Dragonite began slowing down, circling to find a landing spot near the guild. It touched down in a designated flying mount area, then smacked its lips and looked at Kairos with huge, expectant eyes.
Kairos laughed and tossed it a small can. "Thanks for the ride. I'll call you next time."
Dragonite caught the treat and tucked it carefully into its special pouch. After a friendly roar, it spread its wings and took off, soon becoming a dot on the horizon.
After saying goodbye to the greedy but reliable Dragonite, Kairos headed toward the Bounty Hunter Guild with Gengar and Chandelure. The guild was located in Saffron City's western district.
He wished he had time to explore the city. Meeting this world's Sabrina would be interesting—he was curious whether she matched the game's version or the anime's. Plus, if she counted as a special character, he might promote the game to her and unlock Psychic-type abilities from her character template.
But that would have to wait. First things first.
Saffron City's roads weren't complicated, and ten minutes later, Kairos arrived at the Hunter Guild.
The building looked completely different from the surrounding modern skyscrapers. Massive dark gray stones gave it a rough, heavy appearance. Two wooden doors bound with metal corners formed the entrance, and above them hung a large, worn metal emblem showing crossed blades and a magnifying glass.
Before Kairos even stepped inside, a complex smell hit him—tobacco, sweat, and a faint trace of blood. Loud voices mixed with Pokémon cries, clinking glasses, and rough laughter.
This atmosphere reminded him of fantasy guilds from other worlds.
Inside, the space opened up beneath a high vaulted ceiling. Large crystal lamps hung overhead, and torches flickered on the walls. Directly ahead, a massive metal board covered the entire wall, plastered with papers of various colors and sizes—bounty mission postings.
Many people crowded around the board, pointing and discussing.
Heavy wooden tables and benches filled the hall, occupied by burly figures and fierce-looking Pokémon. Kairos swept his gaze over them, assessing their strength. They weren't very strong—he didn't spot a single Gym Leader-level trainer.
After observing for a moment, he walked toward the quieter service counter.
A middle-aged woman in a guild uniform sat behind it, her expression stern.
Kairos approached directly. "Hello, I want to post a mission. I need to hire a bounty hunter with access to the Ghost World to take me there. What do I need to do?"
The woman looked up and adjusted her glasses. Her gaze lingered briefly on Kairos's young face. "Posting a mission is fine, but entering the Ghost World requires a permit. The hunter you hire must have one, and so must you as the client. What's your permit number? I need to register it."
Kairos shrugged. This route might not work.
"Sorry, I don't have a permit."
"Then I can't help you." The woman's tone was flat. "According to the League's Special Space Management Regulations and guild rules, you can't post Ghost World missions or accompany permit holders without your own permit. This is non-negotiable."
"Is there any way around this? I can pay extra."
Kairos frowned.
"No." The woman's answer was decisive. "Unless you prove yourself as a permit-holding hunter and enter on mission business. Or you register as a bounty hunter, join a team mission to the Ghost World, and the guild will issue you a temporary permit."
So they were back where they started.
Kairos sighed inwardly. Registering as a bounty hunter seemed unavoidable.
"Understood. Please register me as a bounty hunter."
The woman looked surprised by this sudden turn, but recovered quickly.
"Alright. Fill out this form." She pulled out paperwork from under the counter. "The registration fee is 50,000 League currency. First-time registration also requires a strength certification battle to evaluate your initial star rating. You'll face a guild examiner in a one-on-one Pokémon battle. If you fail, the fee is non-refundable."
Kairos filled out the form efficiently and paid. For his identity, he used the original owner's actual credentials in this world. Thanks to the system, no one connected this identity to the game creator.
"Follow me." The woman stood and led Kairos through the noisy hall toward a passage with a heavy metal door.
At the end was a standard indoor battle arena. A burly man in guild combat gear stood at the edge, accompanied by a sharp-eyed Zangoose.
"This is Examiner Alec. The rules are simple—one match. Either defeat his Pokémon or last long enough." After introducing them, the woman retreated to the observation seats.
"Start whenever you're ready, young man." Alec's voice boomed, his gaze appraising.
Kairos nodded and threw out a Poké Ball. "Chandelure."
Ghostly red flames ignited silently. Chandelure floated above the arena, its cold gaze locked on Zangoose.
Feeling Chandelure's aura, Alec froze. This aura... something wasn't right.
"Zangoose, Slash!"
But procedure was procedure. He gave the command.
Zangoose became a yellow blur, its claws gleaming white as it lunged at Chandelure.
"Flame Burst." Kairos's voice rang out.
