Chapter 351: The Changes in Pewter City

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At around 11:30 PM, after a train journey lasting over ten hours, Sato finally returned to Pewter City.

Unlike the bustling Saffron City, Pewter City—situated on the northwestern border of Kanto—had only a modest level of economic development.

As Sato stepped off the train, he noticed that apart from a few lingering passengers, most of the station's staff had already gone home.

The train station itself was small and dilapidated. At this late hour, only a single convenience store remained open. Seeing this, Sato lost any appetite for grabbing a quick bite at the station.

Still, even at this time of night, the unlicensed taxi drivers outside the train station remained as diligent as ever.

The moment Sato stepped out, several rough-looking drivers in beat-up cars immediately approached, competing to offer him their services.

Naturally, Sato had no intention of taking one of these overpriced and dangerous illegal cabs. Besides, Pewter City wasn't particularly large, and the train station wasn't far from the city center.

More importantly, having just returned, he felt an urge to take a good look around.

Seeing that Sato ignored them, the drivers' expressions darkened with displeasure. However, being in this line of work, they knew how to size people up.

Sato was clad in a crisp blue-and-white Elite Trainer uniform, exuding an air of confidence and strength. Any sharp-eyed person could tell at a glance that he was not someone to be trifled with.

Recognizing this, the drivers wisely stepped aside, not daring to pester him further.

However, when they saw Sato heading alone into a dimly lit alley, seemingly taking a shortcut toward the city center, a few younger drivers exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with unspoken thoughts.

Sato had spent a lot of time struggling in Pewter City's lower class. For several months, he had even worked as a food delivery courier, which had given him an intimate knowledge of the city's streets and alleys.

He recalled that there was a late-night restaurant not far from the train station, rumored to serve decent food.

Since both he and his Pokémon were famished, it would be a good place to stop for a meal before figuring out a way back to the Team Rocket underground base.

Apart from its central district and the commercial development area in the east, most of Pewter City consisted of old neighborhoods with outdated infrastructure.

The train station was located in the city's southern old district.

As Sato walked through the dim alleyway, the weak glow of streetlights illuminated a filthy road littered with garbage. Puddles of dirty water were scattered everywhere, filling the air with a pungent stench.

The smell didn't bother Sato in the slightest. He kept his face expressionless and moved silently through the alley, like a passing shadow.

He was not alone. Throughout the winding backstreets, he encountered all sorts of people—ragged vagrants, drunken men who had been thrown onto the pavement, and women working the streets under the dim glow of neon signs.

Of course, in addition to these various drifters, there were also the so-called "enforcers" of the alleys—the gang thugs who claimed these streets as their own.

These street thugs were not known for their patience. With multiple PokéBalls hanging from their belts, they strutted about arrogantly, meting out harsh beatings and extorting anyone who dared block their path.

Most notably, they paid special attention to outsiders—especially well-dressed ones. Such individuals were prime targets.

Sure enough, after walking through a few alleys, Sato soon found himself approached by a group of young gangsters who had been tipped off by their informants.

With a booming shout of "Clear the area!" from the bald-headed leader, the surrounding bystanders quickly dispersed, leaving only Sato and the dozen or so gang members.

"Listen up, kid," the bald leader sneered, pointing an iron rod at Sato. "This is Black Serpent Gang territory. If you wanna pass through, you gotta pay up. Be smart and hand over your Pokémon and cash, or else… well, don't say we didn't warn you."

Perched on the thug's shoulder, a Fearow glared menacingly at Sato, awaiting its master's command to attack.

At the same time, the other gang members released their Pokémon—Raticates, Beedrills, Geodudes—all surrounding Sato in an aggressive formation.

Some of the thugs also brandished metal pipes and knives, their intent clear.

"The Black Serpent Gang?" Sato mused, unfazed by their intimidation. Raising an eyebrow, he asked with mild curiosity,

"Wasn't this area controlled by the Fearow Gang before? I've only been gone for a little over a month—did ownership change that quickly?"

As a former delivery worker, Sato was quite familiar with Pewter City's gangs. After all, gangsters needed food too, and he had often delivered to them.

From what he remembered, the train station area had always been controlled by the Fearow Gang.

The Fearow Gang had been one of the city's top criminal organizations, strong enough to hold onto this lucrative territory.

Their leader was a trainer with three Fearows—powerful enough to be considered one of the top gang leaders in Pewter City.

By Sato's estimation, that leader likely had the skills of an Elite Trainer. Having survived in the underworld for so long, he shouldn't have been weak.

And yet, in just a little over a month, their turf had been taken over by a new group? That was surprising.

"Hah! The Fearow Gang?" The bald leader scoffed, his face lighting up with an almost fanatical glee. "In front of our boss, those Fearow fools were nothing but a bunch of chickens. We crushed them in a week! Listen up, kid—the entire southern district of Pewter City belongs to the Black Serpent Gang now.

"So be smart and do what I said. Otherwise—hehehe—we'll send you down to join those Fearow weaklings."

His words sent the other gang members into a frenzy of laughter and jeering.

"Haha! That's right! The whole southern district belongs to us now!"

"Hey, you're not one of the Fearow Gang's stragglers, are you? If so, we'll deal with you right here!"

"Why are we wasting time, boss? Let's just take him out already!"

Hearing the rising commotion, Sato simply nodded, his expression remaining unreadable. However, a cold glint flickered in his eyes.

"I see… Pewter City has changed quite a bit while I was gone." He spoke calmly, then continued, "I just got back, and I need someone to fill me in on the details. You seem like the perfect candidate. Tell me everything, and I'll let you go."

As he spoke, Sato reached for a PokéBall.

"You idiot! Who do you think you are?" The bald leader's face twisted with rage. Unlike the more streetwise criminals in Celadon City, he was young and reckless. Enraged, he brandished his iron rod and charged forward.

The other gang members followed suit, weapons and Pokémon at the ready, eager to tear Sato apart.

A sigh escaped Sato's lips.

"Come out, Golbat. Use Gust."

With a flash of light, Golbat emerged above Sato's head.

Its eyes gleamed with a bright cyan light, and in the next instant, twin white whirlwinds erupted on either side of Sato.

The charging gang members and their Pokémon were instantly swept into the raging winds.