After observing for a while, Shiro walked back into the shop and gave in without hesitation.
"I'll stay."
"Hmm... Pay up." The shopkeeper, Ruth, responded casually. Once she took the 2,000 Pokédollars from Shiro, she gave a slight nod toward the wooden door.
"There's a hallway in the back. Just pick an empty room," She waved him along, signaling for him to hurry inside.
Seeing how indifferent she was, Shiro didn't expect much from the so-called guest rooms. As long as he had a place to stay, it was enough.
He opened the door, revealing a dimly lit hallway about three meters wide, lined with wooden doors on both sides.
Shiro picked one at random and pushed it open. Empty.
Inside was just a bed. Further in, there was a small bathroom, and that was it.
After locking the door, he released Rookidee and Gastly. The two Pokémon flew a few laps around the room.
Only after confirming there were no safety issues did Shiro set down his backpack. He took out some Pokéblocks for his Pokémon, then casually ate some dry rations from his bag before lying down fully clothed.
Gastly and Rookidee weren't spoiled. Even though they'd left home, they quickly settled in, curling up on the bed and falling asleep.
The night grew deep.
...
At dawn, a faint golden hue appeared on the horizon.
Shiro's internal clock naturally woke him. He got up and washed up quickly.
Hearing the noise, Gastly drowsily opened its eyes and saw Rookidee flapping its wings and taking off. It circled twice above the room, stretching its body.
"Gaasss..." Gastly let out a slow hiss.
Before it could fully wake up, Shiro had already taken out the Pokéblocks, placing them in two small trays.
Gastly got the pure Ghost-type Pokéblocks, while Rookidee's were a mix of Flying and Steel-type.
After taking down the fat shopkeeper and looting his stock, their food quality had completely upgraded to advanced-quality, just one step away from the rare perfect-quality.
"Sigh... Murder and arson do pay well," Shiro muttered, sitting on the bed and biting into his dry rations as he watched his Pokémon eat heartily.
After accounting for the items he bought from the black market, he carefully went through what he had taken from the fat shopkeeper.
There were eight Pokémon items in total: three Everstones, two Mystic Waters, two Miracle Seeds, and one Dragon Fang.
He also had a massive supply of Pokéblocks, enough to feed his two Pokémon for an entire year.
Once Rookidee and Gastly finished eating and Shiro packed up, he recalled them into their Poké Balls and stepped out of the room.
It was around six in the morning. The red-carpeted hallway was completely empty.
It wasn't surprising—this place rarely had guests. In fact, Shiro hadn't seen another trainer stay here since he arrived.
Arriving before the door leading to the shop, Shiro opened it and stepped outside.
"Yo, up early, huh, kid?"
Behind the counter, Ruth was sorting through some things. She hadn't changed her clothes, and her waxy complexion looked even more exhausted. Shiro had a strong suspicion she had just spent the entire night slumped over the counter.
But the shopkeeper didn't seem to care. Seeing that Shiro hadn't left yet, she slapped the counter and asked,
"What? You came to the Wild Area without stocking up on healing sprays and a tent? Want to buy some now?"
It was just an offhand guess, but she was right. Shiro had arrived in a hurry and hadn't prepared anything.
"Yeah," Shiro responded and stepped up to the counter. "What kind of healing sprays and tents do you have? How much?"
"If you're traveling alone, I recommend healing sprays from the Macro Cosmos company. One bottle... 500 Pokédollars. As for tents, there's only one type, 1,000 Pokédollars each." Ruth leaned on the counter as she spoke.
"Ten bottles of spray and two tents." Shiro pulled out 7,000 Pokédollars and handed them over.
The shopkeeper took the money, walked into the room behind the counter, and brought out the items.
Shiro stuffed everything into his backpack and walked out of the Pokémon League shop.
Early in the morning, dewdrops clung to the grass on the hillside, glistening under the soft light. The cool, crisp air was refreshing, lifting his mood.
He walked to the metal fence at the edge of the slope and gave it a light push. To his surprise, the gate wasn't locked—it swung open easily.
It was Shiro's first time in the Wild Area, and he was not very familiar with the surroundings.
He planned to walk around the area first, checking if there were any gathering spots for trainers—places where small vendors clustered together.
The slope led down to a lush grassland, with a lake shimmering in the distance.
Lake Axewell sat at the heart of the Wild Area. No matter where you were, you could always see it. The Water-type Pokémon living there varied in strength depending on location.
At this early hour, aside from a few Blipbug wriggling in the grass, there wasn't a single person in sight.
The whole area felt empty. Only the occasional rustling in the grass and trees hinted at the presence of Pokémon.
Still, he did notice something.
Near the lakeside, beneath a tree, were messy, darkened footprints. The trampled grass had mixed with the dirt below. Similar signs of activity appeared at other spots along the lake's edge.
'People must have stopped here to rest before. I just came too early to see them,' Shiro analyzed.
He had planned to find someone who could guide him, someone familiar with the Wild Area. But now, it seemed he'd have to figure things out himself.
That worked for him. He wanted to find a good spot for training first and return around noon.
To his left, the grassy field stretched into a sparse grove. To the right, the path curved behind the hill.
Shiro headed left, toward the trees.
He carried plenty of Poké Balls. The Wild Area had no shortage of Pokémon. If he found one with good potential, he would catch it.
"Come out, Rookidee, Gastly."
Some distance away from the grove, he released both of his Pokémon.
In this unfamiliar place, he had no reason to hide his strength. The black market had already equipped him with a powerful backup—a brainwashed Rhyperior at the Gym-level.
The gap between Advanced-level and Gym-level was significant, which was why most trainers ended up stuck at the former stage.
But with Rhyperior on his team, Shiro had no reason to fear most Advanced-level trainers anymore. And if he ever encountered a Gym-level opponent, he'd just run.
As Shiro stepped into the small forest, rustling sounds echoed from all directions.
He ignored the noise, knowing they were just weak Bug- or Grass-type Pokémon, not worth his attention. He kept moving forward with Rookidee and Gastly by his side.
Before long, a few round, pinkish-purple Pokémon peeked out from the branches. The three green leaves on their heads blended seamlessly with the surrounding trees.
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