FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

PART: ONE HUNDRED & FORTY TWO.

I t was a couple days later after Erillia's joining the team, by this time even Jack was growing restless at having stayed at Moor Bridge city for so long, even his tolerance and patience had started to grow thin as the urge to continue his journey began to build deep within him with the wonder lust of many a pokémon trainer. The group had started spending longer amounts of time with training each day just to pass the time rather than remain couped up doing nothing. Fortunately, a new distraction had presented itself, one all of them had been eagerly awaiting, The Pokémon Club's monthly flea market or in some regions referred to as a swap meet. Blaze and Bunny in particular had been eager for this event, each with something they intended to swap, part exchange of sell for another item. Though finding what one wanted was not always easy especially on a first come first serve basis, it was for this reason the whole party had arrived early for, stalls had already been erected in the open area that covered the incredibly wide road that ran through the middle of the bridge like city, as such traffic had been closed off for the duration. Jack smiled softly to himself as it was a warm day with a pleasant breeze that balanced the sun's rays just right, he was sure an iced lollies for the group would go down well though their funds were becoming low. On the positive side he was sure he could sell the unpalatable pokémon league energy bars, there were always those that would buy them for the branding rather than stopping to find out how they taste, it was something Jack was all too familiar with himself more so since he had done that exact same thing.

“Weavile…Vile…Wea…Vile…We..Vile…Weavile?"

[Think you'll be able to trade those nasty things?]

Oni asked turning her nose up at the shine silver wrapped food bars, she could only guess their human was hoping there would be some fool who could be lured into taking them off of Jacks hands.

“That's the idea, I'd rather not sell anything important like some of the medical supplies."

He replied, though he knew if he could not off load the damned energy bars he may well have to, it had been something Jack had been putting that off as a last resort.

“Lo…Pun…Unny…Punny…Lop…Lopunny…Punny…Pun…Lop…Unny…Lopunny…Lop!"

[I could always rent my body out to humans for the night, I would willingly sacrifice my chastity for the team!]

Bunny interjected, only for the rest of the party to stare incredulously at her, the moment the words had left her rabbit-like lips.

“Gardevoir…Voir…Gard…Evoir…Gardevoir…Garde…Gardevoir…Voir…Voir"

[For you to sacrifice your chastity, it must still be intact, which clearly yours is not]

Erillia spoke up flatly, her words causing Bunny's jaw drop as what ever witty comment she had intended to give had instantly died a death upon her lips as Oni; Blaze and Lucy burst into laughter much to the Lopunny's annoyance. A few more minutes would pass until the flea market opened, eagerly they entered looking at all the stalls that ran in long rows. Some were tent like while others were more basic being little more than collapsible tables with a sheet of cloth or old sacking over top, there were so many things of all manner of shapes and sizes on display. From new unwanted items to ones of used yet still in good condition, then the more well used items that were held together by glue; duct or gaffer tape, sometimes in combination of two or more. Though regardless of the state of the items up for coin or barter, one absolute was for sure, caveat emptor would be the watch word for any who attended a market such as this.

The group began splitting up but Jack trusted them to be somewhat responsible, Erillia along with Lucy stayed with him as the three of them moved from stall to stall, at one point Jack had found a store that sold a selection of pokémon treats along with snack bars as well as freeze dried camping meals.

“Excuse me, sorry to disturb you, but would you be interested in purchasing energy bars?"

Jack asked holding out the boxes he had been carrying, the portly middle-aged man squinted through his glasses at used by date on each box. His eyes widened for a brief moment before clearing his throat.

“It would depend upon the price you're asking for?"

The stall holder noted looking at Jack, his hair like his beard was well groomed and kept close cropped.

“Well knowing you need to make a profit on them yourself, I highly doubt retail price will be plausible so if we start at a reasonable preowned price?"

Jack replied in a clear polite voice, the man smiles a half smile as rubs his beard before commenting upon this.

“It's nice to deal with someone who understands, be surprised how many folks try to demand for retail price for products they want to off load, okay let's see….one bar is fifty pokédollars retail, a box holds thirty bars each so let's say…at a preowned value of seven hundred and fifty pokédollars? For the unopened box and lets just see how many bars are left in the open box shall we?"

Taking the top box, the stall holder began counting out the remaining energy bars.

“Okay so twenty-six bars left, if we go by what I'm offering for the full box at twenty-five pokédollars per bar…six hundred and fifty pokédollars, that sound fair to you?"

The man offers, Jack nods slowly as he hands the full box to him and offers out his hand.

“Sounds good to me, you have a deal!"

Jack noted as the stall holder takes the proffered hand with one short firm shake to seal the deal while asking.

“Cash or Transfer?"

Jack did not need to think about that, in the Anthro Region folks tended to use wireless transfer via their poképhones than carrying cash, true a significant number of older generations still preferred to carry notes and coins about their person but very few trainers practiced this, it tended to be detrimental as physical currency could be lost; misplaced or just out right stolen.

“Transfer Please"

He replies, a few seconds latter he hears the chime of a notification as his poképhone informed him the money had gone through to his account, the middle-aged man had already began adding the two boxes of pokémon league brand energy bars to his selection of consumable products, though he paused to say.

“A pleasure doing business with you!"

With this Jack took his leave with a smile, true he had only got half of what he had paid for them he had no qualms about it since the group needed the cash.

“Lucario…Lu….Car…Rio…Lucario…Rio…Ario…Lucario?"

[If they taste as bad as you say, why would people buy them?]

Lucy enquired as thy carried on to the next stall, Jack smiled softly to her choosing the words to best explain it.

“Simplest way to explain it is…how to put this, it has the name of a recognised business so you are buying an item mostly because of the brand name. We humans tend be stupid creatures who are all too easy to believe that just because it has some label upon it, that it must be better than a cheaper off brand item of the same quality."

Erillia stared at him as she contemplated what had been said before speaking her own opinion on the mater.

“Voir…Garde…Gardevoir…Gar…De…Voir…Gardevoir…Garde…Voir, Gardevoir…Voir."

[Humans are such fools, even you are not exempt from this folly of following blindly like a heard of wooloo's, for you did indeed partake in this foolish action too.]

Jack sighed slowly at this response, it was not as though she was entirely wrong about that, especially with how many willingly enslave themselves to the whims of fashion, or some new trend regardless to how impractical it might be.

“Indeed, we humans can be materialist driven creatures, driven by flights of fancy or wanting something new that catches our eye, even we have no use for it."

He chuckled in response with a half-smile forming across his lips as they continued from stall to stall, the gardevoir frowned in annoyance at hearing this, she disliked how Jack did not even try to make the same kinds of justifiable excuses that any other rational human or pokémon that she had encountered before would have made. She was still confused how her new human refused to follow the low standards she believed to be the more typical behaviour that humans tended to show chief amongst those qualities being, prideful; selfish; deceitful; always out to manipulate others for their own gain.