After completing the transaction, Silas immediately sensed it.
Subtle gazes, Cold and Calculating.
Three hundred thousand Pokédollars wasn't an astronomical amount.But it wasn't also small either.
Especially since Silas had already sold over five hundred thousand Pokédollars' worth of goods in just half a day.
That was enough to tempt people operating in the gray area.
Stalking , Robbery ,Murder.
All reasonable risks.
However Even more attention was directed toward the girl in the black robe.
Compared to Silas, who occasionally emitted a faint, dangerous aura, The girl was different.
Her voice was too soft.
Her posture too delicate.
Her disguise riddled with flaws.
Slender figure.
Occasional exposed wrist.
Hesitant movements.
To experienced predators, She was a naked fat sheep. And high-quality prey always attracted hunters Infact Multiple hunters.
Watching her leave, Silas almost felt like he had just witnessed an another life walking toward its end.
"The world is cruel," he muttered inwardly. He had no intention of warning her.
Several people had already marked her.
Tracking had begun.
.....
After finishing his own sales, Silas packed up quickly.
He weaved through the market in irregular patterns, changing direction multiple times.
Within minutes ,The people tailing him were gone. His counter-surveillance skills were no longer amateur.
Ordinary underground operatives couldn't follow him.
After changing clothes in a secluded spot, he returned to the market.
Sandile, as the newest member of his core team, needed proper development.
He visited several shops before finally acquiring two essential TMs:
Protect
Hidden Power
Universal.
Practical.
Rare.
Such moves were always valuable.
In addition, he purchased:
Rock Tomb
Stomping Tantrum
Sandile's current Rock-type movepool was limited to Rock Slide and Rock Tomb.
Stomping Tantrum would temporarily compensate for its Ground-type coverage until it eventually learned Earthquake after evolving into Krookodile.
He also bought specialized materials for crafting Dark- and Ground-type Pokeblocks Cubes.
Every one of his main Pokémon received custom nutrition.
By the time he finished ,The 500,000 Pokédollars he had just earned had vanished.
And more besides. But Silas didn't hesitate.
Investment now.
Power later.
...
Just as he prepared to leave ,He noticed a crowd gathering in front of a stall.
Whispers floated through the air.
"Blizzard TM…"
Silas followed the murmurs.
Inside the shop, displayed prominently - A snow-blue TM disk.
Blizzard.
One of the strongest Ice-type moves known.
Base power of 110.
Massive area of effect.
Beloved by Ice-type trainers.
Extremely rare.
Almost comparable to enhancement TMs in scarcity.
Silas checked the price.
2,000,000 Pokédollars.
He felt a cold splash in his chest.
He could afford it.
Barely.
But it would cost him most of his current assets. And Crawdaunt had only just mastered Ice Beam.
Blizzard wasn't cost-effective right now.
After careful thought,He stepped back.
Then A familiar voice rang out.
"I'll take the Blizzard TM."
Silas turned.
The black-robed girl.
The one who had bought Kadabra.
The crowd erupted into murmurs.
Two million. Without hesitation.
Eyes began scanning her from head to toe.
The probing gazes seemed to make her shrink slightly.
Even beneath the robe, her tension was visible.
Silas didn't miss it.
Several shadows quietly followed her departure.
He felt a ripple of thought.
Muddy waters were perfect for fishing.
...
Outside the black market exit ,A narrow canyon stretched into darkness.
Evening had fully fallen.
The air was cold.
Silent.
Eerie.
Silas immediately blended into the shadows.
Soon- The girl appeared.
She removed her black robe.
Her face was revealed.
Young.
Exquisite.
Likely younger than him by several years.
She wore an elegant red dress.
A faint smile lingered on her lips.
"Come out, Tropius."
A pink Poké Ball opened.
"Tropi–us!"
A massive Tropius appeared.
Nearly three meters tall.
Long neck.
Thick limbs.
Four enormous leaf-wings on its back.
Clusters of banana-like fruit hanging from its chin.
This was no ordinary Tropius.
Healthy.
Well-developed.
Large.
Silas estimated at least Level 30 or above.
The girl climbed onto its back, holding the broad leaves for support. And With a gentle pat- Tropius flapped its leafy wings and lifted into the night sky.
Moments later Several Figures emerged from the canyon edges.
They released Flying-type Pokémon.
Others mounted ride Pokémon on the ground.
Some pursued through the air.
Others from below.
The girl had officially become prey.
Silas did not rush.
Instead, he hid behind a boulder.
Waiting.
'That girl isn't simple,' he thought. 'Tropius as a mount… likely from a powerful family.'
Its size alone exceeded the average.
Standard Tropius stood around two meters.
This one approached three and The fruit beneath its chin was abundant.
Superior breeding.
Strong lineage.
She likely had more Pokémon.
The fight wouldn't end instantly.
And Silas had learned one rule:
After the fisherman- There might be another fisherman.
"Those who harvest first should not celebrate," he murmured softly. "Because someone might harvests them next."
After waiting more than ten minutes- Silas finally moved.
"Murkrow."
"Kraaah!"
A black shadow shot into the sky.
Murkrow soared ahead.
Silas followed.
After only a thousand meters-The night erupted,Flashes of fire, Explosions of light.
Skill energy fluctuations rippled through the canyon.
The hunt Had begun.
<><><><><><>
(End of chapter)