Rustboro City-an industrial giant of western Hoenn.
Its location was nothing short of vital: Petalburg Woods stretched to the south, Rusturf Tunnel connected to the east, and the Meteor Falls loomed to the north.
Rustboro's motto was proudly carved into its city gates: "Where nature and science coexist."
Silas tilted his head back, gazing up at the towering skyscraper before him.
"So this is Devon Corporation's headquarters? …What a sight. To think such a massive building belongs entirely to one family."
Devon was nothing short of a legend. He knew the story well-how it started as a small ore-mining company refining steel, and within a few decades rose to rival Silph Co., the economic titan of Kanto headquartered in Goldenrod City.
Silph held a stranglehold on technology, especially Poké Balls -controlling more than 80% of the industry. For Devon to even be mentioned in the same breath… it spoke volumes of its strength.
The current president, Mr. Stone, was renowned as a visionary-developing machines that harnessed magma as fuel, and innovating new Poké Ball types to dominate markets.
"My Luxury Ball was one of their designs…" Silas murmured, brushing the polished capsule at his waist.
And then a thought struck him.
'Steven Stone… he should be around my age right now. Will I really get the chance to meet the future Champion?'
Images filled his mind: the elegant gentleman, master of Steel-types. Champion of Hoenn. Owner of the legendary shiny Metagross. A collector of rare stones. The man who would later pass his title to Wallace.
Silas smirked faintly. "Forget it. With my status right now, there's no way to approach him. Better to settle in at the Pokémon Center first."
.....
The Center was bustling, but as usual, flashing his Alliance direct-line trainer ID and Level 2 authority earned him a free room without trouble.
After unpacking, Silas slipped into the backstreets, gathering whispers from shady thugs. Soon, he found the entrance to Rustboro's black market.
It was hidden deep, accessible only after weaving through countless turns. The secrecy was expected-Rustboro was one of Hoenn's core cities. Establishing an underground network here would be nearly impossible without immense power.
And yet, it thrived.
Silas sold off two Shroomish he had captured earlier one for 210,000 PokéDollars, the other for 270,000. With nearly 700,000 now in his account, he purchased some rare herbs and materials before leaving quickly.
"Profits here must be insane. Whoever runs this black market has backing from within the Alliance itself… no way it exists otherwise."
Later, lying in his hotel's lavish bed, he couldn't help but sigh. "Rustboro really is prosperous. Only Slateport, or perhaps Lilycove, could rival it."
...
The next morning, well-rested, Silas wandered through the city. As he ate a simple breakfast, chatter nearby caught his attention:
"Did you hear? The Trainer School is recruiting students!"
"No way! I should let my son try. They say graduates can enter the League directly without even needing Gym Badges!"
Silas's ears perked. He searched the Pokédex immediately and found the details:
The Trainer School was co-founded by the Devon Corporation and the Hoenn Alliance.
Students admitted were usually children of direct-line trainers, though a handful of gifted civilians were considered.
They studied from exclusive Alliance materials, used the latest research equipment, and upon graduation were given preferential treatment by companies, clubs, or directly by the League.
Most, of course, chose to become official League trainers immediately-guaranteed pay, authority, and a lifelong career. For civilians, this was a dream beyond dreams.
Silas chuckled. "So Steven probably graduated from here… no wonder he had such a head start. Devon must've paved his way."
....
In recent years, Devon had poured fortunes into factories and research across Hoenn, rooting its headquarters firmly in Rustboro with this 100-floor skyscraper.
Rumor said even Kanto once extended an olive branch during Devon's rise but the deal fell through. Silas could guess why.
'Kanto and Johto are too old, too rigid. The Johto aristocracies, the longtime families, Team Rocket… Devon entering would've disrupted the balance, so of course they'd be shut out.'
But Hoenn was different. Its factions were fragmented. The Alliance held surface control, but underneath, dozens of dark organizations thrived. Unlike Kanto, where Team Rocket's dominance was unshakable, Hoenn was chaos.
'Still… Giovanni really is a terrifying figure. Everyone knows Rocket is a dark syndicate, yet no one can bring him down.' Silas smirked faintly. 'That's the kind of man I'd call a true overlord.'
....
After resting a while, Silas finally turned his thoughts to the Rustboro Gym.
According to what he'd gathered, the Gym specialized in Rock-types.
"Perfect. My Crawdaunt's Water moves should make this the easiest badge yet."
He whistled a light tune as he approached the Gym. The sight stopped him in his tracks: the entrance was built upon a massive rock slab, said to have required even Aggron, Tyranitar, and Rhydon to move into place.
With reverence, he stepped through the gates-only to be stopped cold.
"What? Closed?" Silas stared at the apologetic staff.
"I'm very sorry," the staff bowed. "Our old Gym Leader just retired. The new one only took over two days ago… and has already taken leave. We aren't accepting challenges right now."
Silas's mood sank instantly. After all that anticipation, to be turned away…
"Well, if I can't battle today, maybe I'll check out the Trainer School instead. At least that will be worth seeing."
He sighed, flipping through the Pokédex for directions.
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(End of chapter)