1. Ash's Story (Part 10: Galar)

Chapter 62: Shadows at Outer Spikemuth

The next morning, Hammerlock Academy sent our Dark Type Job notice through Jane before we reached the southern road. She stood outside the practical office with a clipboard, a dark-blue scarf, and the kind of smile that warned us she had already read every detail twice.

"Dark type today," Jane said, tapping the top sheet. "After this one, only two job modules are left. Don't treat that as permission to rush."

I looked at the board beside her. Several companies had posted requests for Dark-type Pokémon, from shoe testing to taxi work, cloth durability, construction warnings, sleepy workers, and money transport. The Macro Cosmos Bank request stood out because it sounded dangerous without sounding careless.

Alice read the line with a small frown. "Transporting money can be dangerous. They want Pokémon with a dark aura to scare away bad guys."

Gloria folded her arms. "So they want protection without starting a fight."

"Exactly," Jane said. "You are not frightening innocent people. You are discouraging trouble, reading threats, and proving Dark-type presence can protect instead of intimidate for the wrong reasons."

Morgrem listened from beside my leg, fingers curled around his hair like he was already imagining the shadows. Clobbopus hopped near him, punching the air with stubborn little jabs. I chose them for the job along with Obstagoon and Thievul, while Alice brought Zoroark and Morpeko for the second escort line.

Pikachu watched Morgrem closely from my shoulder. His tail flicked once against my jacket, steady and thoughtful, "He wants the scary face to mean something better than fear."

I nodded. "Then we'll help him prove it."

Jane made us repeat the goal before she let us leave. It felt silly until I heard everyone answer differently. Gloria said the Pokémon had to look fierce enough to make thieves hesitate. Alice said they had to notice the difference between danger and fear. I said they had to protect the route without turning the road into a battlefield.

Jane nodded at that. "Good. Dark types are often judged by how they look or how their moves feel. Today you prove that control is part of their strength."

Morgrem heard every word. He did not look ashamed of being frightening. He looked like he was deciding what kind of frightening he wanted to be. Clobbopus, meanwhile, kept trying to copy the serious poses and nearly knocked himself over twice.

Jane led us to the bank depot outside Hammerlocke, where the transport route ran through a service road before turning toward Outer Spikemuth. The armored carrier looked sturdy, but the manager still kept glancing toward the surrounding warehouses. Money drew attention, and so did fear.

The bank manager bowed to us. "We need the route guarded, not attacked. If anyone suspicious approaches, we want them to decide this is not worth the trouble."

"That means posture, spacing, and restraint," Jane said. "Dark-type work is not a license to menace everyone who walks by."

Before the carrier moved, Jane made us practice with depot workers pretending to be normal pedestrians. Obstagoon had to stand firm without blocking the sidewalk. Thievul had to follow suspicious movement without stealing attention from safe travelers. Zoroark had to use illusion as warning, not panic.

Morpeko struggled the most because everyone wanted to smile at him. Alice crouched beside him and whispered until he straightened, cheeks sparking just enough to look like a serious little guard. The worker playing a troublemaker took one look at him and stepped back.

Morgrem gave a sly grin, then glanced at the carrier's driver. When the driver flinched, Morgrem lowered his hands and stepped back. It was small, but I saw him choose control. That mattered more than a dramatic pose.