The Crimson City Gym was an official League Gym specializing in Electric-types. Though it didn't quite rival Vermilion Gym, it still ranked fairly high among Electric-type gyms in Kanto.
As usual, Silas checked into the Pokémon Center upon arrival.
It was already 7:40 p.m. Even if he wanted to challenge the Gym, it would have to wait until tomorrow.
Silas stretched lazily on the bed, bored and unsure of what to do.
Before the Breeder's Exam, his goals had been very clear—every evening was filled with nonstop studying.
But ever since passing, he had allowed himself to relax more. You've got to give yourself a break sometimes, he thought, not realizing that in just this past year, he'd rested more than he had in the last three years combined.
Even so, anyone looking at Silas's daily schedule would still have to call him diligent and hardworking.
Togepi and Servine were still full of energy, playing tirelessly. Silas often envied Pokémon for their carefree state—especially Togepi, who was happily chasing Servine around.
The two little ones were now running back and forth across Pidgeot's broad back as it lay sprawled on the floor.
Speaking of Pidgeot—Silas's eyes flickered uneasily. This bird had been stuck at Level 49 for nearly a week now, still unable to break through into the Elite level. Is the barrier really that tough?
As if sensing Silas's gaze, Pidgeot lazily lifted one wing.
Silas understood the gesture instantly, and chuckled helplessly.
Still, according to his own knowledge and Zero's scans, Pidgeot was perfectly fine—both physically and mentally. It was only a matter of time before it reached Level 50.
But if you keep dawdling, your little brother's going to surpass you, Silas thought, locking eyes with Pidgeot.
Pidgeot immediately read his expression and shut its eyes: If I don't see it, it isn't happening. Besides, breakthroughs depend on feeling, not pressure.
Truthfully, Pidgeot was anxious too. Past energy breakthroughs had never felt this difficult—usually just a small push was enough. Why was it dragging this time?
Both trainer and bird were, in reality, being ridiculous. Under normal circumstances, breaking through to Elite often took a month or more, which was considered fast. It had only been a week, and already they were panicking.
Of course, the biggest culprit behind this impatience was none other than Blaziken.
Sitting cross-legged with eyes closed, Blaziken was glowing faintly blue, immersed in Aura. It finally opened its eyes in exasperation: Seriously? Just because my eyes are closed doesn't mean I can't sense your feelings. Could you two be any more obvious?
Sure enough, Silas and Pidgeot were staring straight at it.
It was strange—whether because of Aura's uniqueness or Blaziken's own potential, ever since it had awakened Aura its progress had skyrocketed.
Of course, the cost of its training had also risen proportionally.
Especially in terms of Fighting-type energy cultivation—no wonder it had been able to take down both of Celeb's Pokémon with just its Fighting techniques.
But berries like Pumkin Berries and Chople Berries were outrageously expensive. Silas often considered buying a whole orchard just to grow them himself.
If it weren't for a few very generous sponsors—no, kindhearted donors—Silas wouldn't be living this comfortably. He'd likely be out in the wild every day grinding missions just to scrape by.
As it was, his once nine-digit fortune had now dipped into eight digits.
Maybe I should take some missions tomorrow. The Gym can wait, Silas thought. Not having "enough" money always left him restless.
Crimson Forest, being part of the greater Viridian Forest, had plenty of high-value resources waiting to be collected.
And with both Blaziken and Gigalith on his team, he needed the money—those two were walking money pits.
The other three weren't as demanding. Servine and Togepi's growth would eventually cost slightly more than Pidgeot's, assuming you didn't count the two Evolution Stones they'd eventually require.
Still, Silas couldn't understand why just a small difference in potential between Servine and Blaziken translated into such an enormous cost gap. It's only a little stronger—why's it so much pricier to raise?
He even thought about raising a Tyranitar one day. Just the thought made him swallow hard. Comparing its resource needs with Gigalith's made him decide quickly: Yeah, maybe later.
Pseudo-Legendaries weren't something you raised just because you had some savings—they were long-term investments.
And with the Indigo Plateau Conference around the corner, raising one now would be pointless. Pseudo-Legendaries required years of training before showing results. Early on, they were often weaker than common Pokémon.
To gain great power, one had to sacrifice something up front.
Silas stared blankly ahead, mind empty.
Veins popped on Blaziken's forehead. Seriously? Spacing out is fine, but why drool at me while doing it?
It quickly darted behind Gigalith's massive stone body, blocking Silas's line of sight. Only then did Blaziken relax, patting its chest in relief. Close call.
