Cole's proposal was highly feasible. Right now in Dark City, the two local Gyms were locked in fierce rivalry, even resorting to open conflict. Their battles had already begun to seriously disrupt the daily lives of the residents.
As a result, the locals loathed these two bully-like Gyms to the core. At a time like this, if a "savior" were to appear—defeat both Gyms, and rescue the citizens from their plight…
There was no doubt the people of Dark City would wholeheartedly support that "savior" as their officially recognized Gym, one that could truly safeguard their lives.
"The Gym qualification assessor, Miss Joy, is the older cousin of Nurse Joy in Celadon City. The two are very close," Cole had said. "If you arrive in Dark City in time to resolve the conflict, and I pull a few strings through Nurse Joy, there's a real chance this could work."
His words lingered in Kael's mind long after.
He had to admit—he was tempted.
An additional source of income was always welcome. And if that profession happened to be an officially recognized League Gym Leader, the status alone would carry weight wherever he went.
Dark City's economy was underdeveloped, situated geographically between the Safari Zone and Cinnabar Island.
Compared to Dark City, Cinnabar Island was far more renowned—not only as a famous hot spring destination, but also as the home of the Cinnabar Gym.
Among trainers, Cinnabar Gym had an impressive reputation. It was often called the strongest Gym in Kanto—not an official League title, but one passed down and reinforced through word of mouth.
Cinnabar Gym specialized in Fire-type Pokémon, and its Gym Leader, Blaine, was a figure of remarkable background. He was the former Fire-type Elite Four of Kanto, from the same era as Agatha.
The current Fighting-type Elite Four member, Bruno, had defeated Blaine to claim his place among the Kanto Elite Four.
The regional Elite Four were collectively known as the "Titled Kings," the strongest of the strong. Each region had only four such positions. They stood nearly at the very apex of the trainer pyramid.
They held immense authority, enjoyed elevated status, and received substantial annual funding from the League to use at their discretion.
But across an entire region, how many Pokémon trainers were there? Tens of thousands? And among them, how many hidden powerhouses?
Whether driven by wealth, power, or prestige, countless elite trainers challenged those four thrones every single year.
Did anyone really think being an Elite Four member was easy?
The pressure was immense. Every three years, the League hosted a Champion Challenge Tournament. The reigning Elite Four would sit atop the arena, welcoming challenges from powerful trainers.
Succeed—and glory, wealth, influence, and every worldly reward would be within reach.
The League did this to preserve competition and ensure that even after attaining the Elite Four title, a trainer would never grow complacent. They had to remain strong—stronger than ever—or be surpassed by the next generation.
The strong rise. The weak fall.
In any world, that law never changes.
...
A jet-black Godbird motorcycle cruised steadily along a forest path.
Originally, Kael had planned to head to Stone Town first to complete the mission involving an exploration of an Evolution Stone mine.
The dominant local power in Stone Town—the Eevee Clan—owned a cave that produced high-quality Evolution Stones. Recently, however, it seemed to have been occupied by a group of mysterious Pokémon.
Unable to resolve the issue themselves, the Eevee Clan had posted a bounty mission online: 500,000 in cash, plus a full set of high-grade Evolution Stones.
The total value exceeded a million.
Naturally, such a lucrative mission had attracted the greedy attention of many bounty hunters. Yet since its posting two weeks ago, the task remained marked as incomplete. The number of acceptances had already surpassed thirty-six.
That meant at least 36 bounty hunters or teams had attempted it—and not a single one had succeeded.
Compared to a short-term profit of one million, the long-term benefits of an official League Gym qualification were far more significant. Kael understood the difference.
He decided to head to Dark City first to assess the situation. If time allowed afterward—and if the Stone Town mission had not already been completed by someone else—he would return to claim that bounty.
...
Dark City lay north of the Safari Zone, a city surrounded by forests. The roads leading there were remote and difficult to traverse. Built upon a low plain and encircled by endless mountain ranges, it felt isolated from the modern world.
To be honest, when Kael first laid eyes on Dark City, he nearly wondered if he had traveled back in time.
Standing beneath the city sign and looking ahead, he saw no trace of modern architecture—no skyscrapers, not even concrete buildings.
Instead, rows of ancient wooden houses lined streets paved only with compacted earth and stone.
Kael had made a point of studying this world's history. To truly understand an unfamiliar culture, you first had to understand where it came from. The buildings before him reflected a style from nearly two centuries ago—an era long past, preserved in timber and stone.
Walking through the streets felt like stepping through time itself. The aged patina on each wooden house seemed to whisper of the city's long history.
And yet, despite it being broad daylight, not a single pedestrian could be seen.
A gust of wind swept through the street, stirring up dust. Kael covered his nose and mouth as he glanced around.
Many of the wooden houses bore signs of damage—some scorched by fire, others slashed apart by sharp weapons.
Clatter—
A signboard reading "Grandma's Ramen" suddenly fell at Kael's feet. Faint scorch marks were still visible on its surface.
"Hey, young man!"
A narrow crack opened in the tightly shut ramen shop door. Inside stood a hunched old woman with snow-white hair, barely one and a half meters tall. She whispered urgently:
"Quick, push your motorcycle into my backyard—and you come inside too. They're about to start fighting again outside. It's too dangerous for you to stay out there alone!"
"Understood, Grandma."
Kael did not refuse her kindness.
He had only just arrived and still knew little about Dark City's true situation. For now, it was best to lie low, gather intelligence in secret, and strike decisively once fully prepared.
His primary competitors were the two local powerhouses: Kaz Gym and Yas Gym.
After all—
Even a mighty dragon does not crush the local snake.
Better to observe first, then decide his next move.