Silas handed over all the Poké Balls he had collected to Officer Jenny's team. From this point onward, it was no longer his responsibility.
Jenny was clearly experienced, skillfully assigning tasks to her squad to handle the aftermath. This was far from her first time dealing with such matters.
"Well, Silas, I'm glad you managed to deal with the situation ahead of time, but this sort of thing is far too dangerous for a newly licensed Trainer like you.
Next time, your top priority must be to follow League protocol and ensure your own safety above all else. If they try to escape, all you need to do is report the direction they fled."
Jenny lectured him with her hands on her hips.
From his age and the issue date of his Pokédex, she could easily deduce that Silas had only just set out on his journey.
Still, as a representative of the League, she was genuinely glad to see such responsibility in a promising young Trainer—the future of the League.
"Got it, got it. But really, that Ninetales wouldn't have been able to hold out much longer," Silas replied readily, glancing toward the mouth of the cave where the majestic fox had begun to recover some strength.
His little Servine had already collapsed onto Pidgeot's back from exhaustion. Barely over level 20, it had given its all just to restore Ninetales a bit. That effort had drained it even more than the battle earlier.
By now, one of Jenny's squad—dressed in the uniform of a Ranger—was approaching Ninetales with medicine and healing supplies in hand. On her wrist gleamed a precise red device: a high-grade Capture Styler.
Ninetales bared its fangs and snarled at the Ranger, its eyes once again flaring with anger.
"Easy there, sweet one. I mean no harm. This is medicine for you," the Ranger murmured soothingly, moving her fingers in practiced motions across the Styler's interface.
From it, a disk-like device shot forth—the Capture Disc.
It spun gracefully around Ninetales, tracing rings of blue light. Slowly, gradually, the fox's fury began to ebb.
Even so, the Ranger continued to chant softly, guiding the Disc in smooth arcs until Ninetales had fully let down its guard. Only then did she recall the Capture Disc.
"All right… this might sting a little. Be strong."
The Ranger's voice was gentle as she sprinkled the healing spray across Ninetales' wounds.
The fox whimpered faintly—whether from pain or relief, none could say.
"Professor Shinbara's invention really is incredible," Silas remarked in awe.
"Yes. Thanks to it, Rangers like us can soothe wild Pokémon," Jenny said with a smile.
Under the Styler's guidance, the Capture Disc circled wild Pokémon, leaving trails of light that conveyed the Ranger's emotions. When the hearts of Pokémon and Ranger resonated, the capture succeeded, and the Pokémon would willingly lend its strength in a temporary partnership.
Of course, in reality, this was far harder than it sounded. That was why Jennys on field operations almost always had a Ranger alongside them.
And while Jenny and Nurse Joy families had natural advantages in such work, this was not something just anyone could achieve. As Trainer Nobuhiko once explained to Silas, it was akin to the bond between a Trainer and their own Pokémon—except with wild Pokémon, where such trust was almost impossible unless one possessed rare talent and purity of spirit.
Hence, Rangers were few in number indeed.
"Oh, by the way, Officer Jenny—why does your squad all use the Arcanine and Luxray pairing? That's not very common outside Sinnoh," Silas asked casually.
Luxray's eyes flashed golden for a moment, activating its x-ray vision ability to help detect dangerous items. In Sinnoh, where Luxray was abundant, nearly every Jenny partnered with one.
But in Kanto? That was unusual.
"Because Crimson City's Gym specializes in Electric-types. We like to keep a theme," Jenny replied with a bright laugh.
The reason was a little thin—there were other Electric-type Gyms elsewhere, and even Vermilion City's Officer Jenny didn't follow that lineup.
So she added, more convincingly, "Actually, it's also part of a family trial run—testing different squad configurations in different regions to see which works best."
That explanation made much more sense.
Just then, another Jenny approached and reported, "According to identity analysis, this group is confirmed to be an outlying branch squad of the Pokémon Gull Poaching Syndicate. Their last known activity was near Viridian City. This time, they slipped into our territory."
An outlying branch squad? No wonder they were so weak, Silas thought to himself with some disdain.
"Damn it, those bastards and their endless recruits!" Jenny cursed, clenching her fist.
The Pokémon Gull Poaching Syndicate—infamous throughout Kanto and Johto, and among the largest and most notorious of all poaching organizations.
Their numbers were massive. Teams like this one were merely their underlings. In fact, anyone hoping to poach on a large scale in Kanto or Johto had to "check in" with the Syndicate and pay tribute—or risk swift retaliation.
Ironically, this system actually limited the rise of independent poachers, helping the League keep chaos somewhat contained.
Their most famous "operation" was none other than the Silver Mountain Tyranitar Poaching Event, held every four years. By now, it was practically a running joke among the public.
The Syndicate lost every single time, failing to capture a single Tyranitar or Larvitar—but the power and technology they displayed in these attempts were not to be underestimated.
