Shiro waited a while on top of a large boulder. Before long, he saw Corvisquire flying in from the distant sky above the water.
It was close to noon now. The sun had broken through the clouds, and most of the morning mist had faded. The pools of still water scattered across the Stony Wilderness reflected a soft, warm yellow glow, and the little ponds had also become much clearer.
"Coor!"
With a swift beat of its wings, Corvisquire landed on Shiro's shoulder. He reached up and unfastened the small box tied around its neck, pulling out a deep blue stone nestled inside.
"A Water Stone... Intermediate quality." Shiro gave it a quick look, then tossed it into his backpack.
He would never use stones like this. If one of his Pokémon ever needed an evolution stone, he would go to the black market and buy at least an Advanced quality one. Intermediate stones like this barely met the minimum for evolution. They didn't boost a Pokémon's potential in any way.
Still, evolution stones were always in demand. Whether for selling or giving away, they were a good thing to have.
And to get one just by trading some free Pokéblocks to wild Pokémon? That was a solid win.
Shiro gently stroked the blue feathers on Corvisquire's head in praise, then took out a few blue Flying-type Pokéblocks and fed them to it, one at a time. The bird narrowed its eyes in delight, enjoying the moment.
After a short break, Shiro packed everything away, looked out over the path ahead, then motioned for Corvisquire to carry him across.
The road forward had almost completely vanished. What lay ahead was the largest lowland area in the Stony Wilderness. Stretching out in all directions was a shimmering white surface of water.
Corvisquire spread its wings and gripped him by the shoulders. With a powerful flap, it lifted off into the air.
As they gained altitude, Shiro looked down and caught sight of a blue Wooper drifting lazily through the water below, swaying its round head.
The basin they were crossing seemed connected to the river that ran through the Stony Wilderness. The recent rain and flooding had caused the river to overflow, letting some Water-type Pokémon wander into the open plains.
But once the weather cleared and the water levels dropped, they'd have to return. If not, when the Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon—currently hiding and dormant—emerged, they'd become easy prey.
"Coorv!"
Corvisquire flew faster and faster, steadily picking up speed. The water below flashed by in a blur. Bright white sunlight gradually spread across the landscape from above.
Shiro looked up toward the horizon and spotted a patch of green grass atop a hill. It looked like he was finally reaching the end of the Stony Wilderness.
As they neared the slope, Corvisquire descended smoothly. Just before landing, it let go, allowing Shiro to drop safely onto the soft grass. The bird followed with a graceful glide, and perched back on his shoulder.
Their movements were so fluid and natural that a few lurking Blipbug froze up, stunned by what they saw. They didn't even remember to run.
Shiro glanced casually at the tiny bugs and ignored them. After recalling Corvisquire into its Poké Ball, he continued walking northwest.
Boom! Boom!
From far in the distance, two explosions echoed through the air, accompanied by a faint tremor in the ground. Only then did the startled Blipbugs scramble away in a panic.
Frowning, Shiro looked toward a mountain just past the Stony Wilderness. Thin trails of black smoke were clearly rising from it.
This was the second time he'd heard such blasts, and he was almost certain they were caused by human-made explosives. No powerful Pokémon moves didn't produce smoke that thick, nor did they shake the ground like that.
Shiro wasn't sure if it was some wild trainer or something the company was doing. Either way, it had nothing to do with him. So, setting the thought aside, he kept moving.
After walking briskly for about half an hour, he could faintly make out the hazy outline of Hammerlocke's gates. Unfortunately, he wasn't headed that way. To the west, a few scattered trees marked the border between the grasslands and a broad, glistening lake.
"Draaak!"
Drakloak suddenly popped out from the shadow, visibly excited. It circled around Shiro in an energetic loop, while the little Dreepy on its head bounced along in rhythm, just as cheerful.
"Alright," Shiro murmured. "We'll reach Lake of Outrage soon."
"Draa!"
Drakloak gave an eager nod, then slipped back into the shadows.
Shiro quickened his pace and stepped into the thin grove just ahead. As he moved forward, faint voices began to filter through the trees—people arguing.
'Could there be a gathering spot nearby?'
With that suspicion, he followed the noise toward the grove's edge, where the trees gave way to open space near the lake.
A few minutes later, the voices became clear.
"A brainwashed Advanced-level Water-type, and you're asking two hundred thousand? That's worse than the damn black market. It's been passed around like five times already."
"Then go buy it on the black market. This is the price here. Don't like it, move along."
"You son of a—"
"What? You wanna fight?"
"..."
Their argument cut off abruptly when Shiro stepped out of the trees.
Both men were dressed in green hooded cloaks. The standing one, apparently the buyer, had a thin, youthful face uncovered. The other, sitting on a short stump, had his face hidden. His voice suggested someone older. Judging by the pale, slightly greenish color of the stump's surface, it had only recently been chopped down.
"Ahem... friend? May I know your name? Perhaps you'd like to buy something? I'm a well-known traveling merchant around these parts…" The man on the stump spoke with a hoarse voice, adding, "You can call me Renji..."
Shiro momentarily froze upon hearing the name. Most of the names he had encountered in Galar were typically more western in style, but this one was reminiscent of names from the Kanto region.
Seeing him remain silent and unmoving, both cloaked men grew tense.
Out in the wild, the most fearsome type of person was one who said nothing, completely covered, and confident enough to walk around alone. The kind who didn't hesitate to attack or rob without warning.
And right now, Shiro fit that exact mold. Dressed in a conspicuous black cloak, casually emerging from the woods, clearly unafraid. His masked face only added to the ominous aura.
"Hey... buddy?" Renji called again, a bit nervously, instinctively rising to his feet as he and the younger man slowly edged backward.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Shiro noticed their guarded stance and realized he'd unintentionally frightened them. He gave a light cough, then asked in a soft voice.
"Has something unusual happened around here? I heard several explosions not long ago from the mountain ridge over by the Stony Wilderness."
At that, both men exhaled in relief and stopped backing away.
"Ah, that? It's the Elite Four," Renji answered. "They've been the mountains, trying to capture large batches of Pokémon."
"...Elite Four?" Shiro frowned, wondering if he'd misheard.
Renji paused, then seemed to understand something and asked in return, "Is this your first time in the Northern Wild Area?"
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