Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

"Just this one," Aoki thought silently.

Originally, the plan was just to get a large Miltank to provide nutritious milk for all the Pokémon in the team and to prepare in advance for the forthcoming Skorupi.

Ignoring the curious gazes of the five large Miltank, Aoki stared at the cage label of the one he had chosen.

Number: 85679, Pokémon: Miltank, Qualification: Advanced, Training Value: Medium, Price: 500,000 Pokecoins!

"500,000 Pokecoins." Aoki noted the price. Aside from the highest-ranked Miltank priced at 600,000, this was the most expensive one.

However, considering its qualifications and abilities, the price was relatively reasonable. Slightly high, but still within Aoki's acceptable range.

On Trial Island, a green-qualified Caterpie had been purchased for 20,000 points.

Of course, the value of Pokémon like Miltank couldn't be compared to something as common as Beedrill, and the ratio of Pokecoins to points wasn't fixed.

After making the decision, Aoki pressed the red button at the entrance and waited quietly with his arms crossed.

After a while, a woman in a black leather coat entered, swaying confidently.

"Made your choice so soon? Which one?" she asked with a smile.

"This one. Here's the bank card." Aoki gestured toward the Miltank and handed over the black bank card he had just received.

The woman in the leather coat gave Aoki a surprised look, then took the anonymous bank card. "Good eye."

She pulled out a card reader from a piece of space equipment, skillfully input the transaction amount, and swiped the card. After a "beep," 500,000 Pokecoins were deducted.

She then took out a standard Pokéball, and with a flash of red light, recalled the chosen Miltank inside.

She handed the Pokéball and the bank card back to Aoki, her voice smooth and magnetic as she said, "These are your belongings. I hope to see you again soon~~ My name is Rose, remember~~"

When she said "Oh," she deliberately drew out her voice.

Hearing this, Aoki felt a slight headache.

A typical customer might be swayed by Rose's charm and do something reckless, but Aoki, knowing who she really was, wouldn't be fooled for a second.

The name Rose suited her—she was covered in thorns. Anyone who got too close would end up worse than just scratched.

A quasi-Elite-level trainer like her could easily teach overconfident men a painful lesson.

Her flirtatious demeanor was just a disguise.

Ignoring her act, Aoki took the bank card and Pokéball from her. After a brief hesitation, he said, "I want to register as a member of the Hunters' Guild and pick up a few tasks."

At Aoki's words, Rose's hand, mid-way through applying lipstick, froze. The charming smile on her face faded as she gave Aoki a long, scrutinizing look before murmuring coldly, "A hunter?"

The Hunters' Guild was an underground organization, but its members weren't tightly bound. Aside from those raised within the guild from childhood, most hunters merely registered their identities to take on jobs as needed, with no real obligations.

Because of this, hunters were spread across different regions. Each area had a few designated spots, and this shop was one such location. In addition to selling captured Pokémon, it also served as a hub for hunters and issued capture missions.

In Aoki's past life, his first encounter with the Pokémon Hunter profession had been in this very shop in Saffron City, though the store manager at that time hadn't been Rose.

Registering as a guild hunter wasn't a major commitment. Even without registration, hunters could still sell captured Pokémon to the guild. However, registered hunters gained access to exclusive guild-issued missions.

Aoki had made his first real fortune as a Pokémon Hunter in his past life. Naturally, he wouldn't abandon such a lucrative opportunity in this one.

As long as one had enough strength and a keen eye for talent, becoming a Pokémon Hunter was a fast way to accumulate wealth.

Although money wasn't an issue for Aoki at the moment, the higher a Pokémon's level, the more resources it required. Costs would only continue to grow.

This was just a step in preparation for the future.

Aoki nodded silently, not bothering to say more.

Rose rolled her eyes at him before resuming her lipstick application. When she finished, she pouted. "Thought you were just some rookie, but turns out you're already a hunter. How dull."

Without another word, she led Aoki deeper into the store.

The two walked in silence for nearly five minutes.

At the end of the corridor, Rose pushed open a massive iron door, revealing a spacious hall before Aoki's eyes.

Unlike the dimly lit store, the hall was lavishly decorated. People bustled in and out, each wearing a medal on their chest.

Some bore three stars, others one, and a select few had a sun emblem. Judging from the wary glances cast their way, those individuals were undoubtedly the strongest in the room.

Around the hall, teleportation points flickered. Every minute or so, someone would step onto one and vanish, while others arrived in hurried succession.

This was the primary mode of transportation for registered Hunters' Guild members—utilizing Pokémon teleportation to move between fixed points.

However, these teleportation points were only accessible to registered hunters, and even then, only a select few locations were revealed initially.

For example, upon registration, a new hunter would gain knowledge of just three teleportation points within the hall. These basic locations ensured that travel to the main hub was never more than three kilometers away.

The medals worn by each person indicated their rank within the Hunters' Guild. One star for a One-Star Hunter, two stars for a Two-Star Hunter, and so on, up to Seven-Star Hunters—the highest achievable rank within the guild.

The man with the sun emblem wasn't part of this ranking system. Instead, he was a special member of the guild, enjoying privileges beyond even Seven-Star Hunters. Such individuals had the authority to accept any mission and ranked just below the guild branch leaders—the honorary elders of the Hunters' Guild.