The next day dawned gray and silent.
Alex barely slept. The events of the night before kept returning in sharp, bloody flashes—the blade, the body, the guilt. He had washed his hands, but the memory still clung to them. Riolu noticed his silence and stayed close. Charcadet was distant but alert. Larvesta, still young, nuzzled into his coat as they made their way toward the outskirts of town.
The card he'd taken from the dead man had a symbol burned into the back—a black Poké Ball crossed by a fang. Beneath it, directions scrawled in crude handwriting: Warehouse 9, Dust Alley, after dusk.
Alex arrived just before sunset.
Dust Alley was behind the old lumber yard, hidden under the cover of tall buildings with boarded windows and metal shutters. There were no signs, no guards. Just a door without a handle, and a slot that opened when Alex approached. He wore a torn cloak and a crude cloth mask stained with soot to cover his face.
The slot opened, and a pair of eyes peered out."Password?"
Alex showed the password. It was scrawled on the back of the card.
The door creaked open.
Inside was dim and smoky. Lanterns of purple flame lined the walls. Shelves were stacked with cages. The sounds of Pokémon growls, mechanical clinks, and murmuring voices filled the room. Tables were covered in goods both rare and forbidden—shards, stones, syringes of strange fluids, TMs with handwritten labels, even weapons.
A man passed by carrying what looked like a stolen Healing Machine core. A woman followed with a Zangoose on a chain. Alex felt sick. But he kept walking.
He approached the Pokémon section first.
Row upon row of cages lined the walls. Inside were Pokémon from every region, most of them injured, some asleep, others glaring with rage. A Machop with scars across its chest. A Skorupi missing a pincer. Even a Beldum with its metal frame rusted and bound with wires.
And then he saw it.
A Treecko.
Small. Proud. Eyes like carved emeralds. It stared through its cage with a kind of sad defiance.
Alex's heart nearly stopped.
Treecko.
A Hoenn-native starter. Extremely rare in Sinnoh. It was far from home, clearly stolen.
He leaned closer.
The price was written in thick red ink:650,000 credits.
It might as well have been a million. He didn't even have one-tenth of that.
He stared for a while, wishing he didn't feel so powerless. Treecko stared back. Neither blinked.
A man in a red jacket passed behind him. "Beautiful, ain't it? Was caught near Petalburg by one of our hunters. Boss says we might auction it off next week if it doesn't sell."
Alex nodded, lowering his head. "I might come back."
He moved on to the items.
Here, he saw things he could afford—barely. He found a discounted Black Belt that would enhance Riolu's physical attacks. A Charcoal-stained glove that could help Charcadet boost his flames. An old cracked TM labeled "Flame Charge"—usable, just barely. All together, they cost 6,000 credits.
Alex handed over the money he'd earned from selling his looted goods from the ruins. He had only 800 credits left.
He glanced one more time toward Treecko before leaving. That cage burned in his mind.
Outside, he removed his mask and breathed heavily into the cold air. Riolu and Charcadet emerged from the shadows where they had been waiting, and Larvesta wriggled in his hood.
"I saw a Treecko," Alex whispered, voice cracking. "I wish I could buy it"
Riolu looked up at him, as if asking: Then why didn't you?
"Because… I still don't have enough money to do so."
They walked back toward their camp in silence.
But Alex's eyes were fire.
the next day he was gonna return and he would rob treecko, he was sure of that
The next evening, the sky over Duskmire glowed in smudges of purple and red. Alex, cloaked and masked again, trekked toward Dust Alley. Riolu and Charcadet followed closely, and Larvesta lay warm in his pack, humming softly. Alex swallowed hard. Tonight, he wasn't here just to observe. He came to rob
The alley was silent beneath the flickering lanterns. The masked guard recognized him and parted without question. Inside, the air was thick with smoke and desperation. Pokémon cried out. People whispered. The black market thrived.
Alex moved through the cages until he found Treecko—small, alert, his emerald eyes locked onto Alex's masked face. Their gaze met through steel bars.
