Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

After having a happy dinner, there was a rare lack of evening training today. Aoki put away the Pokémon, returned them to their Pokéballs, and walked out of the hotel directly.

After finding a corner where no one was around, he quickly changed into a Team Rocket uniform, then put on a black robe and a human-skin mask, disguising himself as a Pokémon hunter.

That's right—Aoki was heading to the Hunter Guild tonight to submit a quest and sell the other Pokémon he had collected. It should make him a lot of money.

Night had fallen, and unlike Goldenrod City, people in Ecruteak City were more focused on tradition and religion. If put nicely, they were more laid-back—if put bluntly, they were lazy.

Although it was only seven or eight in the evening, the streets were already sparsely populated.

Dressed in a black robe, Aoki moved through several small alleys, using the cover of darkness to remain unnoticed. He eventually found a very remote, small shop in the southwest corner of Ecruteak City.

A rhythmic knock sounded on the door. After a "click," the door opened.

This was Team Rocket's secret meeting point in Ecruteak City. Aoki had been given this information in advance before he left.

Since Aoki was handling tasks for them, they provided him with certain resources, including this code.

Aoki slipped inside, and the door shut automatically behind him.

The store's layout was simple, and since it was closed to the public, the counter was empty.

The door operated through a hidden mechanism, opening only in response to the special knock pattern.

Aoki wasn't surprised to find the shop deserted. While he hadn't spent much time in Ecruteak City in his past life, he had been here a few times on missions, so he knew about Team Rocket's hidden bases in the area.

In fact, this wasn't the only Team Rocket hideout in Ecruteak City. Aoki knew of three, but Shadow had only given him the code for this one—he couldn't access the other two.

Of course, there were certainly more than just three, but his past identity and rank had only given him access to limited information.

Aoki walked into a back room of the store and inserted his Team Rocket ID card into a slot bearing the Team Rocket emblem.

With the sound of gears shifting and belts rotating, a secret door slowly opened.

Beyond it was a small space with strange patterns drawn on the ground. As Aoki stepped inside, the secret door closed behind him with a heavy thud. Using the dim light, he inserted the ID card into another slot within the confined space.

A familiar wave of psychic energy activated the teleportation pad hidden in the room.

Three seconds later, Aoki vanished.

When his vision cleared, he found himself inside a rocky cave.

This was Ecruteak City's black market!

However, unlike Goldenrod's fully underground black market, Ecruteak City's setup was less advanced.

It wasn't due to a lack of technology, but because Ecruteak City was under tighter League control than Goldenrod City.

While Goldenrod was the largest city in the Johto region, its diverse and sprawling nature made it difficult for the League to maintain complete control. Sometimes, they even had to compromise with underground organizations like Team Rocket and the Hunter Guild.

Ecruteak City, however, was different.

The League maintained absolute authority over Ecruteak, forcing underground groups to operate in the shadows.

The Bell Tower and the Burned Tower were of immense historical and cultural significance. The League couldn't allow them to fall into the hands of underground forces. Even if it meant using all their resources, they were determined to keep Ecruteak under control.

Because of this, Team Rocket had chosen not to challenge the League's dominance here. They had found something more valuable elsewhere.

Unlike the legendary Ho-Oh, whose existence remained uncertain, the legend they pursued had already been proven. As a result, Ecruteak City held little strategic value for Team Rocket.

Despite this, the black market still had its uses, so the League chose to turn a blind eye to its existence rather than wipe it out completely.

However, the market was much smaller in scale and was located in Mt. Tohjo outside the city.

Aoki took in his surroundings. Dim, worn-out bulbs barely lit the cave, but they were enough to make out the path ahead.

He tossed a Pokéball, releasing Murkrow, and together they proceeded deeper into the cavern.

After following the winding cave path for a while, the tunnel opened into a vast underground city, hidden within the mountains.

Pausing briefly, Aoki stepped into the heart of Ecruteak's black market, nestled in Mt. Tohjo.

Compared to Goldenrod's, this black market was significantly smaller, with fewer people moving about.

Another notable difference was that most individuals here were shrouded in large black robes, keeping their identities concealed.

The reason? This black market wasn't just frequented by underground groups—it also attracted trainers with League affiliations and even influential families from Ecruteak City.

The League remained silent about their involvement.

Ecruteak City was a stronghold of tradition and faith in the Johto region, home to many ancient and powerful families. To secure their loyalty, the League had granted them certain privileges, including control over this black market.

That's right—this black market wasn't established by Team Rocket or any other underground syndicate. It was built and maintained by Ecruteak's noble families.

Still, as a black market, it didn't bar Team Rocket or other organizations from participating.

Many shops bore hidden emblems or discreet carvings of family crests. These were businesses operated by Ecruteak's elite families.

Despite its small size, the black market had everything one would expect, with distinct sections for different types of trade.

Aoki made his way to the Pokémon sales area, following the directional signs.

The marketplace bustled with activity—shops and independent stalls mixed together, and merchants shouted out their wares, giving the place an almost chaotic, open-market feel.

However, the Hunter Guild's shop remained unique. Several iron cages were placed outside its entrance, yet no one stood outside to solicit customers.

Unlike the discreetly hidden Hunter Guild in Goldenrod City, this one operated openly. A massive guild emblem hung above the store's entrance.

People moved past in a steady stream. Though most kept their faces hidden beneath their robes, a few wore golden stars pinned to their chests.

These were Star Hunters—elite members of the Hunter Guild.