Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

In the early morning of the next day, Aoki simply arranged the backyard and left Fallarbor Town directly.

Sitting on the back of Tropius, he flew towards Verdanturf Town.

Now Tropius completely obeyed Aoki's commands.

Not only because Aoki had mastered his favorite food, but also because the strength of Aoki's Pokémon had increased. As a Pokémon, Tropius naturally respected a capable Trainer.

No matter how much Tropius disliked battles, if Aoki gave an order, he would follow it without hesitation.

However, Aoki was currently focused on training his Pokémon and didn't need endless battles to improve their strength. So, there was little use for Tropius in battle at the moment.

That said, Tropius, with its Chlorophyll ability, was an exceptional choice for long-distance travel. Not only was its back wide and comfortable, but its flight was stable enough for Aoki to travel with ease.

On bright, sunny days, Tropius could fly even faster.

As they traveled through the mountains and forests, they inevitably encountered groups of wild Flying-type Pokémon. Most would scatter upon sensing Tropius' presence, but there were always a few that dared to approach and cause trouble.

Fortunately, aside from Tropius, Aoki also had Honchkrow.

Given Honchkrow's current battle power, if he faced Tropius one-on-one, Tropius would likely lose.

Even though Honchkrow was at Level 34 while Tropius was at Level 40, their difference in potential was vast.

Honchkrow possessed a cyan-tier potential, whereas Tropius only had a Light Green-tier potential—a difference of more than an entire grade.

Moreover, as a Flying-type, Honchkrow had a natural advantage over the Grass-type Tropius.

If its Overconfidence ability was triggered and stacked, combined with the sheer power of Brave Bird, Honchkrow could potentially knock out Tropius in a single blow.

The only thing Honchkrow lacked was a higher level.

Still, whenever wild Pokémon dared to challenge them, Aoki left them to Honchkrow.

The wild Pokémon varied in levels—some allowed Honchkrow to stack Overconfidence, while others did not.

But very few Pokémon could withstand even a single strike from Honchkrow, and there were almost no situations where he needed to use a second attack.

After all, the average wild Pokémon had mediocre potential.

After an hour and a half of flight time, Aoki finally caught sight of Verdanturf Town in the distance.

Compared to Fallarbor Town, Verdanturf Town was much more developed.

Its infrastructure, population, and overall prosperity were on a completely different level.

If not for the surrounding mountains making travel difficult, many people from Fallarbor would have likely moved to Verdanturf by now.

Though situated near a volcano, Verdanturf Town was fortunate in that wind patterns prevented volcanic ash from ever reaching it.

Additionally, thanks to the underground volcanic activity, hot springs were a major attraction in Verdanturf.

Many people visited specifically to enjoy the open-air hot springs, which were said to not only relax the body and mind but also promote longevity.

Before entering Verdanturf Town, Aoki had Tropius land.

His main objective in Verdanturf was related to the underground market, so he preferred to keep a low profile.

Wearing his League Trainer outfit and a cap, he silently made his way into town without attracting attention.

After navigating through several alleyways, Aoki effortlessly located the entrance to the underground market.

Verdanturf's underground market was carved directly into the mountains, with an extensive network of tunnels forming the marketplace. It was as if someone had hollowed out an entire mountain to establish a hidden economy within it.

Aoki didn't concern himself too much with the various factions operating within the underground market.

After changing into a black robe, he stepped inside.

He then summoned Sneasel and silently walked through the market's crowded streets.

Taking out his phone, he dialed Kaitou's number.

Almost instantly, Kaitou picked up, and they arranged to meet at the entrance of the Hunter's Guild within the underground market.

Three minutes later, both arrived at the guild entrance. Although they were both concealed under large black robes, their Pokémon—Aoki's Sneasel and Kaitou's Roserade—immediately recognized each other.

"Right on time," Bandit remarked, glancing at Sneasel.

In the Hoenn region, there weren't many Trainers from Johto who had Sneasel.

However, few paid much attention to such details.

Most Trainers in this area used Pokémon native to Hoenn, but carrying Pokémon from other regions wasn't uncommon.

Still, in the underground market, strength mattered more than regional origin.

"Let's go," Aoki said flatly before leading the way into the Hunter's Guild.

The Hunter's Guild was a well-established organization. Though originally founded in the Kanto region and expanded with the backing of Team Rocket, it had now spread across multiple regions.

Unlike other factions, the Hunter's Guild did not compete for power or influence—its establishment had only brought benefits to all involved parties, which was why it was widely accepted.

The profession of a Hunter was also a recognized and respected occupation in the Pokémon world.

The internal layout of the Hunter's Guild was mostly standardized. One half was dedicated to mission submissions and assignments, while the other was an exchange center for buying and selling Pokémon.

Aoki walked straight toward the mission submission counter.

"Hey, you maniac, that's the counter for hunting party registration," Kaitou said, noticing Aoki's direction.

However, Aoki didn't stop and responded, "I know. I'm submitting Pokémon captures for mission verification."

Hearing this, Kaitou understood. Matching captured Pokémon to existing missions didn't take long.

Curious, she followed him.

As a full-fledged Four-Star Hunter, Kaitou proudly displayed her four golden stars on her chest. Few hunters in the guild had a ranking as high as hers.

As she walked, she naturally exuded an air of authority. Many people wanted to complain when she bumped into them, but upon seeing her Four-Star rank, they wisely kept their mouths shut.

After all, power and hierarchy existed everywhere.

While a Hunter's star ranking didn't necessarily equate to strength, it was rare for someone to reach Four-Star status without some level of combat prowess.

Though Verdanturf was just a town, its location in the mountains made it a hotspot for hunters.

Wild Pokémon were abundant in the surrounding wilderness, providing an excellent opportunity for capturing and selling Pokémon.

Quietly standing behind a relatively short queue, Aoki waited for his turn while Kaitou, finding herself bored, stood behind him idly fidgeting with her fingers.

She was particularly curious about what Pokémon Aoki was about to submit.

Something told her there was going to be a surprise.