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Yes, through the system's identification function, Sato discovered that this jet-black stone was none other than a Dusk Stone, one of the rarest evolutionary stones.
Moreover, it was of the highest quality.
"Makes sense. I saved both the village's guards and your son without a scratch. That's a huge favor—how could you not repay me with something valuable?"
Sato picked up the top-tier Dusk Stone, examined it carefully, and then placed it into his storage device, feeling quite pleased.
Speaking of Dusk Stones, Sato immediately recalled their purpose. According to The Grimoire of Dark Spirits, these stones typically only appeared in areas saturated with extreme negative energy—places in the Pokémon world that naturally attracted Ghost-type Pokémon.
These locations were usually ancient tombs hidden deep within the mountains or the sites of ancient battlefields.
Only in places that had been shrouded in high concentrations of negative energy for many years could a Dusk Stone be born.
From what Sato knew, Mt. Pyre was once the battlefield of Groudon and Kyogre in ancient times. That made it a historic war zone, and the high-quality Dusk Stone the village elder gifted him was likely formed in this naturally cursed land.
A Dusk Stone of this caliber must have taken countless years to form in such an environment. It contained vast and exceptionally pure negative energy.
(Note: In the Pokémon world, negative energy is essentially Ghost-type energy.)
For any Ghost-type Pokémon, a high-quality Dusk Stone was an irresistible treasure, offering unparalleled benefits. Simply using or carrying it would grant them immense advantages.
In fact, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that burying this stone in a graveyard would soon turn the entire area into a concentrated zone of negative energy.
Because of this, many trainers who specialized in Ghost-type Pokémon had a particular way of using high-quality Dusk Stones—they used them as bait.
Unlike in the games, where encountering a Ghost-type Pokémon was as simple as stepping into the right area, reality was much different. Even if one visited graveyards or other haunted locations, if Ghost-types didn't want to be seen, their invisibility abilities made them nearly impossible to find.
However, if a trainer had a high-quality Dusk Stone, it was a different story.
Merely taking it out at night would alert every Ghost-type Pokémon within a few kilometer radius, drawing them in droves.
Sato had read in The Grimoire of Dark Spirits about how to cleverly use a high-quality Dusk Stone to lure Ghost-types.
According to the book, when combined with certain special materials, its ability to attract Ghost Pokémon could be even further enhanced.
Though Sato hadn't spent much time at the Pokémon Center, nearly every conversation this morning had revolved around the Black Serpent Gang.
It didn't take long for him to overhear some loose-lipped trainers discussing how the gang had been wiped out by the League the previous night.
Besides the news of the Black Serpent Gang's destruction, Sato also overheard discussions about himself. Apparently, the Pewter City League had been able to eliminate the gang so easily largely due to the intervention of a mysterious powerhouse—him.
As a result, the Pewter City League had even issued a reward notice. A large bulletin board in the Pokémon Center prominently displayed the announcement, with a blurry photo of Sato.
Sato was naturally thrilled that the Black Serpent Gang had been wiped out. Their destruction meant his archrival, Rondo, had lost a significant amount of power.
However, he was less than pleased about the League posting his photo, effectively announcing his involvement.
The League's intentions were good—they were offering both money and contribution points—but Sato had never wanted recognition for this particular "good deed."
After all, his real identity was that of a Team Rocket member, and the Black Serpent Gang had been supported by Pewter City's branch of Team Rocket.
If the Rocket members in Pewter City discovered that he had helped the League wipe out their allies, he would be in deep trouble.
Fortunately, because the lighting had been poor when the photo was taken, the image was quite blurry. On top of that, he had been wearing a human-skin mask created by Ditto.
The chances of his identity being exposed were nearly zero.
Even so, this incident served as a reminder. News of his battle against the Black Serpent Gang had undoubtedly spread across all factions in Pewter City—the League, the underworld, and the neutral parties.
The Team Rocket members who had supported the gang were surely looking for the culprit.
With that in mind, Sato knew that upon returning to Team Rocket, he needed to keep a low profile. He would also need to minimize, or completely avoid, using his Swampert and Golbat in battles to prevent others from making connections.
"What the hell? The Pewter City League is way too straightforward. I didn't even step forward to claim the reward, and yet they're making such a big deal out of it. Can I refuse this prize? They're just putting a target on my back!"
Although Sato's expression remained unchanged, inwardly, he was cursing whoever in the League had come up with this idea.
Without wasting any more time, Sato left the Pokémon Center in the heart of Pewter City. He took out his mountain bike and began riding toward the southern outskirts of the city.
Yes, he was preparing to return to Team Rocket's underground base in Pewter City to report in. Today was the last day of his deadline—whether he wanted to or not, he had to go back.
However, Sato only knew one way to enter Team Rocket's underground base: the remote cabin in the woods that he had visited when he first sought to join Team Rocket.
Before heading to the cabin, though, he decided to check the rundown shop that had originally guided him into Team Rocket. He hoped the old man who had first directed him might have another method of entry.
About ten minutes later, Sato arrived at the shop, located at the very edge of Pewter City's southern outskirts.
Unfortunately, it was closed down—just like many other abandoned storefronts nearby. The old man who had once recruited new Rocket members was nowhere to be found.
With no other choice, Sato had to use the old method to enter Team Rocket's base.
Although the marked stones and trees that once led to the cabin had been destroyed, making it impossible to follow the usual trail, Sato had started his journey as a trainer there. He still remembered the cabin's location clearly.
After navigating through the quiet, deserted forest for quite some time, he finally arrived at the small wooden cabin—its surroundings filled with roosting Murkrow.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
Just like before, the moment Sato got close, the Murkrow in the surrounding trees fixed their malicious gazes on him and let out ominous cries.
And when he was within ten meters of the cabin, the Murkrow launched a full-scale attack.
"Come out, Nidorino—use Thunderbolt!"
Seeing the incoming swarm, Sato remained unfazed. A quick scan with his system revealed that these Murkrow were only around level ten. He immediately released his Nidorino to fight.
Murkrow were pure glass cannons—high attack but low defense. Nidorino's Thunderbolt was not only swift but also far more potent than what a regular Electric-type Pokémon could unleash.
Guided by Nidorino's Psychic, the golden lightning bolts shot out from his horn like chain lightning, instantly frying seven or eight Murkrow into charred, smoking husks.
Before long, the entire Murkrow flock had been electrocuted and sent plummeting to the ground.
At that moment, the cabin's tightly shut door swung open, and a burly man carrying a shotgun stepped out, his face dark with suspicion.