After defeating his opponent, Silas didn't leave right away. Instead, he stayed in the Pokémon Center's battle arena, letting Corphish observe other matches.
"Corphish, to become stronger, you can't rely only on your own training. You also need to observe and learn from others. Watching more battles will help you grow.."
"Cor-phish!!"
The little lobster clacked its pincers earnestly, eyes glinting with determination though Silas wasn't sure if it actually understood or not but it's loyalty was absolute.
Meanwhile, behind the counter in the Center's main hall, Nurse Joy reviewed the surveillance feed of his earlier battle.
"He finished the fight in just two moves… could this Corphish have the hidden ability, Adaptability?" she murmured.
It wasn't a difficult guess. Pokémon with Hyper Cutter usually had oversized claws, while those with Shell Armor had tougher, shinier carapaces. Silas's Corphish had neither. The only possibility left was its hidden ability: Adaptability.
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Hyper Cutter: Prevents Attack from being lowered.
Shell Armor: Blocks critical hits.
Adaptability: Boosts the power of moves matching its type.
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By noon, Silas had enjoyed another free meal at the Center.
Honestly, he thought with a faint grin,
'With free meals, free lodging, and treatment at the top of the line… honestly, I could live here forever.'
That was one of the privileges of his freshly forged identity as a direct Alliance trainer.
But he had no intention of lazing around as he still needed Alliance Points.
After cleaning his tray, Silas walked over to a self-service terminal.
At a self-service terminal, Silas inserted his ID card and browsed through the mission board.
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General Missions (open to all):
Collect Poison-type materials — toxins, venom sacs, poison threads, or stingers. Reward: 10,000–200,000 Pokédollars. Long-term.
Locate a high-quality Taillow with at least one inherited move. Reward: 150,000–200,000 Pokédollars.
Guard an orchard near Petalburg Woods from wild Pokémon. Requires at least one Pokémon above level 30, preferably Flying-type. Reward: 30,000 Pokédollars, or equivalent in Berries.
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Silas scrolled further.
Other tasks were listed in a separate section, restricted to direct Alliance trainers like him.
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Alliance-Only Missions (direct trainers only):
Assist Petalburg Police in clearing a Wurmple swarm outside Petalburg Woods. Reward: 10–200 Alliance Points. Long-term.
Supply high-quality Evolution Stones and rare items. Reward: Points based on quality.
Chart a detailed map of Petalburg Woods. Reward: Points based on accuracy.
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Silas weighed his options. Alliance-Point missions were time-consuming, but necessary. In the end, he accepted three tasks:
1. Map Petalburg Woods (Alliance Points).
2. Collect Poison-type toxins.
3. Search for a Taillow with inherited moves.
That hit the task limit.
"Good. A perfect chance to train my team in the wild and earn something useful."
But before leaving, he needed supplies.
"Can't head into the forest unprepared."
Silas tried to sell a batch of his homemade Pokéblocks in town, but the shopkeepers shook their heads.
"The quality isn't bad," one clerk admitted, "but the effects are too basic just stamina recovery and minor growth boost. We already work with a breeder, so we can't take yours."
Silas sighed and walked out. "Again… the black market, huh?"
It wasn't ideal -dangerous, chaotic, with little order but he couldn't afford to let his stockpile go to waste.
That evening, he entered a dim alley and tossed 200 Pokédollars to a vagrant.
"Take me to the market."
The man's shifty eyes gleamed. He muttered to himself, 'This kid's young. Maybe I can—'
"Cor-phish!!"
Corphish leapt forward, snapping its claws with a sharp clack! clack! Its eyes narrowed as if to say: 'Try it, and I'll pinch your nose clean off!'
The vagrant froze. His smirk vanished. "R-right this way, sir!"
Silas smirked faintly. "Good."
The black market bustled with energy. To Silas's satisfaction, his Pokéblocks sold quickly, even fetching 10–20% higher than shop prices.
"Trainer, if you've got more blocks, sell to us first!" a merchant beamed. "We'll pay the best price."
Silas nodded coolly but left without lingering.
By now, his funds exceeded 1 million Pokédollars. Time to invest.
At a grand Devon Corporation mall, Silas shopped without hesitation:
Luxury Balls? Bought.
Space backpack? Bought.
Folding multi-function bicycle? Bought.
All-terrain survival tent? Bought.
He left with arms full and a brand-new Devon membership card.
"Nearly a million gone… and all I get is the lowest membership," Silas muttered.
Still, he wasn't short on money anymore. With Pokéblocks flowing steadily, he could afford to give his team the best possible environment to grow stronger.
"Cor-phish!!"
The little lobster proudly waved its claws, clearly thrilled with the new gear.
Silas chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. You'll get the best too."
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(End of chapter)