It was strange. No matter how I tried to make sense of it, it still felt strange.
Sitting on my bed, I slowly looked around my room again. I was certain something was missing. Several things, actually.
The Leaf Stone I had found while exploring the forest… and the bottle of candy Uncle Zoro had given me.
Both of them were gone.
"Tok… tok…"
A soft knock echoed through the room before the door slowly creaked open.
Uncle Zoro stepped inside. The tall Zoroark glanced around the room, his eyes briefly scanning the messy floor.
"What are you doing in here?" he asked.
After all my searching, the entire room looked like it had been turned upside down.
"I'm looking for something," I replied with a small sigh. "But I can't seem to find it."
Then I tilted my head slightly. "By the way… what are you doing here?"
Uncle Zoro paused for a moment, as if considering something, before meeting my gaze again.
"I'm going to visit the city for a bit," he said casually. "Do you want to come with me?"
"The city?" I blinked in surprise.
The invitation was completely unexpected. All this time, I had never once left the forest.
It wasn't that I had never thought about visiting a human settlement before. But since the Pokémon here had been taking care of me, I had never lacked anything enough to push me toward the outside world.
Still…maybe this is a good opportunity. If I wanted to understand the current state of this world, seeing human civilization firsthand would be extremely useful.
So I accepted.
Uncle Zoro simply nodded and told me to get ready before leaving the room.
There wasn't much preparation needed, though. After all, he would probably handle most of it himself.
Still, I decided to bring some of the things I had collected while exploring the forest, items that could potentially be exchanged for money.
Things like evolutionary stones…or the Miracle Seed I had found just yesterday.
Once everything was ready, we left the forest behind and began traveling toward the nearest human settlement.
***
After a few hours of walking, we finally reached our destination.
The sun was already high in the sky when we stepped past the last line of trees. Warm sunlight spilled across the coastline, chasing away the lingering fog that clung to the shore.
Ahead of us, the scenery changed completely.
The sea shimmered under the bright morning light. Houses stood neatly along the waterfront, their windows reflecting flashes of sunlight. Lines of laundry fluttered lazily between narrow buildings.
From the pier came the steady rhythm of waves striking the wooden docks, mixed with the sharp cries of Wingull circling overhead.
Through the clear air, I could see merchants arranging crates near the harbor while townsfolk moved along the stone paths together with their Pokémon partners.
The city was fully awake.
At the roadside stood a crooked wooden sign.
Brumeval City
A small port city located between the forest and the sea.
Standing beside me was a tall man with black hair and a black mask covering his mouth. A long coat hung over his frame, concealing most of his body.
At first glance, he looked like an ordinary human traveler. But the man beside me was actually Zoroark.
His true form was hidden beneath a carefully crafted illusion that allowed him to appear completely human.
To most people, nothing about him would seem strange. There was no flicker in the air, no distortion revealing the truth underneath.
After all, this wasn't a simple trick. Zoroark was, at the very least, a Champion-level Pokémon.
An illusion created by a Pokémon of that level wouldn't be easily exposed. Only a trainer or Pokémon with similar strength or someone with exceptionally sharp perception might notice that something was wrong.
And even if they did… breaking the illusion would be another matter entirely.
Zoroark had taken on this human form the moment we stepped out of the forest. Judging by his calm behavior, it clearly wasn't the first time he had done this.
Without saying anything, he began walking ahead, as if he already knew exactly where he was going.
I followed him through the stone-paved streets.
Gradually, the lively sounds of the harbor faded behind us. The crowds grew thinner as we moved toward the eastern side of town, where the buildings looked older and worn down by years of sea wind and salt.
After several minutes, we finally stopped in front of a small, shabby building squeezed between two larger warehouses.
A faded wooden sign hung crookedly above the door.
Arman's Store
Most of the paint had peeled away, and one corner of the sign creaked softly whenever the wind blew.
"We're here," Uncle Zoro whispered calmly. "You wait here."
He adjusted the strap of the bag slung over his shoulder, the one filled with various materials to be sold, including some of the items I had brought along.
Without another word, he pushed open the wooden door.
The hinges groaned softly as the door swung inward, and he disappeared into the dim interior of the shop.
Then the door closed behind him.
And just like that… I was left standing outside alone.
