of the empty seats and asked how Eric wanted his hair.
"Whatever's fine. Just make it look sharp and clean."
"Alright, leave it to me Brother. The name's Eddie by the way."
Eddie quickly started working his magic.
"You ought to take care of your hair, Brother. They are a mess."
"..."
"So where are you from?"
"Here."
"Oh? And I thought I knew everyone in town, hahaha."
Looks like Barbers being chatty was a universal rule. Eric sighed internally. Well, at least he's not giving him weird looks.
But the amount of questions Eddie laid at Eric were way too many. Eric, being the introvert that he is, was beginning to feel overwhelmed. But eventually, he relaxed and answered honestly.
"Bahahaha! You thought people were avoiding you because you look like a hobo? That's the funniest thing I've heard today."
"..."
"Don't look so angry Brother. Besides, it's not your looks but your vibe. You're like a wild animal. It's like you are leaking out this intense aura, making it very tough to approach you"
"My vibe?"
"Yes Brother. You're a trainer right? You probably stayed in the wilderness for a few months or something."
"...huh."
"Also, Brother. People aren't all that bad. You should try and open up a bit."
Eric just rolled his eyes when he heard that. People aren't that bad? Then what were his last 16 years? Humans are scumbags who only do something if it benefits them.
Eddie looked at the face Eric was making and just shook his head.
'Teenagers,' He thought, as he continued cutting his hair.
"Alright, I'm done brother. Look and see if you are ok with this."
Eric's hair looked long and wavy with a middle partition. They were layered to reduce bulk and boost the natural volume. The sides and back were cut short, giving him a sharp and cool look. The hair complimented his sharp and edgy vibe.
Eric had also started eating well and exercising, so as to not be a burden on his team. So he was looking healthier and healthier day by day. His face had sharp features, some would say he's quite handsome.
"You look much better now Brother! Just learn to loosen up a bit and people won't avoid you anymore! Hahahaha." Eddie laughed and patted his back. Eric wasn't sure if he should feel annoyed or not.
Eddie's personality was a bit too extroverted for Eric who hasn't interacted with normal people at all in his life. He paid him, adding a generous tip, and bade farewell.
People still avoided eye contact with Eric, but now he could tell that it was because they felt a bit scared of him.
'I should really learn how to tame my aura a bit.'
Eric thought as he went back to his room. He then vacated, and shifted to a much better living area, designed for Pokémon trainers.
It was a lot more expensive, but came with perks like training grounds that Eric could use to train his Pokemon.
All in all, this was a very relaxing day for Eric. Days like this would be nice from time to time, he thought as he dozed off in his now much more comfier bed.