"Damn it… for something to go wrong at such a critical moment, Alden…"
Oak slammed the laboratory door shut. Deep down, he wished he could drag Alden over and skin him alive.
He braced both hands on the table, and after calming himself for a while, he picked up the phone again and dialed.
"This is Oak! Hahaha, Westwood, I was just thinking about you… yes, about the Pokédex production right now…"
His voice gradually grew quieter inside the lab.
* * *
A few days later, at the Rowan Research Institute.
While organizing items and supplies in his bedroom, Shiro found the five Poké Balls he had not dealt with earlier. They were the spoils he had taken from Koga.
"Hmm… there should be a black market here too."
He rubbed the back of his neck, put the Poké Balls away, and began thinking about what to do.
Something like a black market… Professor Rowan probably wouldn't know much about it. Asking him might only make him suspicious.
After some thought, he went to find Cynthia.
In the Grass Zone, she was still training her Garchomp.
"Cynthia, do you know… in Jubilife City, are there any channels or places where Pokémon knowledge can be bought or sold?" Shiro asked, choosing his words carefully.
"Oh?" She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then pursed her lips slightly. "Do you… know about the Hunters Guild?"
"The Hunters Guild? Of course I do!"
Shiro nodded.
"Do you know where it is?"
"Mm…" Cynthia gave a light smile, then quietly told him the location of the Hunters Guild in Jubilife City before explaining, "Most trainers know about it. After all, the Hunters Guild controls almost all underground markets outside of Kanto. If you want to conduct illegal trades, that's the place to go."
"Alright, thanks."
With that, Shiro turned and left.
Cynthia watched him for a moment, puzzled. She couldn't understand why a researcher and Champion would be looking for the Hunters Guild. Logically speaking, the Galar League should cover all his needs.
But it had nothing to do with her.
Besides, everyone knew that in Sinnoh, the Hunters Guild pretty much operated legally.
She soon took out her Poké Balls and continued training.
* * *
After packing his bag in the bedroom, Shiro arrived at the entrance of the Rowan Research Institute. He walked out of Sandgem Town, and only after reaching a forest path did he release Corviknight, flying straight toward Jubilife City.
"Cooorv!"
With Corviknight flying at full speed, they reached the outskirts of the city in just fifteen minutes.
This was not Shiro's first time there. He jogged into the city with ease, then casually stood by the roadside and raised his hand to stop a taxi.
"Where to, young man?" the middle-aged driver with a beer belly turned around.
Shiro handed over one thousand Pokédollars and said, "Third Street, shop number 420."
"Alright…"
The driver took the money and turned toward Third Street.
Though it was called Third Street, it was actually a narrow alley squeezed between the city's First and Second main streets. A taxi could barely pass through.
When they arrived at a small fishing gear shop, Shiro got out of the car, and the driver drove away.
It was quite unreasonable for a fishing shop to be located here. This alley resembled an urban village. Some people living here had never even seen a Water-type Pokémon, let alone used fishing gear.
Several fishing rods leaned crookedly at the entrance. Inside, behind a worn dark-brown counter with peeling paint, an elderly woman lifted her head slightly from the table, her eyes half-closed.
"Looking to buy fishing gear?"
"Buying fish," Shiro replied.
The old woman slowly pulled out a black-and-white ticket from the cabinet and rubbed it with her hand.
Shiro placed a one-thousand Pokédollars "toll fee" into her palm.
"That's fine." She handed over the ticket and slumped back down. "Go straight to the very back. Just keep going forward."
After saying that, she seemed to fall asleep again and made no further sound.
Shiro examined the ticket carefully. It felt roughly made, and if someone used psychic power to replicate the materials, it would be easy to produce an identical one.
Of course, it wasn't worth much anyway.
He casually stuffed it into his pocket and moved forward as instructed.
The inside of the shop was cluttered. Various items were piled up on both sides like small hills, though a narrow path had been forcibly cleared in the middle.
There were no lights ahead, and it was very dim.
Using his psychic ability to probe, Shiro discovered a small door at the end, covered by a curtain.
After lifting the curtain and stepping inside, he found another dark passage, but this time with stairs going downward. Anyone careless would definitely trip and fall.
Shiro felt like he walked down for about two minutes before reaching the bottom.
After passing through a straight corridor, he reached another curtain-covered doorway, where warm yellow light seeped through the fabric.
Shiro was about to enter, but suddenly stopped.
Thinking for a moment, he took out the familiar black cloak and put it on, covering his face before moving forward.
Lifting the second curtain, the space beyond was brightly lit, revealing a scene as lively as a bustling market. Noisy chatter filled the air, and the people inside made no effort to conceal themselves. They showed their faces openly while trading, completely unconcerned about privacy.
"Please stop!"
A rough voice came from the side.
Shiro turned his head and saw a burly man, nearly two meters tall, standing there with an Intermediate-level Monferno perched on his shoulder.
The man said nothing more. He simply took out a delicate card reader from his pocket.
The device left Shiro slightly stunned.
That old woman hadn't said anything about swiping a card. Could that ticket even be used like this?
As he hesitated over whether to take out the ticket and try, the burly man frowned, put away the card reader, and instead pulled out a precise rectangular scanner.
Beep!
The device lit up green.
The man's expression immediately changed. He straightened up and respectfully said, "Lord W, please come with me…"
"…"
Shiro was completely confused now. 'Did they already discover my identity as the Galar Champion?'
But why call him W?
Then he remembered. He did have a W-shaped metal ornament on him, something he had taken as loot from Felix.
Was it related to the Hunters Guild?
But the Hunter G he had encountered before didn't have anything like this…
As he pondered, the burly man led him around the marketplace and through a hidden side door, then up a set of stairs. They passed through a corridor and entered a room marked with a "W" at the top.
The room was simply furnished, with only a sofa and a coffee table.
"Lord W, I am Alger. What are your orders?"
The burly man had already recalled his Monferno and bowed slightly.
Shiro did not respond. After scanning the entire room, he slowly raised his hand.
A surge of psychic light burst forth instantly.
**
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