This part of the street was quiet compared to the harbor district. A gentle sea breeze drifted through the alley, carrying the scent of salt and old wood.
Seeing a nearby wooden bench, I walked over and sat down to wait for Zoroark to finish his business.
Or at least…that was what I planned to do.
Unfortunately, trouble decided to arrive not long after.
***
Inside the small shop, the wooden door creaked shut behind him.
The interior of store was dim compared to the bright street outside. Only a few narrow windows allowed sunlight to slip through, forming pale lines across the dusty wooden floor.
Shelves packed with various items lined the walls, old Poké Balls, rusty tools, fishing equipment, jars filled with strange powders, and several locked glass cases containing evolutionary stones and other rare materials.
Behind a worn wooden counter stood the owner of the shop.
An old man with thinning gray hair and deep wrinkles across his face. Small round glasses rested on the bridge of his nose as he carefully examined a ledger book.
Without even looking up, he spoke.
" Welcome " His voice was dry but calm.
Zoroark walked forward, his boots making soft thuds against the floor.
Only then did the old man close the ledger and lift his head.
"Ohh...it's you, long time no see. Do you need anything?"
Recognizing the man standing before him, the old man spoke again as if he wasn't expecting a reply.
Zoroark merely glanced at him silently before placing his bag on the counter and taking out several items one by one.
The old man leaned forward slightly, his tired eyes scanning the items with practiced ease.
"Let's see… two Leaf Stones, one Water Stone, one Miracle Seed, a Dragon Fang, and ten Big Mushrooms."
He gently picked up one of the stones, turning it under the light.
"Hmm… good quality."
He placed it back on the counter before pulling out a small metal scale from beneath the table.
The quiet clink of metal weights echoed through the shop as he began weighing the items one by one.
While doing so, he muttered to himself as if calculating the price in his head. He paused briefly when examining the Dragon Fang, his brows lifting slightly.
"That's a rare one."
Finally, he finished weighing the bundle of mushrooms and wiped his hands lightly on his apron.
The old man scribbled several numbers into his ledger before closing it with a soft tap.
"Seventy eight thousand."
He pushed his glasses up slightly while looking at Zoroark.
"For everything."
Zoroark remained silent for a moment, his expression hidden beneath the mask. He calmly reached into his coat and pulled out a small notepad along with a pencil.
The old man watched with mild amusement as Zoroark wrote something down.
A moment later, the paper was slid across the counter.
'Eighty-four thousand'
He snorted softly. "You're bargaining again?"
Zoroark said nothing. He simply leaned against the counter with his arms crossed, calmly watching the old man.
The shop owner sighed and picked up one of the Leaf Stone, weighing it in his palm as if reconsidering.
"Two Leaf Stones…"
He then lifted the Water Stone, letting the faint blue surface catch the sunlight from the window.
"One Water Stone…"
Next came the glowing Miracle Seed, which he turned slowly between his fingers.
"…a Miracle Seed…"
His brows lifted slightly as he examined the sharp ivory Dragon Fang.
"That one's valuable."
Finally, he glanced at the bundle of Big Mushroom stacked together on the counter.
"…and ten Big Mushrooms."
He placed everything back down and looked at Zoroark again. "You always know how to squeeze a few more coins out of me."
Zoroark remained completely silent.
For several seconds the two of them simply stared at each other across the counter.
Then the old man clicked his tongue. "…Tch."
He opened the drawer beneath the counter and began counting stacks of bills.
"Fine. Eighty-four thousand." He placed the money on the counter and pushed it forward.
"But only because that Dragon Fang will sell well."
Zoroark calmly collected the money and slipped it into his coat. After picking up the now empty bag, he turned to leave.
But before he could reach the door, the old man spoke again.
"You brought someone with you today, didn't you?"
Zoroark paused slightly.
The old man smirked faintly.
"You've been coming here for years. You never bring company."
He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms.
"So… the kid outside. Your kid?"
Zoroark remained silent.
For a brief moment, the room was completely quiet except for the distant creaking of the wooden shop walls.
The old man chuckled softly.
"Well, try not to cause trouble in my city."
Zoroark finally stepped forward again, his hand reaching for the door. Without turning back.
The wooden door creaked open as sunlight poured into the dim shop. Then he stepped outside, leaving the old man alone behind the counter.