Walking slowly along the forest path, Sieg left behind a trail of uneven footprints on the soft earth. He finally came to a stop beneath a lush, towering tree.
Cautiously, he peeked through the leaves, eyes locking onto a Pokémon nestled within the shrubbery ahead.
It was a Wurmple, one of the most common Pokémon in Hoenn.
These little bugs were everywhere in Hoenn's wild forests, much like the Caterpie of Kanto. They sat firmly at the very bottom of the food chain.
The Wurmple was happily munching on a fresh patch of bark, completely absorbed in its feast. Its twin tail spikes curled slightly as it tore through the tree's outer layer, sending bits of bark and sweet sap dripping to the ground.
"Murkrow, use Gust."
A dark-feathered crow shot out from the branches overhead. With a powerful flap of its wings, it summoned twin blasts of wind.
"Caw!"
A faint, blue aura shimmered through the air as a black streak lashed forward. Before the Wurmple could even react, the blow struck it dead on.
"Yoo~!"
The Wurmple shrieked in pain. Blood oozed slowly from the gash torn across its small body.
Naturally timid, the Wurmple immediately tried to scurry away in a frantic attempt to survive.
But Sieg wouldn't allow it to flee so easily.
"Murkrow, no mercy, use Peck!"
Murkrow's beak glinted sharply as it soared high, then dove down like a black arrow. The pointed beak drove hard into the Wurmple's body.
The little bug collapsed to the ground, riddled with wounds, a faint look of pleading flickering in its eyes.
Sieg's voice came again, as cold as ever, without the slightest trace of emotion.
"Keep attacking. Finish it off."
The laws of survival in the wild were simple, only the strong live, the weak perish.
This wasn't some warmhearted training exercise. Sieg had brought these two Pokémon here to taste blood.
Murkrow flapped its wings in midair, hesitating. It glanced at Sieg, then back at the injured Wurmple lying on the ground. For a moment, something like pity passed through its eyes.
But that moment passed.
Faced with Sieg's expressionless, unrelenting gaze, Murkrow acted. The sharp beak struck again. And again. Until the Wurmple's body ceased all movement.
"Eevee… Ee…"
Beside him, the little Eevee sobbed silently. Her fluffy ears folded over her eyes, trying to block out the sight. But the coppery scent of blood in the air was unmistakable, and it sent tremors of fear through her small frame.
Overwhelmed by terror, she finally retreated into her Pokéball, unwilling to remain outside a moment longer.
Sieg let out a quiet sigh, a trace of satisfaction glinting in his eyes. In a world like this, where the forests could eat you alive, there was no room for compassion.
"They still need to toughen up," Sieg murmured. Perhaps he had been a little too aggressive.
Murkrow, being a crow Pokémon, was naturally cunning, vicious, and bloodthirsty. It adapted quickly to the brutality of combat.
"But Eevee..." He sighed again, shaking his head. "I'll have to talk to her later."
After cleaning up the traces of battle around them, Sieg resumed his journey toward Verdant Cavern.
He remained in the forest for more than a day, dedicating that time mainly to training Murkrow.
With each Pokémon it defeated, Murkrow grew stronger, its understanding of the survival-of-the-fittest law deepening. It moved faster, struck harder, and hesitated less. As if it were born for bloodshed, the crow Pokémon adapted with chilling ease.
Murkrow had been baptized in battle. Its eyes now glinted with a sharp, menacing light that could drive off timid Pokémon with a single glance.
Its level was rising at a remarkable pace. It had already reached Level 13.
"Finally out," Sieg muttered, smiling as he spotted the faint tire and boot tracks marking civilization. "Not as exhausting as crossing the Petalburg Woods, but still... training Murkrow on the road isn't exactly a picnic."
"Caw..."
Murkrow gave a low, raspy cry, flapping its wings excitedly.
After a moment of thought, Sieg decided against walking any further. He reached into his spatial backpack and pulled out a foldable mountain bike, then hopped on and began riding toward Verdant Cavern.
Along the way, he finally saw signs of people. Most of them carried pickaxes or shovels.
They were clearly heading for the same place as Sieg, Verdant Cavern, but unlike him, they looked like professional prospectors here to mine or dig for rare stones.
"Finally, almost there. Those green tents up ahead, they've got to be the gem-gambling shops!"
Sieg raised his monocular, scanning the tents sprawled ahead. He brushed the dust from his clothes and pedaled forward.
A young man with black hair, riding a bicycle and trailed by a dark Murkrow, naturally caught people's attention along the path.
But most only gave him a glance before looking away. Although Sieg's clothes were a bit worn, the adventurer's outfit on him wasn't fake.
Still, even so, something unexpected happened.
A woman in a blue police uniform, with a well-proportioned figure, pulled up on a motorcycle and blocked Sieg's way.
"Hello, Trainer. Please show your League identification. If I'm disturbing you, I apologize in advance."
With long legs and a commanding presence, the Officer Jenny dismounted, flashed her badge, and politely requested Sieg's documents.
Her alluring eyes held a hint of scrutiny. At her side, a Growlithe dashed up and began sniffing Sieg intensely.
Of course, a city had more than one Officer Jenny or Nurse Joy. This particular Jenny was stationed at the gate to Verdant Cavern, checking any trainer seeking entry.
After all, Verdant Cavern was unusual. It wasn't exactly a wilderness area, nor was it part of a city, and it hadn't been designated as a protected zone by the League either.
"Hello, Officer Jenny. Here's my ID card. Thank you for going through the trouble of checking."
Sieg's voice was quiet and weary as he pulled his identification from his coat and handed it over.
Officer Jenny took out a strange little machine. She pressed Sieg's card against it and it beeped sharply.
After examining the information that appeared on the screen, her vigilant expression finally softened.
"A direct League-affiliated trainer? With Level-2 clearance no less?"
Surprise flashed across her beautiful face. When she spotted the investment certificate from the Joy family, her gaze lingered on Sieg even longer.
Returning the ID, she said with an apologetic tone, "I'm terribly sorry, Trainer Sieg. It's standard protocol. Lately, there've been criminals sneaking into Verdant Cavern."
She explained, which was rare, normally she didn't give even a polite nod to regular trainers.
Sieg didn't say much, simply nodded, then turned toward the tent area.
"Thanks for your time, Officer Jenny. I'm exhausted, so I'll take my leave now."
He mounted his bike again and pedaled away.
"Arf arf arf!!"
Growlithe barked after him.
Jenny watched Sieg's back disappear into the distance, muttering to herself, "Growlithe, you said he smelled like blood?"
She had noticed it too. But without proof, there was no point. Wasting time wasn't part of the job.
After all, killing or capturing Pokémon in the wild was a tacitly accepted practice among League trainers.
In the wilderness, League laws were far too weak to enforce.
Jenny returned to her post just as two more trainers arrived along the path. This time, she interrogated them thoroughly.
They were just civilian trainers, not even affiliated with the League.
Eventually, with some not-so-subtle hints from Officer Jenny, the two discreetly slipped her a couple of League coins in exchange for permission to pass.
"Hehe, it's not quite as cushy as working in the city, but side hustles like this are still profitable."
She pocketed the League coins with practiced ease and went back to waiting for the next trainer.
"Hey you, stop right there! Please show your ID."