The ghostly flames around Chandelure surged. Several scorching fireballs shot out like cannonballs, intercepting Zangoose's path.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fireballs exploded in succession. The shockwave engulfed Zangoose instantly. The Pokémon cried out in pain, blown backward by the force, and crashed to the ground with charred fur. After struggling twice, it fainted.
The entire battle took less than five seconds.
Alec's confident expression froze completely. He stood with his mouth open, unable to speak.
His Zangoose wasn't particularly powerful, but it was Elite-level. Yet the opponent defeated it so easily. That meant this trainer's strength was at least Gym Leader-level or higher!
The middle-aged woman adjusted her glasses, surprise flashing in her eyes. She'd thought this was some rich kid wanting to tour the Ghost World. Apparently, he had real strength.
"Ahem!" Alec coughed. "Strength... qualified! Congratulations, you're registered. Initial rating... three-star hunter." He handed Kairos a metal badge with the guild emblem and three small silver stars.
This starting rating was quite high. Newcomers typically received one or two stars.
Kairos accepted the badge, thanked him, and returned to the noisy hall.
He walked straight to the massive bounty board, scanning the densely packed mission postings. Sure enough, in a prominent section, many postings had special purple borders, all labeled "Ghost World Related."
He looked carefully for solo missions or those with lower requirements. After all, he just wanted to enter the Ghost World, not actually complete missions.
But his brow soon furrowed.
The purple-bordered missions varied: investigating abnormal energy fluctuations, collecting mineral samples, clearing Ghost-type Pokémon swarms, finding missing hunter squads. But without exception, they all stated "Team required" or "Three or more people recommended."
Kairos rubbed his temples. As a newcomer, where would he find a team willing to take a rookie into the Ghost World?
He scanned the postings again, searching for loopholes. Just as he considered checking the recruitment area, a loud voice from the hall's center caught his attention.
"Ghost World! Ghost World exploration mission! Safe and efficient! Generous rewards! Last two spots! Experienced veterans leading! Strength required—at least three-star hunters! Want to get rich and gain experience? Sign up now!"
Kairos looked toward the voice. A tall man in leather armor stood on a table, waving his arms. A prominent scar ran from his eye to his chin, giving him a fierce appearance. Beside him stood a muscular Machoke with crossed arms, radiating an intimidating aura—likely Gym Leader-level.
Seven or eight people had already gathered around, listening to mission details.
The scarred man continued. "The mission is to venture into the Ghost World's outer ring, the Shadow Valley, and collect at least ten kilograms of Shadow Crystals! The client is Silph Company, and the reward will satisfy everyone!"
"Our Thunder Hammer squad already has three veterans. We need two more! Requirements: at least three stars, Ghost or Psychic-type Pokémon preferred, must follow orders. If you're scared or weak, don't waste our time."
This seemed to be the only team actively recruiting for the Ghost World.
Kairos didn't hesitate. He pushed through the crowd.
"Hello, I'm interested in your mission." His voice wasn't loud, but it reached the scarred man clearly.
Rex, captain of the Thunder Hammer squad, stopped shouting and looked down at Kairos. Seeing his young, almost boyish face, Rex frowned, his eyes full of doubt and impatience.
"Hey, kid, you're in the wrong place."
Rex sounded annoyed. "Didn't you hear me? This is an S-rank mission, not for beginners."
He pointed toward another section of the board. "Try your luck over there."
His words were relatively polite, but the meaning was clear. Several nearby hunters chuckled.
Kairos repeated himself. "I said, I'm interested in your mission. And I have three-star qualifications. That should be enough."
He displayed his freshly obtained badge.
"Three stars?" Rex looked surprised, glancing at the new badge. "Just registered, right? Got lucky and beat the examiner?
You might have some skill, but I'm telling you right now, don't jump straight into Ghost World missions. That place is no joke. If we bring you along and have to babysit you, it'll make our job harder."
The onlookers nodded. Three-star meant the kid had some skill, but for Ghost World missions, that wasn't enough.
Kairos said nothing. He simply tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on the shadow beneath his feet.
"Kekeke..."
A low, hoarse laugh arose without warning. Though not loud, it carried a strange penetrating quality that drowned out the hall's noise, drilling clearly into everyone's ears.
The laughter stopped abruptly.
A chill spread, and the hall's temperature seemed to drop several degrees.
Rex's expression froze. His Machoke suddenly tensed, uncrossing his arms into a defensive stance, eyes full of alarm.
Under everyone's gaze, the shadow beneath Kairos's feet churned violently like boiling water.
A massive, rotund purple body rose silently with an oppressive presence.
The entire guild hall fell into dead silence.
Everyone had the same thought.
This aura...
Not Gym Leader-level.
Not Elite-level.
Quasi-Elite Four level???