"You remember me?" Alex whispered, voice low. He crouched before the cage. Treecko's nostrils quivered. There was recognition.
Alex produced a few crushed berries from his pocket. Treecko sniffed them, pressed a claw through the bars, gently accepting the meal. That moment bridged the distance.
"I can help you if you join me I can get you out of here"
He scanned the dim room for surveillance—guards pacing, cameras blinking, traders unloading crates. Time was short.
He pulled out the metal card he'd retrieved earlier and flipped it to reveal the coordinates of the Black Market Hub. A small pendant hung from his neck: a memento from charcadet's past as an Pokemon from the black market. With one hand, he slipped a lockpick set from his belt.
He turned back to Treecko. "If you're ready… tonight, you can leave this place. Come with me."
Treecko stared, then pressed a single claw gently against Alex's hand. It was a silent promise.
When Alex looked up, he saw two guards at the exit whispering. He slipped behind a row of cages with Treecko's cage. Outside, Riolu and Charcadet waited in shadow.
Alex found the lock and worked it carefully. The pins clicked one by one. Blood pounded in his ears. Within seconds, the padlock fell off. Treecko opened the door, blinking nervously into the dim light.
"Quiet," Alex said softly. "Follow me."
Treecko hesitated, whisking a tail. Then stepped onto the table. Alex led it down the aisle between cages, hiding behind crates and shadows. They brushed past Pokémon in cages: a crying Jigglypuff, a frayed Pinsir, a Torchic with bandaged wings.
Once they reached the back door, Alex kicked it open. Charcadet and Riolu were there, ready. The smells, the heat—they were worse here. But they had to move.
Just then, a spotlight snapped on. A guard shouted.
"Hey! Who's there?"
Alex pulled Treecko close. "Go!"
They dashed. Riolu sprinted ahead, kicking a crate to block the path and buying seconds. Charcadet lit a flame to distract a trader, giving them cover.
Treecko stumbled at first, then ran on all fours, following Alex into the alley.
They emerged under a streetlamp. Alex pulled off his mask. Treecko hesitated, looking at his rescuer's face. Then he climbed into Alex's arms.
Charcadet was still tense while Riolu stayed alert beside them.
Alex let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.
"Are you okay?" he murmured. Treecko chirped quietly, leaning into his shoulder.
They hurried away, ducking between buildings until they reached a small abandoned building Alex had scouted earlier.
Inside, Alex placed Treecko gently on the ground. Larvesta peeked out of his pack and approached.
The two Pokémon circled shyly, then sniffed one another. Larvesta chirped; Treecko responded. Alex watched, warmth easing the tension in his chest.
He knelt beside Riolu first. "You did well riolu" He pointed to Charcadet next. "that was a good distraction"
Then to Treecko, who now sat upright, legs shaking slightly but eyes bright. Alex crouched low. "You're safe now. You're part of this—our team. I'll keep you strong. I'll teach you strategy." He pressed a gloved finger to Treecko's forehead. The grass Pokémon leaned into it.
Riolu snorted softly, relaxed now. Charcadet cracked a small ember burst, as if approving.
Alex set out the food he'd brought: Oran berries for Treecko, slices of cooked meat for Charcadet and Riolu, and a small share of Larvesta's milk. The new partner ate cautiously, still wary of humans.
They ate in silence, broken only by the crackle of Charcadet's flame and the soft breathing of sleepy Pokémon.
Afterward, Alex stood. "You made the right choice," he told Treecko. "I know I can't give you back your home. But I can give you something better: a family."
Treecko chirped, hope in its stare.
Alex laid out a rough plan: he'd train Treecko quietly, help it grow. Support Riolu and Charcadet while Larvesta blossomed.
Outside, sirens wailed faintly in the distance. A reminder that Duskmire slept uneasily.
Alex closed his eyes. He felt a hand at his side—Riolu's paw. He looked down: Charcadet's embers glowing, Larvesta's warmth humming in his pack.
He wrapped an arm around Treecko, who pressed closer.
They had gained a new companion. A new purpose.
And their next chapter was just the beginning.