Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

The receptionist handed Aoki a golden star engraved with two stars and said, "Hello, all the Pokémon have been matched. The total points earned amount to 900,000. Including the tasks you previously submitted, the total is now 1.1 million points. You've exceeded the one-million threshold and have been successfully promoted to a Two-Star Hunter. Please keep your new medal safe."

Having learned from the last evaluation, the receptionist had carefully examined the Pokémon this time, ensuring there were no unexpected traits like the Hustle Nidoran. Fortunately, all evaluations proceeded smoothly, and the pricing calculations were straightforward.

Aoki reviewed the task summary: the light-green Ekans had been purchased for 400,000 Pokecoins. The eight Nidoran-line Pokémon fetched another 400,000, while the wild Mankey he had caught en route to Ecruteak City was worth 100,000. Although the buying prices were lower than market rates, it was expected when dealing with the Hunter Guild. Selling Pokémon directly in the black market could yield higher profits, but Aoki didn't have the time to set up a stall and negotiate. More importantly, submitting Pokémon through the Guild provided equivalent points alongside the Pokecoins, making the trade-off worthwhile.

With this transaction, Aoki's total balance now stood at 2.4 million Pokecoins, though some had already been spent elsewhere.

The biggest advantage of being a Two-Star Hunter was the ability to accept up to three missions at once, along with access to higher-tier quests that offered greater rewards and more significant challenges. Aoki found an empty terminal, swiped his Hunter ID, and browsed the available two-star missions.

Since his next destination was Mahogany Town, he looked for quests that aligned with Pokémon he might encounter en route. The list of two-star missions was noticeably shorter than those for lower ranks, but he eventually selected two: one requiring the capture of a Swinub and another targeting an Onix.

Mahogany Town was small, almost more of a village than a city. Surrounded by towering mountains, some of which remained frozen year-round, the area was home to many Ice-type Pokémon, including Swinub. Onix, being a Rock-type, was also relatively easy to locate in the rugged terrain.

With his business at the Hunter Guild complete, Aoki turned his attention to preparing for the journey ahead. He visited a supply shop to replenish essential items like healing sprays and ordinary Pokéballs, spending a mere 10,000 Pokecoins—a trivial amount considering his current finances.

He then stopped by an intelligence broker in Ecruteak's black market, purchasing information on potential Onix habitats. While there, he also inquired about the Meditation Bead that his system had analyzed as a tool to accelerate Psychic power training. However, even among the well-connected merchants, no one had any knowledge of such an item. If even intelligence traders were unaware of its existence, Aoki began to wonder whether the Meditation Bead was real at all.

Passing through Team Rocket's hidden transport system, he returned to the small room he had used before. Ensuring no one was around, he changed back into his League Trainer uniform and removed his mask. Once he emerged from the Rocket storefront, the moon was already high in the sky. The streets were quiet, save for a few late-night wanderers, and Aoki made his way to the luxury hotel he had booked.

Despite the empty streets, the hotel remained brightly lit. As he entered, a receptionist greeted him politely, offering assistance, but Aoki declined and headed straight to his room.

Once inside, he released all his Pokémon. If space allowed, he preferred keeping them outside their Pokéballs. Though modern Pokéballs provided ample room, there was still a sense of confinement that Aoki sought to avoid.

For the first time in days, he skipped evening training. While traveling in the wild, he had remained constantly vigilant, always wary of surprise attacks from wild Pokémon. His team had been equally on edge. Even with Gastly standing guard, a moment of true relaxation had been rare.

Tonight was different. Rather than training, Aoki opted for a full-body massage session for his Pokémon, using techniques he had learned in his past life. It helped ease muscle tension, reducing the risk of hidden injuries caused by rigorous battles and training.

As Aoki worked, his newest companion, the Scorupi, stirred for the first time. The small Pokémon blinked its bright blue eyes and, after glancing around curiously, clambered down Aoki's arm. The other Pokémon, afraid of accidentally harming the tiny creature, stiffened as it crawled onto them.

Miltank, the only female in the group, instinctively took on a nurturing role. She gently lifted Scorupi from Slowpoke's back, produced a bottle of fresh milk, and held it to the little Pokémon's mouth. Scorupi sniffed at the milk before eagerly drinking, its eyes narrowing in contentment.

Surrounded by the scent of fresh milk and the presence of its new teammates, Scorupi showed no signs of distress. The other Pokémon had picked up Aoki's scent over time, and this familiarity put the young Scorupi at ease.

Under the calming atmosphere, the night passed peacefully—a rare moment of quiet before the challenges ahead.