Pokémon: Wings Of Shadow

Even though Shiro and Marvin were sitting across from each other, having a decent conversation, Shiro never forgot that the guy in front of him was just a stranger.

They hadn't even known each other for a full day. And despite having been through some danger together, the trust level was still too low.

Marvin's words alone weren't convincing. He spoke in riddles, never explaining the details of his plan or how exactly things would go down.

If Shiro agreed, it would mean sticking with Marvin for the next two months. Marvin would be the one making all the decisions—whether it was disrupting the Gym Challenge or picking fights.

He wasn't about to gamble his life on a stranger's promises. And what would even happen after they sabotaged the Gym Challenge? Would they be hunted across the entire region?

"Don't rush to refuse," Marvin continued, trying to persuade Shiro. "It's a five person Gym Challenge. But as long as one of them gets humiliated on live broadcast—"

"And after that?" Shiro interrupted.

"Shiro..." Marvin grinned with confidence. "We join Macro Cosmos!"

To prove he wasn't making things up, Marvin pulled out an official Macro Cosmos emblem and a company-issued communication device from his bag.

'Join Macro Cosmos?'

Shiro fell into deep thought.

'So sabotaging the Gym Challenge wasn't just Marvin's idea… This had to be coming from Rose himself. But why? Why would he want to interfere with something like this?'

"Leon has to become the champion, and the Gym Leaders aren't exactly compliant." Marvin lowered his voice. "We're backed by Chairman Rose."

"That does sound pretty tempting." Shiro agreed.

Hearing this, Marvin's eyes lit up.

"But I refuse!" Shiro's tone shifted in an instant.

...

The next morning.

On Route 7, east of Hammerlocke, many diligent trainers were already out, challenging each other to battles to strengthen their teams.

With the Gym Challenge coming up in two months, every registered League trainer had the right to block participants mid-route, forcing them into battles to prove whether they were worthy of passing.

The entire battle would be streamed live via drones, making it a perfect chance to appear on television.

Who wouldn't want their family to see them looking heroic on TV?

While trainers were gearing up for battle on the wide, dirt road designated by the League, two figures moved swiftly through the forest beyond the grass and sloping terrain.

"If you agree, after entering Hammerlocke, I can get you a job immediately." Marvin kept rambling, still unwilling to give up.

Even after Shiro rejected him last night, Marvin couldn't accept it and was still pestering him to join.

But Shiro had already made up his mind—he would grow stronger on his own. More importantly, he simply didn't trust Marvin.

"I'll find a job myself once we reach Hammerlocke," Shiro replied.

"Ugh..." Marvin sighed, realizing he had no way to convince him.

Just ahead, beyond the forest, was the Hammerlocke Bridge.

The bridge, a massive structure made entirely of rare stone, had a deep brown hue and spanned over twenty meters in width.

It was one of Hammerlocke's iconic landmarks, always bustling with people.

Once they reached the bridge and blended into the crowd, it would be impossible to tell who was a registered League trainer and who was undocumented.

With such heavy foot traffic, there were no security checks either.

Shiro and Marvin stepped onto the bridge, staying close to the railing as they moved along with the crowd.

On both sides of the bridge, several imposing Corviknight stood tall, their trainers shouting to attract passengers.

As a signature Pokémon of Galar, Corviknight was everywhere in the region, leading to the development of an entire industry—Flying Taxi Services.

For a fee, anyone could ride in a carriage carried by Corviknight and travel freely across Galar.

From wealthy elites to low-ranking trainers, everyone preferred this mode of transportation.

"Corv! Corv!"

One Corviknight had just taken on a passenger. As its trainer secured the rider, the massive bird flapped its wings and soared into the sky, leaving a few black feathers drifting to the ground.

The Corviknights used for transportation were all at the peak of the Advanced level, around level 39 or 40. Due to their limited potential, they remained stuck at this awkward level—not strong enough to reach the Gym level but also not weak enough to return to being the ordinary Rookidee seen on the streets.

Most of the trainers who had caught Rookidee early on and trained them into Corviknight found that their primary Pokémon couldn't improve any further and eventually switched to becoming taxi drivers.

For new trainers, Rookidee was easy to catch and could become quite powerful with training. However, the vast majority of Rookidee that were kept as home birds lacked exceptional potential.

Without top-tier resources, once they exhausted their potential and reached their final evolution, their growth stagnated.

Some trainers, unwilling to accept this, forced their Corviknight into dangerous battles, hoping to push them beyond their limits. Yet, only a few managed to succeed. Most ended up injuring their Pokémon, leaving them unable to fly and condemning them to a life of misery.

"Rooki~"

Shiro's Rookidee poked its head out from his coat, then hopped onto his shoulder, gazing longingly at the Corviknight soaring freely in the sky.

As they walked, Shiro and Marvin crossed the bridge and entered the bustling streets of Hammerlocke.

"Alright, Shiro. Let's part ways here. I have something urgent to take care of." Marvin waved at Shiro, then suddenly remembered something and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "You'll probably need this."

He handed it to Shiro and made his way toward a nondescript café.

Shiro nodded and took the piece of paper, glancing at it.

It read: F307, Hammerlocke, Black Market.

He casually stuffed the paper into his pocket and continued down the sidewalk, curiously observing the city he was seeing for the first time in person.

Hammerlocke had once been the heart of Galar, a place where heavy machinery technology flourished. Though it had since evolved into a city dominated by electric power and precision technology, the industrial city remained well-preserved, showcasing its historical significance.

The city's layout consisted of two levels. The lower level, accessed through the main southern gate, was a bustling commercial area.

At the end of this level, an industrial elevator could take one up to the upper level, where Shiro was now.

At the heart of the upper level was the Hammerlocke Stadium, also known as the Hammerlocke Gym.

Galar held Pokémon battles in high regard, and many gyms also served as stadiums.

The gym leaders of Hammerlocke had always come from a secretive Dragon Taming family, and Shiro didn't recognize the current leader or their name.

As Shiro passed the Pokémon Center, glowing with a soft pink light, he decided to head down to the lower level to look for a job.

For official league trainers, presenting their identity cards at the Pokémon Center meant free treatment and accommodation. But for someone like Shiro, getting thrown out was considered a lucky outcome.

Those who could get into the big cities without being caught were usually wanted criminals. Kind-hearted league trainers might even capture them on sight, making sure to check if there was a bounty first.

Shiro needed to find a job and a place to stay as an undocumented citizen.

Officially, there were no options, but getting into the black market in Hammerlocke might provide the answers he needed.

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