At the beginning of their journey, every officially registered trainer received a communication device and a guidebook. These essentials outlined the proper path they need to follow to complete their travel across Galar.
Routes like 9, 10, and so on are specially planned by the League. These roads are regularly patrolled, with staff stationed along the way to verify trainer IDs and ensure overall safety.
In contrast, the vast Wild Area at the heart of the Galar region belongs to unregistered trainers and those at the bottom. League-registered trainers aren't even supposed to be here.
"I was just curious..." Harold's voice now carried a hint of tears. "Everyone says the northern Wild Area between Motostoke and Hammerlocke is dangerous... I wanted to see if I could make it through. I got past the Stony Wilderness just fine. Didn't run into anyone. But here... I originally planned to participate in the Gym Challenge and act as a blocker, battling challengers..."
'You're really asking for trouble.'
Shiro let out a quiet sigh. A guy like this, born into a League trainer family, was supposed to grow up in a safe, protected environment and settle down in a big city.
The Gym Challenge had been designed for people like him. According to the rules, only registered trainers could act as blockers on planned routes, engaging the challengers in battle.
Who wouldn't want to be on a region-wide livestream and become famous overnight? Unfortunately, only registered trainers have the right to battle against challengers. But how could their strength compare to the successors groomed with everything a Gym has to offer? In the end, they're nothing more than stepping stones...
"Ugh..."
Faced with an unlucky rookie with no wilderness experience, Shiro had nothing more to say. He simply reached into his bag, pulled out a bottle of healing spray, and tossed it at Harold.
He gave a dismissive wave. "I can't help you with anything else, and I don't want your garbage Pokémon either. Take that and get going."
Harold nodded meekly, then looked up and asked, "Can I stay here for—"
"Don't even think about spending the night!" Shiro cut him off sharply. "Hammerlocke's gates are open 24/7. Even if you've lost your ID, you can find someone there to contact your parents. Just follow the Lake of Outrage to the end, then circle around the grasslands near the city to reach the main gate."
"But..." Harold tried to say something else, but Shiro interrupted again.
"Most wild Pokémon are asleep at night, and Ghost-types won't go near Hammerlocke. It's safer now than during the day. Since you had the guts to come out here, and you made it through the Stony Wilderness, you must know something about surviving out here. So move it!"
With no other choice, Harold stood up with a quiet nod. He walked over to the short rock, picked up his Poké Balls, and slowly wrapped himself back in his green cloak. Before leaving, he looked back one more time.
Shiro nearly laughed from how annoying this guy was. These types of trainers always seemed to expect someone to save them the moment they hit trouble, hoping some kind stranger would walk with them the whole way.
He raised his voice and shouted, "I'm an unregistered trainer too! If you don't get lost right now, I swear I'll beat the crap out of you just because I feel like it!"
Startled by the outburst, Harold quickened his pace, practically sprinting away from the grassy area and heading down the path along Lake of Outrage.
But after walking several hundred meters, Harold couldn't help glancing back. All he'd wanted was to ask the man's name, maybe find a way to repay him someday. Now, it seemed like there'd be no chance.
He let Throh out beside the lake and sprayed it with the healing spray. Once that was done, he returned it to its Poké Ball and continued on his way.
...
After the unexpected run-in with Harold, Shiro's guard was fully up. He crawled into his tent, still worried that some desperate wild trainer might try to attack him in the middle of the night.
He called all his Pokémon inside the tent, then let out his Rhyperior—who hadn't seen much action lately—and had it stand guard outside.
Only after watching his Pokémon curl up around him did Shiro finally feel safe enough to close his eyes and fall asleep.
...
The next morning.
Shiro slept in a little later than usual. By the time he woke up, the sun was already high above in the sky, and it was past eight.
Growlithe lay beside him, drooling as it snored gently. The sight brought a faint smile to Shiro's lips. He gave the dog's fluffy head a couple of pats, then stood up and got dressed. At the same moment, Corvisquire nearby snapped its eyes open. It always woke the instant Shiro did.
Man and bird took a few minutes to rouse the rest of the Pokémon and step outside the tent. Rhyperior stood silently in the exact same spot as last night, without a single extra movement.
That was the best thing about brainwashed Pokémon, they followed orders without question.
After washing up and finishing breakfast, Shiro returned all his Pokémon to their Poké Balls, except for Corvisquire, which stayed perched on his shoulder.
The bird was getting close to its limit. All the massive resources it had consumed previously were being steadily broken down through constant battles.
The only issue was that most of the wild Pokémon in the area weren't strong enough to give it any pressure. If it could go up against an experienced Gym-level Pokémon, that battle might speed up the process.
Once the resources in its body were fully digested and its strength pushed to the peak of Advanced-level, it could evolve. That would be the perfect moment to step into the next stage.
"There's still time. Today, I'll see if there's any strong wild Pokémon group around." Shiro spoke to himself as he pulled out his communicator and checked the map.
Among the distribution of Pokémon colonies, those with Gym-level leaders were located far off, and most of them belonged to Ground or Rock types. But the ground was still damp from the recent rain, and those Pokémon hadn't begun emerging yet.
On top of that, the hunters and the so-called Elite Fours of the Wild Area were causing trouble. They'd been blasting open mountains, searching for hidden Ground and Rock Pokémon. Who knew how many would be left in the end.
"Hmm... not many good options, but…"
Suddenly, Shiro spotted a suitable group marked on the map, not far from where he was.
"Stufful and Bewear territory?"
He looked around, then turned his gaze toward the small forest behind him.
The sparse woods were quiet. Being close to the Lake of Outrage, it was home to quite a few Pokémon. However, most of them were weak, timid, and well-hidden.
The Stufful and Bewear territory was in the southeast corner of the forest, leading straight into the Stony Wilderness. Hardly anyone ever went near that spot.
Because there were lots of Stufful and Bewear there. These Pokémon were extremely dangerous, with strength that didn't match their appearance. They could easily smash rocks with a single swipe.
The strongest Bewear there was said to be at the Gym-level.
"Not bad."
Shiro nodded slightly as he thought it over, but his feet were already moving. Corvisquire stayed steady on his shoulder as he stepped into the woods.
Rustle—
As soon as he entered, the leaves and branches of nearby trees began to twitch and shake lightly. Grass and Bug-type Pokémon inside had noticed his presence.
Shiro paid them no attention. He kept his eyes on the route shown on his communicator and continued walking deeper.
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