Pokémon: Wings Of Shadow

As the glass shattered, Shiro leaped from the second floor of the small house.

Dropping from a height of around six meters, he felt a jolt run through his body upon landing but quickly steadied himself. Without hesitation, he took off running into the distance.

Thanks to his grueling training, his physical condition had improved far beyond what it was back in Spikemuth. Sprinting through the alleys, he felt as light as a feather.

But not as fast as Morgrem.

Shiro had barely made it ten meters when the red-skinned, dark purple haired imp poked its head out from the second-floor window.

Morgrem bent its legs, gathering power before launching itself into the air. Limbs spread wide, it pounced straight at the fleeing Shiro.

The golden-red sunset cast long shadows over the brown-gray alley, stretching a dark streak forward on the uneven stone pavement.

Seeing this, Shiro's pupils contracted. He threw himself into a roll to the side.

Morgrem landed exactly where he had stood moments ago, its long, messy hair swaying as it lifted its head.

"Rookidee! Air Cutter!" Shiro commanded mid-roll.

Rookidee didn't waste any time. Always hovering nearby, it flapped its wings sharply. Two sharp gray-white blades of compressed air shot forward, slamming into Morgrem's face just as it looked up.

Strands of dark-purple hair fluttered to the ground. Morgrem staggered slightly, but its claws quickly darkened, coated in ghostly energy. It sprang toward Shiro again.

"Gastly!"

At Shiro's signal, Gastly, who had been floating in front of him, immediately unleashed Hypnosis.

The moment it was hit, Morgrem's movements noticeably slowed. Shiro seized the chance and sprinted toward the alley's exit.

Even so, despite feeling drowsy, Morgrem kept its eyes locked on him. The difference in strength made Gastly's Hypnosis too weak to fully take effect.

"Shadow Ball!" While running, Shiro tossed Gastly into the air. It instantly gathered several small Shadow Balls and launched them straight at the relentless Morgrem. Each one struck its mark, hitting Morgrem head-on.

But instead of weakening it, the pain only snapped it back to full awareness. Snarling, it lunged again, its body now shrouded in Dark-type energy.

"Rookidee!"

At Shiro's command, the already-prepared Rookidee used Quick Attack, slamming into Morgrem's side at full speed.

Caught off guard, Morgrem's forward lunge veered sharply to the side. It tumbled across the ground before flipping back onto its feet.

"Morgreeem!" It shrieked in fury, swiping wildly at the air as if trying to claw Shiro from thin air.

By the time it realized what had happened, Shiro had already dashed out of the alley, recalling both his Pokémon remotely with their Poké Balls.

"Mor-GREM!"

Morgrem let out another roar and leaped forward with a powerful push.

It soared out of the alley and landed on all fours, claws scraping against the pavement.

But despite the dim evening light, the streets outside were still bustling with people. Morgrem looked around but couldn't spot Shiro in the crowd.

Frustrated, it dashed straight to the middle of the street, standing upright as it scanned its surroundings.

"Ah! Whose damn Pokémon is this?!" An elderly woman cursed loudly after Morgrem brushed against her clothes.

Hammerlocke had strict rules forbidding Pokémon above the Novice-level from appearing in public streets—let alone an Advanced-level Morgrem.

This road led directly to the main avenue, packed with commuters at this rush hour. The dense crowd gave Shiro perfect cover.

"Whose Pokémon is this?" A uniformed stadium staff member happened to be passing by. Spotting Morgrem, he stepped forward and questioned the crowd.

"Who knows?"

"Which idiot let their Pokémon loose in the middle of the street..."

"Morrrg!"

The chaotic murmurs around were abruptly silenced by Morgrem's sharp cry.

Already agitated from losing track of Shiro, its frustration only grew under the dim hues of dusk and the ceaseless chatter of the crowd.

Without hesitation, it unleashed Shadow Claw, slashing wildly to scatter the bystanders.

"Ahh!"

Screams spread like wildfire. Some people pulled out their communication devices, dialing in a panic.

"Reporting! There's a Pokémon attack on West Street! It's an Advanced-level Morgrem! Trainer unknown!"

"Someone let their Pokémon loose on the streets—!"

"Move! Get away from it!"

As the voices overlapped in rising panic, Morgrem had already broken free from the crowd.

Dorian had given it clear orders—if it failed to kill the boy, it had to escape before anyone could capture it.

Amid the fleeing people, Shiro moved quickly, swapping into a gray cloak and pulling up the hood. Watching Morgrem vanish down the road, he quietly slipped along the edge of the street, heading toward Hammerlocke's main street.

'Morgrem will go straight to Dorian, and Dorian will definitely try to change his identity at the black market.'

With that in mind, Shiro made his way toward his destination—League-affiliated Store No. 307.

...

The last remnants of sunlight had completely vanished, deep blue swallowing the horizon where red once lingered.

Though it was already night time, the League Store No. 307 remained open.

Or rather, it never closed.

In front of the entrance, flanked by two tall green plants, stood a burly, cloaked figure—Dorian. Arms crossed, he waited in silence.

He had been waiting for nearly ten minutes, well aware that Morgrem was in great danger.

If it had killed the boy and retrieved the items immediately, it should have arrived by now.

The delay meant only one thing—Shiro had escaped. Worse, Morgrem had likely run into Hammerlocke's police.

The police wouldn't give up until they captured Morgrem.

With that in mind, Dorian turned around, briefly glancing at a gray-cloaked trainer who brushed past him. Dismissing the stranger, he prepared to head inside and secure a new identity.

As for Morgrem—losing it was a shame, considering how much effort he had put into raising it. But so be it. With the Dragon Scale in hand, he could sell it off and buy two or three Advanced-level Pokémon with ease.

Dorian was still calculating prices and Pokémon options in his mind. Just as his hand was about to touch the convenience store's glass door, a sudden sharp pain shot through his lower back.

"Mm!" He grunted, reacting instantly as his hand shot toward his waist.

But before he could reach his Poké Ball, a swift Air Cutter slashed his hand mid-motion.

As Dorian staggered back, trying to retreat, a faint ripple of psychic energy struck him square in the face—Gastly's Hypnosis.

"You—"

Dorian barely got a word out before Shiro's knife sank into his throat.

The burly, bald man slumped forward without finishing his sentence.

Shiro caught him before he could collapse, keeping him upright. To the passersby, it appeared as nothing more than two cloaked figures in quiet conversation.

No one suspected a thing—for now.

"Just as expected from a wanted criminal. All your Pokémon are bought, huh? Locked tight, every single one..."

Muttering into the dead man's ear, Shiro calmly pried the Poké Balls from his belt.

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