"Whirr~"

  The sound ears turning echoed in the air as the industrial elevator eg the lower and upper floors of Hammerlocke began to operate.

  This elevator was simply a rge square ptform with a few railings. Once almost full with passengers, it could be operated by the relevant staff to move.

  It was pletely free to use and had bee a unique feature of Hammerlocke.

  Shiro leaned against the edge of the elevator, listening to the casual chatter of the other passengers.

  "There are quite a few partits in this Gym Challenge, huh?"

  "pared to before, there are just one or two more..."

  "Do you think some people got in by using es?"

  "Who knows? Everyorue strength will be revealed in battle, haha."

  "I wonder if that Leon is really ued."

  As they spoke, the elevator shook slightly, and everyone arrived at the lower level of Hammerlocke.

  The visitors, seemingly from other towns, quickly gathered and walked towards a dessert shop, while Shiro stuck close to the edge of the street, ting the store numbers.

  ‘209... 301, 302…’

  Shiro walked past a clothing store and a flower shop, then paused at the entrance of a narrow alley.

  Store number 307 was just ahead, o the dark alley.

  Shiro felt that the alley looked more like the entrao the bck market thaual store.

  "Pokémon Resource Shop..."

  Shiro mumbled to himself, stopping by a tall green pnt pced as decoration in front of the shop.

  The issue was that this shop still had an official Gar League bel, suggesting it was meant for League trainers...

  He worried that if he went inside, he'd be caught and interrogated about where he came from.

  'Is the loarvin gave me reliable?’

  Shiro hesitated.

  Just then, a middle-aged man with shiny hair arrived at the store with a young child, about seven ht years old. The man g Shiro with a look of disdain before pushing the door open aering.

  "Wele!" The shopkeeper's loud voice was clear and unmistakable to Shiro standing outside.

  Peering through the gss door, Shiro saw the middle-aged man browsing the shelves, then heading to the ter to pay.

  The door opened again, and the middle-aged man shot a quice at Shiro, carrying his items in one hand while pulling the child along with the other, before exiting hastily.

  After several days of outdoor travel, Shiro's clothes were covered in mud, his brown coat was a bit dirty, and his hair was messy and tangled. He looked like someone who hadn't had time to tidy up, which made it uandable that people might find him u.

  As Shiro pondered whether to go inside, a voice came from withiore.

  "Hey! What are you standing outside for, friend? Want to e in and take a look?" The round-faced, chubby shopkeeper peeked his head out from behind the door, waving his hand at Shiro.

  The shopkeeper beed him inside.

  After sing the shop quickly and firming that there was no one else except the shopkeeper, Shiro stepped in.

  The shopkeeper, tall and nearly two meters i, had a booming voice. He sat down behind the ter and poio a metal door at the far end.

  "Ohousand Pokédolrs."

  Shiro's eyes shifted slightly, and he pulled out the money, pg it on the ter. The shopkeeper swiftly took the bills.

  Shiro walked fidently toward the metal door and ope.

  Inside itch bck, and nothing could be seen. Shiro had to hold onto the door handle and stand still, his surroundings.

  "Hello." A calm, man's voice echoed from nearby.

  Suddenly, Shiro felt a sharp pull on the door handle. Before he could react, the metal door smmed shut, dragging him inside.

  Shiro instantly gripped the knife hidden in his pocket.

  "Don't be afraid. We're very reputable... It seems you've dealt with us before? You're quite sensitive." The voice tinued with a snap of fingers eg through the room.

  The lights in the room suddenly turned on.

  A figure in a bck cloak sat behind a long table, with a chair across from him.

  One side of the room was lined with a massive mahogany et, with a bck door embedded in its ter.

  But what truly shocked Shiro was the opposite side—a floor-to-ceiling window revealing a vast, unfamiliar ndscape. Below, stretg far beyond his sight, were lush grassnds and vibrant gardens.

  This was definitely not Hammerlocke!

  The moment that snap sounded, he had been transported elsewhere.

  "Psychic power? Teleportation?" Shiro asked in shock as he stood before the window.

  "Mm." The cloaked man nodded slightly, then plimented. "Not bad, you caught on quickly. Some people, when they first arrive, start screaming about illegal detention and demand to be sent back. Hahaha..."

  Shiro remained silent, stepping forward and taking his seat at the table.

  "I expected you to be just as shaken as the others," the man tinued, his tone casual.

  "This is Macro os pany’s headquarters, isn’t it?" Shiro questioned.

  "Correct. And at the same time, the firading hub you’ll ever find."

  Shiro nodded. He had imagihe bck market to be more of a hidden bazaar—people wearing masks to ceal their identities, each setting up their own little stalls for trading.

  "It used to be like that," the cloaked man replied, reading his thoughts with psychic power, "but ever since Chairman Rose uhe market, it evolved into a much safer, more effit, and well-reguted system."

  Notig the wary look in Shiro’s eyes, the man added, "if you don’t wao listen in, I won’t use my abilities."

  "Do people actually enjoy being eavesdropped on?" Shiro retorted.

  "Of course! Ever since we started operating, plenty of fugitives have e here for psychological seling. And we charge for it, mind you... Since you’re a newer—"

  "Enough. I don’t care whether you’re listening or not. I don’t need seling. Let’s get to business." Shiro cut him off.

  "Very well, my dear sir. You may be in need of a League identity card..." The man got straight to the point.

  Shiro narrowed his eyes, skeptical. "A registered League Trainer? You just buy one?"

  "Oh, no, nothing that official. It’s just a civiliay card. But with this, you’ll no longer be a 'ghost' in the system. You’ll be reized as a League citizen. If you tribute enough to the League ter, you eveer your future children as official trainers."

  "How much?" Shiro asked, uo hide his curiosity.

  The so-called "bck market" was essentially an all-purpose store backed by Macro os. With Chairman Rose's support, these trading hubs spread across Gar, anything and everything to meet demand while geing massive profits.

  Normally, one had to visit a Pokémoer or a police station to obtain ay card. But in Gar, you could simply buy one from the bck market, likely the only pce for someone like him.

  "Two huhousand Pokédolrs," replied the man. "Noiable. Fair price for all."

  **

  **

  **

  Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you visit my P@treon:

  P@treon/SilverShark769

  Your support means a lot, thank you!