"Chomp, chomp."
"Togepi, no sneaking ice cream!"
Even while zoning out, Silas's ears caught the sound instantly, and he scolded on reflex.
Togepi froze, spoon halfway into the ice cream cup. You monster! How can you hear me eating even when you're distracted?
It peeked at Silas. He seemed to have only reacted instinctively.
Slowly, Togepi edged the spoon closer to its mouth. Good. Phase One successful.
Its heart leapt with joy. Phase Two: no smacking lips. Carefully, it slid the spoon into its tiny mouth.
Cool, creamy, sweet—pure bliss. Togepi's eyes narrowed in delight.
"Chikkoiiii~!"
Its inner cheer of triumph.
Proudly, it glanced at its foolish trainer. Hah! You think you can stop me?
Wait… where'd he go?
A shiver ran down its spine. Togepi felt killing intent from above.
"I told you yesterday you had too much ice cream. Today you're cut off. And now, tomorrow's portion is gone too!" Silas scolded, plucking the little culprit off the floor.
He confiscated both the ice cream and the spoon.
Oh, my precious ice cream… goodbye. I'll see you the day after tomorrow, Togepi thought sadly, eyes glued to its treat as it drifted away.
Not that this was the first time. Togepi was used to it by now.
"Togepi! Togepi!"
Togepi wriggled desperately, squirming into Silas's arms. It knew this tactic always weakened him.
"Ugh, you little…" Silas sighed, cut off mid-sentence as Togepi pulled him down onto the bed.
From the side, Servine narrowed its eyes. Two vines shot out, latching onto the bedframe. With a little tug, it swung itself right into the fray.
"Hey, hey, hey—Servine, don't tickle me with your leaves! And Togepi, get your head off my stomach—you're going to drill a hole through me!"
The Pokémon Center room was filled with the laughter and chaos of boy and Pokémon alike.
The next morning, in Maple Leaf Grove.
Silas calmly found a clearing and started a small fire to cook breakfast.
After a night of heavy reflection, he had decided to take his team out early for a mission.
The stack of gathered Pokémon materials beside him was proof of their efforts.
Of course, selling this haul would only fetch around a hundred thousand Pokédollars—not a fortune, but at least a start.
If only the little ones didn't eat more than that in a single breakfast, Silas thought grimly.
He sipped from a bottle of Miltank milk, sighing silently.
Money was being spent faster than he could earn it. The struggle was real.
He needed to develop the real money-making side of being a Breeder—fast.
Looking back, Silas realized he had been a bit too naïve at the beginning. Making money wasn't just about having strength and venturing into the wild.
After all, wild Pokémon weren't like the games, where you could just wander into tall grass and encounter them endlessly.
No, what he really needed was an industry of his own—something stable. The thought left him both anxious and resigned.
For someone introverted and with a touch of social anxiety, the idea of running a shop was overwhelming.
"Maybe I should team up with a few others. I'll just handle the technical side," he muttered.
But then again, profit-sharing was bound to be another headache.
"Ah~ I'm still just a kid…"
Silas let out a long sigh.
He wished he could become the calculating type, but living through two rounds of sixteen years, compared to someone who had lived into their thirties once, was an entirely different experience.
If not for his photographic memory, he probably would have forgotten his past-life memories by now.
And besides, he'd never even graduated college in his past life—what did he know about starting a business?
The knowledge he carried over didn't always apply in the Pokémon world. Who knew if it would even work here? And he hadn't studied finance anyway.
Pulling Servine into his arms despite its startled expression, Silas buried his face against it, inhaling deeply. The fresh scent of grass was addictive. Others might pet cats—he cuddled snakes. Who else could compare?
"BOOM!"
A loud explosion echoed from the distance.
"Pidgeot!" Silas barked, his voice muffled against Servine.
Pidgeot understood immediately. Without waiting for another word, it dropped its breakfast and launched into the sky at top speed toward the source of the sound.
"Pidgeot!"
At that distance, it was nothing for Pidgeot.
By the time Silas had even lifted his head, Pidgeot had already completed its reconnaissance and returned.
"Humans using some kind of unfamiliar device to attack Pokémon, huh?" Silas rubbed his temples. Damn poachers.
No matter the situation, the use of technological weapons against Pokémon was forbidden by the League. Every trainer had the duty to step in and protect Pokémon—so long as they could ensure their own safety.
"Let's go!"
.....
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