Pokémon: Wings Of Shadow

Shiro sat against a tree, holding Rookidee in one hand as he tried to massage it.

He had no idea how to properly massage a Pokémon or where to apply pressure, but he adjusted his technique based on Rookidee's reactions, doing his best to relieve its fatigue.

"Rooki~"

Rookidee let out a soft chirp, closing its eyes in comfort as Shiro's fingers worked over the muscles beneath its blue feathers.

At first, he had pressed too hard or in the wrong places, causing Rookidee slight discomfort, but now he had gotten the hang of it.

Once the massage was done, the two of them ate some dry rations before preparing to move on.

Shiro was eager to reach Hammerlocke. He needed to find a job and settle into a relatively stable life.

He had only been in Galar for a few days, and the constant battles and rough travel had left him exhausted.

Right now, all he wanted was a proper bed, one where he could sleep uninterrupted until he naturally woke up

Route 9 had two branches leading in different directions. One path to the west led to Route 9 Tunnel, while the northern path led to Circhester.

Circhester was far too cold. Covered in snow and ice, it was a harsh place for both training and survival. Shiro ruled it out without hesitation.

As he walked toward Route 9 Tunnel, he often spotted trainers standing near trees or lurking in the tall grass, tossing Poké Balls.

Most of them were trainers affiliated with the League. Regardless of their professions, their training and battles were funded by League subsidies, allowing them to move freely.

Shiro avoided them whenever possible, steering clear of any interactions.

These trainers were far stronger than him, at the very least, they were at the Intermediate level. On top of that, they were also responsible for testing challengers who aimed to take on the Gym challenge.

The Galar region's Gym challenge system was very different from those in other regions.

Normally, all it took to enter the League Tournament was an official League ID or sometimes not even that. As long as a trainer defeated eight Gyms and collected the badges, they could participate.

But in Galar, things were different. Just to challenge the Gyms, a trainer needed a Letter of Endorsement. Whether from the League President, the Champion, or a Gym Leader, at least one of them had to vouch for the challenger. Without it, there was no chance of competing in the tournament.

This system cut off most lower-class trainers from rising through the ranks. Even if someone had the strength, they couldn't challenge the Gyms or gain recognition.

That was why many powerful trainers from Galar's lower levels ended up leaving for other regions.

Shiro was planning to do the same.

Once he found a way to support himself in Hammerlocke, he would focus entirely on training his Pokémon. When Rookidee evolved into Corviknight, giving him a reliable means of protection, he would set out to travel and compete in tournaments outside of Galar.

Here, if you didn't have the right connections, you had no future.

'There isn't even an organization like Team Rocket here, just Team Yell, a group that doesn't know what it wants to be.'

Starting out in Galar was the worst possible luck.

"Ugh..."

With that thought, Shiro silently made his way through the trees, avoiding the main road and the many League trainers scattered along the route.

Official battles involved wagers, winning against them would earn him League money. But Shiro wasn't strong enough to win, so avoiding them was the smarter choice.

'Up ahead is Route 9 Tunnel. I need to check if I can pass through directly, or if I'll have to find another way around.'

Just as he was thinking about it, a raspy voice called out from the depths of the forest:

"Oh... Hehehe... Hey, kid. You don't have an ID, do you? Want to make a trade?"

Shiro stopped in his tracks and turned to face the source of the voice. He hadn't noticed anyone hiding there earlier, and even Rookidee hadn't detected anything.

Though Shiro had identified the location, it was hard to spot the figure unless he looked closely.

At that moment, the voice's owner suddenly flickered and appeared right in front of him.

'Teleportation!'

Shiro immediately recognized the distinctive psychic move.

In the world of Pokémon, some humans with special talents could awaken and train psychic abilities. They could use psychic moves, even doing things that psychic Pokémon themselves couldn't.

"Heh, you're not that surprised. Seems like you've seen a bit." the figure said, his face hidden under a dark red hood, his entire body cloaked in a long robe.

He then asked, "Kid, want to trade something?"

"Who are you?" Shiro asked, taking a step back.

In places like this, it wouldn't be surprising if someone died. The psychic user before him was definitely stronger, and if he wanted to kill him and take his things...

"Kid, you're worrying too much." The hooded man's voice was sharp, and he added, "I'm a traveling merchant affiliated with the black market in Hammerlocke. I value credibility. Even if you had a fortune on you, I wouldn't kill or rob."

"Can you hear my thoughts?" Shiro asked, more focused on that than on the man's credibility.

"Of course. That's what psychic powers are for. We can even communicate through telepathy, though it's unnecessary." the hooded man admitted, then continued, "Pokémon, Pokéblocks, evolution stones... whatever you need, I can get it for you."

At his words, Shiro's eyes shifted. He realized the usefulness of this psychic ability for the traveling merchant.

It seemed that all these underground market merchants possessed psychic powers, allowing them to transport goods over long distances. Wherever these merchants were, it was like an entire black market.

It was incredibly convenient, but also expensive. Shiro wondered who had the resources to build an entire supply line.

"Oh? Kid, let me tell you something. The person in charge is the great Chairman Rose!" The hooded man said, raising his arms in praise.

Rose was the current President of the Galar region's League and the Chairman of the largest corporation in the region, Macro Cosmos. Most companies in Galar were likely affiliated with Macro Cosmos.

"It's not quite that exaggerated, but almost." the hooded man added, hearing Shiro's thoughts.

He then asked, "So, kid, do you want to buy something? Or sell something? Some Pokémon can only be obtained by us..." Pointing at the four Pokémon Shiro had taken from Rabby.

Pokémon usually stayed inside their Poké Balls. Unless the ball's switch was open, they couldn't escape unless they were exceptionally strong.

However, some trainers keep the switches open so that their Pokémon can decide to come out at any time. In such cases, the bond between the Pokémon and the trainer is very strong, built on mutual trust.

The four Poké Balls from Rabby were all locked, preventing him from releasing the Pokémon in time during a crucial moment.

The four Pokémon Shiro had acquired were Intermediate-level Dottler, Scraggy, Thievul and an Advanced-level Noctowl.

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