Pokémon: Wings Of Shadow

Shiro could hardly command these four Pokémon.

Especially the strongest one, Noctowl.

Every time Shiro observed it through the Poké Ball, the fierce look on its face made it seem like it wanted to swallow him whole.

The other three had more indifferent attitudes.

They might not attack Shiro if they were released, but they certainly wouldn't obey him.

Whether these captured and seized Pokémon could be commanded depended on strength.

Right now, Shiro's power was insufficient. His only Pokémon, Rookidee, couldn't match them in battle, so he couldn't guarantee his safety.

The best option was to sell them all.

"Heh, right? You have to sell. I'll buy them, no tricks." the hooded man scoffed and added, "One Intermediate-level Pokémon costs 10,000 Pokédollars, and an Advanced-level one goes for 100,000, with the price scaling up from there."

Shiro thought for a moment and asked, "So, do you also sell Pokémon of higher levels at multiple times the price? Like, can a Gym-level Pokémon be bought for a few million Pokédollars?"

"Kid, even if you have the money, do you think you can tame a Gym-level Pokémon? Stop dreaming. Hurry up and take out the Poké Balls so I can calculate the price." the hooded man extended his hand, his voice growing impatient.

For him, dealing with newcomers meant answering endless questions, many of them trivial and repetitive basics.

But Shiro understood that the hooded man hadn't denied the possibility.

Noticing the man's impatience, Shiro decided to just take out the four Poké Balls he intended to sell, placing them on the dry, muddy ground between the weeds.

"Hmm... a total of 130,000 Pokédollars..." The hooded man quickly produced a stack of colorful bills from his sleeve.

"Can I sell this?" Shiro took out the League Card he had obtained from Rabby, handing it to the hooded man.

"Hmm?" The hooded man took the card and gave Shiro a meaningful glance, then said, "Without knowing the password, I can only give you one-fifth of the amount on this card."

"Okay, no problem." Shiro agreed without hesitation.

"Alright, 130,000 plus 100,000, that's 230,000 Pokedollars. You probably need a space backpack produced by Macro Cosmos, right?" The hooded man asked with a follow-up.

"Sure." Shiro nodded firmly.

He had a lot of items on him, and even the food alone took up quite a bit of space. The small bag in his clothes that he had been using was no longer enough. Buying a space backpack was definitely a good choice.

"230,000 minus 30,000, that's 200,000... Do you want to buy one or two more Pokémon? Don't worry, they're all very healthy, and their potential is quite good." the hooded man continued, enjoying the feeling of constant trade.

Shiro thought for a moment before asking, "What Pokémon do you have?"

"Heh, I have Pokémon of all levels. But for the lowest novice level, I only have five that I just got. Let me show them to you." the hooded man said, pulling out five small Poké Balls.

With another wave of his hand, all five Poké Balls were levitated into the air by his psychic power and enlarged. The red tops were facing Shiro, making it easier for him to inspect.

"Grooky, Sobble, Vulpix, Gastly, and Eevee..."

Shiro muttered their names one by one as he examined them. Just as the hooded man had said, all these Pokémon were very healthy. Their eyes were bright and they seemed quite curious about the stranger.

These five Pokémon were all relatively rare, with Grooky and Sobble being part of Galar's native starter line, while the other three—Vulpix, Gastly, and Eevee—were well-known Pokémon from the Kanto region.

Shiro felt a little tempted.

He wasn't particularly interested in Galar's starters, but the remaining three were definitely Pokémon he wanted.

"How much for each?" Shiro asked.

"One hundred thousand each." the man replied, his face hidden beneath the dark red cloak, but it seemed like he was smiling.

"One hundred thousand?" Shiro was a bit incredulous. Advanced level Pokémon were only priced at one hundred thousand, and these were just low-level novice Pokémon.

The hooded man casually explained, "Rare Pokémon with excellent potential. I guarantee there's nothing wrong with them. If you want them, buy them."

Given Shiro's current finances, he could probably only afford one. After thinking for a moment, he made his choice...

"I'll take Gastly!" Shiro said decisively.

"Heh..." The hooded man instantly put the remaining four Pokémon away. "Alright..."

...

Not long after, in the deep forest. The suspicious-looking hooded man disappeared in an instant.

Shiro, with one hand holding a backpack, stuffed the remaining few bills into his pocket.

After buying Gastly, he also picked up some flying-type and ghost-type Pokéblocks. The few Intermediate level Pokéblocks for those two types would last him two to three months, costing him about 80,000 Pokédollars.

He also bought some specialized bone fracture medicine for 10,000 Pokédollars.

Though it was expensive, it worked wonders. After applying it for just ten minutes, the bruises began to heal and the pain had nearly disappeared.

After selling off everything he had taken from Rabby, he was left with just over 10,000 Pokédollars.

Shiro sighed, adjusting his backpack, but he didn't feel too bad about it.

He understood that spending money was necessary to grow stronger. Without investment, he would gain nothing.

That traveling merchant had already done him a favor by taking the time to trade. With his current strength, there was no way he could enter the black market, buy what he needed and leave safely.

"Come out, Gastly!" Shiro took out the newly acquired Poké Ball and released the eager Pokémon inside.

"Gaaas!"

Gastly resembled a small black ball burning with ghostly flames, its mouth wide open and its curious eyes darting around as it hovered near Shiro.

Shiro spoke in a low voice. "Gastly, from today on, I'm your Trainer."

"Gas?" Gastly tilted its head and tried to float above Shiro.

"Your meals depend on me. If you don't listen, I'll lock your Poké Ball shut and you won't be able to come out." Shiro pulled out a purple and black colour Pokéblock from his backpack as he spoke.

Gastly sniffed the scent and immediately floated closer, nodding repeatedly.

"Here." Shiro tossed the Pokéblock, and Gastly eagerly tilted its head back to catch it.

After that, it settled on Shiro's shoulder, following him as he made his way out of the forest.

Descending from the wooded slope and crossing a small patch of grass, Shiro spotted the entrance to Route 9 Tunnel ahead.

He stopped at the edge of the grass, watching from a distance.

Though the Route 9 Tunnel itself was empty, just a passage connecting Route 7 and Route 9, the tunnel wasn't open to just anyone.

Shiro observed for half an hour. Three or four Trainers arrived, each showing their League Card to the security personnel stationed at the entrance, dressed in light blue uniforms.

Just as he was wondering how to get through, Gastly drifted toward his coat, locking eyes with Rookidee curled up inside.

It made a playful face.

"Rook!"

Rookidee, who had been tucked away in Shiro's coat, shot out in an instant, flying up to Gastly with a piercing red gaze, staring at the impudent newcomer.

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