"Hold on, let me take a look..."
Shiro carefully examined Rookidee in his arms, studying everything from its head feathers to its beak, wings, back, chest, and talons.
Only after confirming that every part of it was well-trained—far stronger than an ordinary Rookidee—did he nod in satisfaction.
Since Rookidee lacked natural talent, it had to put in more effort to grow stronger.
"Alright, I'll remove the Everstone now." He reached for the gray stone necklace hanging around Rookidee's neck and took it off.
"Rooki-dee!"
Without the obstruction of the Everstone, the little bird spread its wings and let out a sharp cry, soaring into the sky as a soft white glow enveloped its body.
The radiance intensified until it became almost blinding, completely swallowing Rookidee. Then, two long, black-edged blue wings stretched out, cutting through the light.
As the glow shattered, a sleek, imposing Corvisquire descended, its wingspan stretching over two meters. True to its name, it resembled a raven, its feathers a deep blue across its body. However, the plumage from its neck up was mostly black, giving it the appearance of wearing a mask.
"Corvi-squire!"
Despite its new form, it was still the same Rookidee.
With an excited cry, it dove straight into Shiro's arms, the force nearly knocking him off balance. Staggering back a few steps, he barely managed to steady himself before wrapping his arms around the much larger bird, stroking its sleek, sharp feathers.
"Alright, Corvisquire." Shiro chuckled, patting its back.
Its massive wings nearly engulfed him. Before, he could cradle it in his hands, but now it was too large to hold the same way.
"Corvi! Corvi!"
Corvisquire flapped its wings and took to the sky, finally satisfied.
It was thrilled. After all, it had worked so hard to become stronger and finally evolve.
"Gaassss..."
Gastly floated nearby, staring enviously at the newly evolved Corvisquire before glancing down at its own small, shadowy form.
"Don't worry, you'll evolve too someday." Shiro noticed Gastly's emotions right away and held it gently to reassure it.
Gastly bobbed twice in response, but its gaze remained fixed on Corvisquire soaring through the sky.
The newly evolved bird swooped down, then climbed back up, circling effortlessly. It reveled in the newfound power of its wings.
Aside from no longer being able to snuggle in Shiro's arms, everything about this new body—its power, its speed—was far superior.
"Squiiire!"
Then, with another sharp cry, Corvisquire began climbing higher.
Back when it was a Rookidee, it had always wanted to fly higher. But its round body and tiny wings held it back, limiting it to just a few dozen meters.
Now, it could easily ascend hundreds or even thousands of meters into the sky, making it an excellent scout. It could even carry Shiro by the shoulders while flying.
As Corvisquire soared higher, the vast Wild Area unfolded below—an expanse of forests and lakes stretching endlessly. In the distance, dark clouds drifted in, creeping slowly across the sky.
Far beyond that lay an arid desert.
But what stood out the most were the crimson beams of light piercing the sky, scattered throughout the land.
The nearest one was just ahead of the approaching clouds—on the western shore of Lake Axewell.
"Corvi! Corvi-squiiire!"
Corvisquire immediately swooped down, landing in front of Shiro and relaying what it had seen.
Through a series of wing beats and gestures, Shiro quickly pieced together the message.
"You saw a Dynamax den? Near the west side of Lake Axewell?"
"Corv!"
Corvisquire nodded firmly.
Shiro hesitated, glancing at the horizon where dark clouds were steadily rolling in.
It was getting late—evening would arrive soon.
If the rain continued into the night, surviving in the wilderness for the first time would be a real challenge for Shiro.
The safest choice was to set up camp on the eastern shore of Lake Axewell, near the League shop. That way, if anything happened, he could retreat quickly.
"Coorv!"
Noticing Shiro's hesitation, Corvisquire tugged at his coat, pulling him toward the Dynamax energy pillar.
It wanted to go. It wanted to fight.
"Gaassstly!"
Gastly also floated up beside Corvisquire, nodding eagerly in agreement.
To them, this unfamiliar Wild Area was exciting. New terrain, unknown Pokémon—there was so much to explore.
Besides, if things got dangerous, wasn't there still their big, dumb safety net?
"That's right. Even if things go south, Rhyperior has us covered." Shiro nodded, a smirk tugging at his lips.
He had spent a fortune on a tool Pokémon at the Gym level for this exact reason. It'd be a waste not to use it.
With that thought, Shiro waved his hand. "Let's go."
"Corv!"
Hearing his confident tone, Corvisquire eagerly flew behind him, gripping his shoulders with its talons. With a strong beat of its wings, it lifted him into the air.
Shiro felt his body grow light as the treetops dropped away beneath him.
"Gastly!"
Gastly floated excitedly overhead before nestling into his disheveled black hair.
The wind whipped at his clothes, filling his lungs with crisp, cold air. He squinted slightly against the breeze.
The sky had darkened, the earlier blue-and-white hues now replaced by deepening gray. Thick clouds rolled in, creeping closer as they flew.
Far ahead, a towering red pillar of light stretched from the ground to the sky, marking a Dynamax phenomenon.
As they neared, he spotted a red energy dome blanketing a section of forest—Dynamax Zone, a distortion caused by unstable energy.
Not far away, a Pidgeot descended, carrying its trainer. They landed at the dome's edge and entered.
"No Macro Cosmos people here?" Shiro mused, slightly surprised.
The Wild Area was vast, with many of these pillars scattered throughout. Even if Macro Cosmos wanted to control them all, they'd need a ridiculous number of people. Most likely, they only secured key spots, blocking access rather than taking full control.
The last time he encountered a Dynamax phenomenon, it was near Lake Axewell's eastern shore. Macro Cosmos had arrived quickly and driven away the other trainers.
"Let's go down first." Shiro tapped Corvisquire's claws.
With a powerful flap, Corvisquire descended toward the shimmering red dome, carrying him along.
A few meters from the ground, Shiro signaled Corvisquire to release him, landing lightly.
Just ahead, about two meters away, lay the Dynamax zone.
The tangled grass on the ground, along with the air itself, distorted and stretched upward, forming a red barrier.
"I should be able to enter directly, right?" Shiro muttered, uncertain.
He reached out slowly, testing the boundary just as he had seen the other trainer do.
A deep hum rang out, like a distant bell vibrating his skull. His vision wavered for a split second before stabilizing.
Before him stretched a swirling curtain of colorful light.
**
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