Viridian—the color of green that endures through the ages.
Viridian City was a place that cherished nature, a city where flowers seemed to bloom throughout all four seasons.
One of the main reasons it was regarded as one of the more prosperous cities in the Kanto region was the vast Viridian Forest lying beside it.
Rare resources and uncommon Pokémon could be found throughout that endless sea of green, drawing countless adventurers eager to test their luck.
Viridian Forest was even considered one of Kanto’s three must-visit destinations for adventurers, alongside Cerulean Cave and Mt.
Moon.
That reputation alone showed how valuable the forest truly was.
Some people risked breaking League law to capture and sell valuable Pokémon, but even without resorting to poaching, the rare medicinal plants growing inside Viridian Forest were profitable enough to make anyone jealous.
At that moment, two figures walked side by side along Route 1—a beautiful mature woman and a young boy.
“Madam Meta, with my identity… am I really allowed to walk around inside the city?” Kuroba asked worriedly.
After all, until now he had possessed no legal identity whatsoever.
Viridian City was no insignificant backwater, and he had heard more than enough stories about how formidable the Officer Jenny family was.
Madam Meta glanced upward at her Swellow, which circled overhead while vigilantly watching their surroundings.
“Don’t worry, little Kuroba. You’re my apprentice now. Naturally, I’ll take care of your identity problem.”
Confidence filled her voice as she continued walking.
The two traveled along Route 1, but instead of entering Viridian City directly, Madam Meta led him through a series of turns and into the forest.
“Madam Meta, what’s this?”
She unfolded two small black squares.
To Kuroba’s surprise, they expanded into two large black cloaks.
He put one on without complaint, concealing himself from head to toe, and silently followed her deeper into the trees.
Eventually, they entered the hollow of an enormous tree.
Kuroba had expected nothing more than darkness inside.
Instead, after walking through a long, pitch-black passage, noise, warmth, and the unmistakable bustle of human activity suddenly rushed toward him.
For a moment, he stood dazed.
After spending an entire year at sea, he could barely remember the last time he had seen such a lively scene.
A black market.
Just as the name suggested, it was a marketplace hidden in the shadows.
The Pokémon League did not officially recognize places like this.
League law clearly prohibited the unauthorized sale of Pokémon, including Pokémon Eggs.
Anyone who wanted to buy one legally was supposed to visit a licensed Pokémon Day Care or breeding facility carrying the League’s approval.
But wherever enormous profits existed, there would always be people willing to take enormous risks.
That was how black markets had come into existence.
Over time, more and more appeared.
Their scale expanded, complete supply chains formed, and eventually they developed into sprawling underground districts beyond ordinary law.
The League did not support them, but neither had it eradicated them completely.
Part of the reason was practical: people at the bottom needed at least some path upward, and the League had no desire to push every desperate person into rebellion.
The more important reason, however, was money.
The profits generated by the black markets were so enormous that even certain high-ranking League officials secretly participated and took their share.
“This is a black market,” Madam Meta warned quietly as she walked ahead.
“Speak as little as possible. Don’t let strangers trick information out of you. Anyone capable of surviving here for long is cunning. One careless sentence can expose more than you realize.”
She truly seemed to have accepted Kuroba as her apprentice.
Rather than hiding her experience from him, she patiently taught him everything she knew.
The black market was divided into two main sections: the open-stall district and the commercial street.
The stall district was crowded and noisy.
More than half the people there were dressed like Kuroba, wrapped completely in dark cloaks that concealed their identities.
Yet almost everyone had a Pokémon beside them.
Those Pokémon occasionally bared their fangs or released threatening growls, warning others not to cause trouble.
Very few people walked around without a Pokémon visible.
Doing so was practically an invitation for others to assume you were weak and easy to bully.
Kuroba soon witnessed exactly what that meant.
A muscular man deliberately provoked someone walking without a Pokémon.
The surrounding crowd immediately gathered, expecting the apparently defenseless man to be humiliated.
Instead, the stranger released a Nidoking.
In an instant, both the muscular man and his Pokémon were killed.
Kuroba’s eyes narrowed beneath his hood.
*There really are hidden monsters everywhere.
That Nidoking has to be at least Level 30.*
The stranger had certainly gotten his revenge, but a black-market enforcement squad arrived almost immediately and took him away.
What surprised Kuroba was that the man did not resist at all.
*What are they going to do to him?*
As if reading his thoughts, Madam Meta quietly explained, “He’ll be released after paying a fine. There are rules here, but profit always comes first.”
Another lesson.
Madam Meta’s Swellow walked with them now, and its presence ensured that no one bothered the pair.
In a place like this, few people were foolish enough to make enemies for no reason.
“Pokémon Eggs! Pokémon Eggs for sale! Fifty thousand each!”
A stall owner’s shout caught Kuroba’s attention.
After receiving Madam Meta’s permission, he moved closer.
More than thirty Pokémon Eggs of nearly identical coloration were arranged across the stall.
