Drakloak slipped into the shadows as Shiro walked over to the traveling merchant.
Renji sat with one leg crossed over the other. He raised his chin and pointed toward the direction of the explosion, then said, "Want the full scoop on those blasts? Ten thousand Pokédollars. What do you say?"
Shiro glanced briefly at the faint trail of black smoke in the distance and asked in return, "Why would I even need to know what's going on over there?"
Renji froze for a second. The arm he'd extended slowly dropped as he scratched the back of his head, eyes darting around as if searching for the right words. Then he tried, "Well… knowing is better than not knowing, right? Unless you're planning to leave the Wild Area right away."
"What, staying here means I'll get caught in it?" Shiro scoffed. "Are they planning to blow up the whole Wild Area?"
Growing a little anxious, Renji quickly explained, "You just came from Lake of Outrage, so you don't know. Two members of the Wild Area Elite Four are already driving trainers out of the Stony Wilderness. Looks like they're planning something big."
"And what does that have to do with me?" Shiro turned and walked away, uninterested in getting tangled up in whatever mess was brewing.
If Wild Area trainers wanted to blow up a mountain, let them. It wasn't like the mountain belonged to him. He'd already finished his job of helping Drakloak get home. The rest of his time was meant for battling and training. He had no reason to waste any of it on things that had nothing to do with him.
He had good Pokémon, enough resources, and a solid training plan. There was no need to act like a scavenger, sniffing around for trouble just to feel involved.
The Gym Challenge was just around the corner. He needed to make sure he could completely crush Piers.
"Hey, hey! Bro! Big guy!" Renji came jogging up behind him, hunched over and full of apologies. "Alright, my bad, okay? I'll give it to you for five thousand. It's insider info, something only Wild Area Elite Four would know..."
Shiro stopped and turned, giving the man a cold stare.
This kind of shady intel trade relied completely on the seller's credibility, and Renji was anything but trustworthy. The guy had already proven himself a scammer when selling Pokémon to others. If he gave him money now and got a bunch of nonsense in return, there'd be no way to confirm anything.
"I don't want your shady info," Shiro said sharply. "Stop following me. If you've got time to chase me, go find someone else to sell to. Maybe you'll actually make some money."
Renji stood there in silence, stunned. After a few seconds, he gave up and turned away, walking off without another word.
Meanwhile, Shiro headed straight for the grasslands close to Hammerlocke.
Since there were problems in the Stony Wilderness and plenty of water inside that area, he decided not to train there. Instead, he aimed for the section closer to the city.
It was relatively safe. On the flat land near Hammerlocke, there was a self-organized gathering spot for trainers.
The grassy zone stretched wide, lush with thick green blades that nearly reached Shiro's elbows. Standing in it, all he could see was an endless sea of green.
No one knew how many Pokémon lurked hidden within, living their quiet lives among the stalks. But overall, they tended to be on the weaker side. Macro Cosmos, the Dragon family, and even average Wild Area trainers had long forbidden any overly strong Pokémon from inhabiting this zone.
After all, imagine a rookie trainer stepping into the grass for the first time, only to be ambushed by a pack of Drapion lying in wait—poisoned to death in seconds, then dragged into the brush to be torn apart.
Even experienced Advanced-level trainers could make a fatal mistake here. One careless step and they might stumble right into the nest of a well-hidden wild Pokémon.
Pushing aside the thick grass ahead, Shiro released Corvisquire, who perched calmly on his shoulder. Haunter and Drakloak vanished into invisibility, flanking him from front and back. He then pulled out his communicator, scanning the surrounding area for suitable Pokémon groups that could serve as training opponents for Haunter, Growlithe, and Vibrava.
Vibrava, in particular, needed work. Though it looked drastically different after evolving and had gained a Dragon typing, its personality remained the same as before. It still only got along well with the enthusiastic Growlithe.
Corvisquire was always cold and aloof. Haunter and Growlithe occasionally chatted with their big brother. Haunter was slick and smooth-talking, able to maintain good relations with everyone. Growlithe, simple-minded as it was, got along with others just as easily.
As for Dreepy and Drakloak, they didn't care much about socializing. Their greatest pleasure was simply eating their fill and sleeping afterward.
"Hmm... south side of the Hammerlocke Hills, near Giant's Cap... looks like there's an Advanced-level Bronzong cluster? Steel and Psychic types. That could work," Shiro muttered, signaling Corvisquire to move.
The bird immediately understood and grabbed Shiro by the shoulder, flying off toward Giant's Cap.
This rocky area lay between Lake of Outrage on the far west side and the Dusty Bowl to the east. Massive boulders resembling stone hats littered the area, giving the place its name: Giant's Cap.
The wild Pokémon inhabiting this place were mostly beyond Advanced-level. Unless a trainer was especially powerful, they'd never think of setting foot here, let alone provoking the creatures within.
Corvisquire and Shiro soon emerged from the grassy fields. From above, they could glimpse the shimmering surface of Lake of Outrage in the far distance, its edge lined with soft grass and sparse woodland. As they flew eastward, the vegetation below began to thin. Tall grasses gave way to dry, brittle tufts, eventually becoming patches of withered earth.
Finally, they saw damp, brownish soil scattered with rain-soaked boulders, each one immense and rough-edged.
The land here was wide and desolate, save for several ancient bells lying dormant against the ground. Their intricate patterns were vivid and ornate.
Under normal circumstances, these Bronzong would be hovering in midair, drifting aimlessly. But now they lay still, as if in slumber. Something clearly wasn't right.
Corvisquire lowered Shiro gently to the ground.
Frowning at the strange sight, he stepped forward, considering whether to have Corvisquire strike one to test its condition. But before he could act, the low rumble of engines echoed across the stone field.
Shiro hurriedly retreated to the edge of Giant's Cap, motioning for Haunter to go invisible and scout ahead while he recalled Corvisquire into its Poké Ball.
Vrrrrr—
Six off-road vehicles screeched to a stop among the huge boulders. One by one, trainers in black cloaks leapt out, their faces completely obscured. Without uttering a word, they began pulling out Poké Balls and tossing them toward the dormant Bronzong.
'These guys aren't from Macro Cosmos... but they're not ordinary Wild Area trainers either,' Shiro thought, gesturing for Haunter to try and capture one of them for interrogation.
If they were part of the company, there was no way they'd be covering their faces. Macro Cosmos members practically showed off their insignia like medals and swaggered around wherever they went. With the company's influence, capturing a few Bronzong, or even causing chaos openly in the Wild Area wouldn't be questioned by anyone.
These cloaked figures clearly weren't acting in the open. They were the kind who didn't want to be seen. And considering what Renji had said about Wild Area trainers being driven out of the Stony Wilderness, this made things even more suspicious.
Normal Wild Area trainers would never operate with such discipline, much less move in coordinated convoys.
Which meant… these people probably weren't from Galar.
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