Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

Aoki is familiar with the main commodities in various regions of the black market.

After walking out of the alley, he went directly to the Pokémon sales area. When he was a Pokémon hunter in his previous life, he often visited here, and it was also a little-known Pokémon hunter hotspot.

Different from the previous held items area, the Pokémon sales area was very noisy, with people dressed in various costumes mixed into the crowd.

There were several iron cages at the entrance of each store. The cages held relatively rare Pokémon, and the relatively rare Pokémon from various regions could be seen here.

Although the Pokémon in the cages were listless and lazy, there were still many onlookers pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of each Pokémon.

Here, you could often see the starter Pokémon from various regions. They were also very unspirited, but they attracted more attention. All of these stores were larger, and the variety of Pokémon they sold was relatively extensive.

Some shop workers stood in front of their stores, pulling at passersby to lure them in. To those unaware, it might seem like they were engaging in something illicit, but it was simply a tactic to attract customers.

There were often people who tried to stop Aoki, urging him to enter their shop.

It was not that these stores lacked variety—many housed rare Pokémon, and even the elusive pseudo-legendary Pokémon could sometimes be found. However, the Pokémon in these stores often lost their wild instincts after special training. Even if purchased, they were often useless in battle.

Although Aoki's goal was to buy a Miltank, even if it was just for milk production, he was not willing to make a hasty purchase.

If he could find a suitable Miltank, Aoki would train it diligently. However, if he couldn't, he would consider buying one purely as a milk producer.

He walked straight to a shop deeper in the street. There were several iron cages at the entrance, but the steel bars on these were noticeably thicker. The Pokémon inside glared at passersby with hatred, and anyone who tried to get too close was intimidated by their wild nature.

This was the only store in Saffron City's black market known to Aoki that sold completely untamed Pokémon. It was a favorite among those who sought ultimate strength in their Pokémon, but for people who saw Pokémon as mere toys or goods, this shop was not suitable.

At the entrance, there was no greeter, no one in revealing clothes—just a black iron door.

Aoki didn't hesitate. He reached out and pushed the iron door open. Along with the unpleasant sound of metal scraping, he stepped inside.

The store had no extravagant decorations or flashing lights. Only a few candles flickered dimly. The aisles were lined with cages, each containing a wild, untamed Pokémon.

Ignoring the various sounds from the Pokémon, Aoki strode to the back.

Two minutes later, he arrived at the counter. A woman in black leather sat behind it, calmly applying lipstick despite the beast-like screams of the Pokémon around her.

Noticing someone had entered, she put away the lipstick, wiped off the excess with her slender finger, and pocketed the small mirror.

She glanced at Aoki and smirked, her seductive voice breaking the tense atmosphere. "Oh? A new customer?"

Her eyebrows arched, and under the candlelight, a slight dimple appeared on her clear, pale cheek. She propped her head up with a slender hand and leaned against the counter lazily. "Did you wander in by accident, or did someone recommend this place?"

She didn't wait for Aoki's answer. As he approached the counter, her small nose wrinkled slightly, and her expression shifted to one of surprise. "Blood? You seem like you've had a rough time. That means you didn't wander in by accident. Do you know the rules of this shop?"

"I do," Aoki responded hoarsely, his voice making it difficult to determine his age.

Many might not know who truly owned this store, but Aoki did.

The owner behind this Pokémon shop was the largest Pokémon hunter organization in Kanto—the Hunter's Guild. Every Pokémon in the cages was captured by guild members. They were left untamed because the guild believed that only Pokémon with their wild instincts intact were truly valuable.

The seemingly delicate woman in front of him was the store manager, but her appearance was deceiving. She was a registered Pokémon hunter in the Hunter's Guild, with strength rivaling an Elite trainer.

Aoki also knew the rules she referred to: once a Pokémon was purchased, there were no refunds. Additionally, no matter what kind of Pokémon a customer saw, they were forbidden from discussing it after leaving the store. If a customer was caught breaking this rule, they would be blacklisted from all Hunter's Guild shops and, in severe cases, even hunted down by guild members.

Many Pokémon in this shop were obtained through various means—some were stolen from League-protected reserves, while others were taken from the underworld or even from rival dark organizations.

If the origins of these Pokémon were leaked to the League or other dark groups before being sold, it would drastically impact their final sale price.

Of course, these were just the lesser Pokémon. Truly rare Pokémon were never placed in this store; instead, they were sold through exclusive auctions. All regular customers of the Hunter's Guild received invitations, as did high-ranking members of various underground organizations.

The Hunter's Guild was one of the strongest underground factions in Kanto, with only the League and Team Rocket standing above them. Other organizations, at best, were their equals. The Hunter's Guild's auctions were a major event in the underworld.

Team Rocket, the largest dark organization in Kanto, had close ties with the Hunter's Guild. Trainers like Aoki received Pokémon from the guild for free during each stage of their trials, ensuring that the Pokémon they encountered were untamed.

Understanding this revealed just how deeply intertwined the Hunter's Guild and Team Rocket truly were. However, the exact nature of their relationship remained a mystery.