As the crowd thickened, someone finally asked, “What Pokémon are these Eggs from?”
“Spearow. Every one of them,” the vendor answered curtly.
“Standard black-market price. Fifty thousand Pokédollars each. No bargaining.”
Kuroba was squeezed uncomfortably by the growing crowd and quickly backed away.
Madam Meta glanced over the display.
“If they’re all Spearow Eggs, that man probably wiped out an entire flock.”
Kuroba was impressed by the seller’s strength, but something else puzzled him more.
“Why would an Egg from such a common Pokémon cost fifty thousand? Isn’t that a little expensive?”
“Not really,” Madam Meta replied patiently.
“Spearow may not have an especially high ceiling, but it evolves quickly. At Level 20 it becomes Fearow, which is a very practical Flying-type Pokémon.”
She continued, “Many Trainers raise one simply for transportation. Even if they decide they no longer need it later, they can sell it without losing too much money.”
Kuroba looked back toward the crowded stall.
Several buyers were already handing over money and carrying Eggs away.
He kept his expression neutral, but inside, he was envious.
Human beings had dreamed of soaring through the sky since ancient times.
Kuroba was no exception.
For someone who spent most of his life drifting across the ocean, owning a Flying-type Pokémon that could eventually serve as a mount or scout would be incredibly useful.
“You want one?” Madam Meta asked, noticing his gaze.
“Then buy one.”
Kuroba immediately felt awkward.
He had only around ten thousand Pokédollars to his name, all of it earned by doing odd jobs for veteran sailors every day.
The other newcomers from his batch were even poorer; most probably did not have a single coin saved.
Madam Meta chuckled when she noticed his embarrassment.
“Go choose one. I’ll pay for it.”
“Huh? Really? Is that all right?”
Kuroba looked flattered on the outside, but inwardly his heart had already leaped.
Beneath his hood, his eyes involuntarily drifted toward the Eggs.
“Part of the reason I brought you to the black market was to buy a few things for you,” Madam Meta whispered so only he could hear.
“You’re my apprentice. Naturally, I won’t treat you poorly.”
Kuroba finally stepped forward and selected an Egg.
They paid an additional five thousand Pokédollars for a cheap incubator.
At first glance, spending fifty thousand on a common Spearow might seem wasteful.
But Spearow were notoriously aggressive and lived in flocks.
How many ordinary Trainers could safely challenge a flock containing several Fearow and hundreds of bad-tempered Spearow?
Even capturing a single wild Spearow alone could be troublesome.
That also revealed just how capable the vendor was.
Anyone who could destroy a small Spearow flock by himself was clearly no weak Trainer.
Wild Pokémon also retained their untamed instincts.
Training one carried the constant risk of rebellion, whereas raising a Pokémon from the Egg was considerably safer.
And buying an Egg was a little like opening a mystery box.
With enough luck, perhaps one might hatch a Spearow with exceptional potential—or even an Egg Move.
After finishing their tour of the stall district, Kuroba and Madam Meta entered the commercial street.
Compared with the noisy market behind them, this area was almost quiet.
Very few customers entered or left the stores.
But the people who did appear were clearly on another level.
The Pokémon accompanying them seemed to average above Level 30.
“Come with me,” Madam Meta said.
“We’re going to solve your identity problem once and for all.”
She led Kuroba into an almost deserted shop.
The interior was a mess.
Cobwebs filled the corners, and dust drifted lazily through the air.
An old man with a white beard lounged in a chair behind the counter.
Madam Meta walked over and tapped the counter.
“If you want something, take it yourself,” the old man muttered without opening his eyes.
“The prices are marked.”
Then he went right back to pretending to sleep, showing absolutely none of the enthusiasm one would expect from a shopkeeper.
Madam Meta was not offended.
She merely smiled.
“Take me to the second floor.”
The old man’s eyes snapped open.
His lazy attitude vanished instantly.
He stood and respectfully escorted them upstairs.
A long time later, Kuroba and Madam Meta finally emerged from the shop.
Kuroba stared at the card in his hand.
“I can’t believe getting an identity was actually that easy.”
The identification card clearly bore the name *Kuroba*.
From this day onward, he was officially recognized as a resident under the Pokémon League.
“People inside the League do business in black markets too,” Madam Meta explained.
“The person behind that shop is probably some high-ranking official connected to the department that manages population records.”
Seeing Kuroba’s obvious happiness, she added a warning.
“This identity will let you walk openly through ordinary cities, but don’t become careless. If a high-ranking official or a Gym conducts a serious investigation, the fabrication won’t survive close scrutiny.”
Kuroba’s excitement cooled slightly.
Still, he smiled.
“Even so, it’s more than enough for now.”
Afterward, he accompanied Madam Meta as she sold large quantities of supplies.
Most of the cargo consisted of Water-type Pokémon and valuable medicinal materials obtainable only at sea.
The Great Shark profited by exploiting the differences between regions.
Hoenn was filled with waterways and surrounded by vast seas, making Water-type Pokémon plentiful.