Every four years… that means next year, when I head to Johto, I might get to see it for myself, Silas realized suddenly.
"I confess! I'll tell you everything! Please, show me leniency!"
The poacher captain, bound hand and foot, screamed hysterically.
But no one paid him the slightest mind. One of the Jennys casually pulled out a roll of electrostatic tape and sealed his mouth shut.
What was there to listen to? The League's stance on poachers had always been one of absolute intolerance.
For an operation this serious—using heavy weaponry to capture a rare Ninetales—twenty to thirty years in prison was the bare minimum. As the leader, life imprisonment was far more likely.
At least, rumor had it, the food inside wasn't bad.
"Enjoy your stay in Crimson City and Crimson Forest!"
With that, Jenny's squad quickly escorted the poachers away. Before leaving, several of them exchanged contact information with Silas, hoping to share insights on Fire-type Pokémon training.
"Awoo~"
Ninetales watched the Jennys lead the poachers away, then lifted its head and gave a long, mournful howl as a farewell.
"All right, little one, time for us to go too," Silas said, calling to Servine—who was stubbornly snuggled up in Ninetales' fluffy tail.
"You're a Grass-type, you know," Silas sighed. "Why do you always insist on burying yourself in Fire-type fur for warmth?"
"Ser~"
Reluctantly, Servine slid free from Ninetales' tail. So comfortable, it thought wistfully. Blaziken's feathers just aren't long enough.
"Take care of yourself, and find somewhere safer to rest," Silas reminded the fox. "Even if not for your own sake, think about the little ones you're carrying."
Ninetales dipped its head gracefully in acknowledgment.
That was enough—Silas knew how intelligent it was. He didn't press further. "Pidgeot, Blaziken, Gigalith—let's move out."
With his team at his side, Silas gradually disappeared into the forest, fading from Ninetales' sight.
"Awoo…"
The fox's farewell was softer now. Its crimson eyes softened as it looked back at the two eggs nestled beside it, filled with motherly love.
Carefully wrapping its tails around the eggs to keep them safe, Ninetales slipped out of the cave and darted deeper into the woods, searching for a safer, hidden refuge.
Meanwhile, Silas had shifted his attention back to a handwritten checklist of Crimson Forest's local delicacies.
"Mini Bamboo Fungus… Tiny Red Mushroom… Petite Apple…"
"Why is everything here 'tiny'?" he muttered with genuine exasperation.
Still, these wild specialties tasted surprisingly good. Offering his Pokémon new flavors once in a while was a nice Change and it saved him from buying treats at Poké Marts.
Ring~
"Hello, this is Silas. Who's calling?" he asked, continuing to dig up a cluster of Bamboo Fungus.
"It's me, Yezo," came the familiar voice of Yezo.
"Oh? What's up, calling me out of the blue?" Silas asked, not breaking his rhythm as he worked, though he was definitely curious.
"Well… there's something I'd like your help with," Yezo said. Normally blunt and sharp-tongued, he actually sounded hesitant for once.
"If you've got something to say, spit it out. If it's important, just lay it on me." Silas replied casually, a little teasing.
Yezo, instead of snapping back, kept a remarkably good temper today. "Where are you right now."
"Crimson City. I'm challenging the Gym,"
"Crimson City, huh? That's not too far then," Yezo muttered under his breath.
"What?" Silas asked, having just unearthed another Bamboo Fungus. He hadn't caught that last part.
"I said," Yezo repeated, "there's an event I'd like to invite you to. A doubles tournament. Would you team up with me?"
He hesitated a moment, then quickly added, "Not that I couldn't find someone else. I just figured… you're the most suitable partner."
Silas rolled his eyes so hard they nearly stuck.
"What event, when, and where?" he demanded. "Don't tell me it's some shady back-alley nonsense."
"It's a double battle competition," Hazuki admitted. "Up at Mint Town, on Snowview Mountain. The morning after tomorrow."
Silas froze, then gawked. "Wait. You expect me to travel from the southeast corner all the way to the northwest in just two days? What am I supposed to do—sprint across Viridian Forest?"
This guy… what a friend.
"There's a direct bus through Viridian, isn't there? It won't take long," Yezo replied carefully.
Silas rolled his eyes again. Easy to say—but even with the bus, it would still be at least half a day's trip.
"Is it important?" he pressed.
"…Mm. Yeah. Fairly important," Yezo dmitted, after a pause.
"Fine," Silas sighed. "I'll challenge the Gym this afternoon, then leave tomorrow morning." He tossed the freshly dug Bamboo Fungus into his pack and gave his answer without further fuss.
After all, it wasn't every day Yezo actually asked him for help. Even if he had to grumble, there was no way he'd refuse outright.
Whether Yezo's tone counted as a request was another matter entirely. Silas didn't particularly care.
...
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