Kanto was different.
Before leaving the black market, Madam Meta bought Kuroba one more gift from a stall—a Pokédex.
“It isn’t the newest model,” she said, “but it’s a third-generation Pokédex. It still has most of the functions you’ll need.”
Kuroba bowed deeply in gratitude once again.
* * *
Viridian City.
*Madam Meta really just let me wander around freely.
Isn’t she worried I’ll run away?*
The thought amused Kuroba, but he had absolutely no intention of escaping.
Madam Meta knew far too much about him, for one thing.
More importantly, even if he escaped, what future did an ordinary registered civilian like him have?
His opportunities to rise would be painfully limited.
If he remained beside Madam Meta, on the other hand, he might eventually become a real Pokémon Breeder.
After studying under her for the past several days, Kuroba had begun to understand just how respected that profession was.
Even a junior Breeder could enjoy considerable social status.
He wandered through Viridian City alone, soaking in the ordinary sounds of civilization.
For the first time in what felt like forever, he relaxed.
It was as though an enormous weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders.
Advertisements flashed across towering buildings—new Pokéblocks, new wilderness survival equipment, and all kinds of Trainer products.
Kuroba stopped when he saw one particular item.
“Damn… Spatial Bags are expensive. Even the cheapest basic model costs two hundred thousand Pokédollars!”
The price instantly extinguished his desire to buy one.
Eventually, he arrived at a Pokémon Center and decided to stay there for the night.
“Good afternoon, Nurse Joy!”
Despite being a pirate, Kuroba showed no trace of nervousness.
He greeted her openly and naturally.
“Good afternoon, Trainer. How may I help you?” Nurse Joy asked with the warm professional smile characteristic of her family.
Her gentle presence made people instinctively feel at ease.
“Hello. I just arrived in the Kanto region, so I’d like to register my stay.”
Kuroba was exceptionally polite.
Not because he was naturally that well mannered, but because Nurse Joy—and the Joy family behind her—held an extraordinarily special position within the League.
The Joy and Jenny families were two enormous clans whose influence seemed almost impossible to shake.
One dominated Pokémon healthcare; the other dominated law enforcement.
As long as someone traveled through a region, it was practically impossible to avoid dealing with those two families.
In some cases, information about a Trainer might reach the Joy or Jenny databases before it even reached the League’s central records.
That also meant the two families could identify promising young Trainers earlier than almost anyone else, giving them opportunities to recruit talent through marriage, apprenticeship, and other connections.
*I suppose that’s unavoidable,* Kuroba thought.
*The Joy and Jenny families only seem to have daughters, after all.*
Because of their unique circumstances, countless men dreamed of marrying into either family.
And, naturally, plenty of them also dreamed of having a wife who looked like a Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny.
“You’re applying for a Kanto regional travel permit,” Nurse Joy said.
“It will remain valid for three years. Remember to renew it when it expires.”
Her voice remained gentle throughout the process.
Kuroba did not expect to remain in Kanto for long, but traveling anywhere without the proper permit would be troublesome.
He then paid two hundred Pokédollars for a room at the Pokémon Center.
Once inside, he looked around the cramped space and sighed.
“So this is what being an ordinary citizen gets me. If I were a League-affiliated Trainer, both treatment and lodging at Pokémon Centers would be free.”
He dropped onto the bed and allowed his thoughts to wander.
Viridian City ranked only around eleventh among Kanto’s cities.
Compared with ancient cities such as Pewter City and Cerulean City, it still lacked some historical prestige.
Its current ranking was largely supported by the overwhelming popularity of the Viridian Gym Leader—Giovanni, the man known for his mastery of Ground-type Pokémon and said to be unbeatable as long as he stood upon the earth.
Giovanni’s fame alone had helped drive the city’s economy.
Viridian City itself was effectively governed by both its Gym Leader and a mayor elected by the citizens.
In this world, each city possessed a significant degree of independence.
The League could advise and supervise, but it could not simply order every city to act however it wished.
*And that’s exactly why local old-money families and powerful officials can monopolize resources and the paths to advancement,* Kuroba thought.
The public face of the Pokémon League at present was Chairman Charles Goodshow, who was rumored to have come from an ordinary background in his youth.
He was also regarded as one of the leading figures of the League’s reformist faction.
Unfortunately, the decentralized political system meant that many of those reforms repeatedly met resistance.
Early the next morning, Kuroba ate breakfast and left the Pokémon Center.
Before departing Viridian City, he purchased a considerable amount of daily necessities, including a fruit wine he had grown fond of and a stack of books to help pass the long hours at sea.
Naturally, he did not waste money on romance novels.
Every book he bought could help with his studies as a Breeder.
*The Complete Encyclopedia of Berries.*
*Adrift at Sea.*
*People and Customs of the Kanto Region.*
By the time his shopping spree ended, Kuroba looked at his remaining money and sighed.
He was back down to only three thousand Pokédollars.
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