Half a month later.
The winds of the Windward Grassland howled softly across the desert's edge.
Silas stood at the rim of a concealed sand pit , over a hundred square meters wide, its walls reinforced beneath the sand with buried steel plating. From above, it looked like nothing more than a shallow depression.
But inside
Seven Sandile stood on the heated sand, no longer newborn hatchlings.
They had grown.
Their small bodies were leaner now. Their once-wobbly tails were steady. Their black "sunglass" eyes no longer carried innocent curiosity.
They watched each other.
And they watched the sky.
"San…?"
"Krooo…"
Low, cautious growls passed between them.
Silas folded his arms.
This was not cruelty.
This was selection.
He did not intend to kill them.
He did not need a battlefield of corpses.
He needed one leader.
One apex.
One Sandile that could grow into a Krookodile worthy of standing beside Umbreon… Crawdaunt… Sharpedo.
The desert did not reward kindness.
It rewarded dominance.
....
Day One
He tossed a slab of fresh meat into the pit.
The scent hit instantly.
All seven Sandile froze.
Then-
"SAN!!"
They rushed forward.
Claws tore sand. Jaws snapped. Tails lashed.
Blood from the prey soaked into the golden grains as they devoured it in a frenzy, tearing strips with sharp, developing fangs.
Silas watched calmly.
Good.
Their instincts were intact.
.....
Day Three
Food portions were reduced.
Low growls replaced playful chirps.
They began circling one another before eating.
Shoulder bumps became shoves.
Shoves became bites.
"KRRAA!"
One Sandile lunged, jaws clamping onto another's tail. The other retaliated instantly, biting back with surprising ferocity.
The desert wind carried their snarls.
Silas did not interfere.
This was still controlled.
Still within bounds.
....
Day Five
Food was scarce.
Tension filled the pit like dry lightning.
The Sandile no longer slept curled together.
They slept apart.
Watching.
Waiting.
Their black eyes had changed.
Umbreon stood beside Silas, golden rings glowing faintly in the sunset.
"Yuee…"
A soft, questioning sound.
Silas exhaled slowly.
"They must learn now. Or they will die later."
She understood survival.
.....
Day Seven
Only one portion of meat was thrown down.
Silence.
Then-
Chaos.
"KROOOO!!"
"SAAAN!!"
Seven bodies collided.
Claws raked scales.
Teeth snapped inches from throats.
Sand exploded into the air.
One Sandile , the first hatchling, the Overconfidence ability (moxie) holder fought differently
He did not panic.
He waited.
He observed.
Then struck when others were distracted.
Clean.
Precise.
Brutal efficiency
Each time he landed a decisive hit, his movements grew sharper , his Overconfidence (moxie) ability activating subtly, amplifying his momentum.
Silas's eyes narrowed.
Yes.
That one.
....
Day Nine
Exhaustion weighed heavily.
They were thinner.
Battle-worn.
But no longer confused.
They understood.
There could only be one dominant core.
The decisive clash erupted at dawn.
Four Sandile remained capable of fighting.
They circled.
Low, vibrating growls rippled through the pit.
"San…"
"Krrr…"
The first-hatched Sandile struck first.
Sand Attack.
Blinding grit burst into an opponent's eyes.
Then-
Thunder Fang.
A crackling bite , inherited power surging through his jaws.
The second Sandile cried out and staggered back.
Another lunged from the side
Flame Fang.
A flash of heat.
A yelp.
Bodies collided violently.
The fight lasted nearly fifteen minutes.
Claw. Bite. Tackle. Sand. Fire. Lightning.
Raw instinct.
No hesitation.
Until finally, Only one remained standing.
He swayed slightly.
His scales were torn.
Blood traced thin lines across his hide.
His back scales were cracked and partially peeled from repeated strikes.
But he stood.
He did not fall.
He lifted his head toward the rim of the pit.
Toward Silas.
"...San."
Not a cry.
A declaration.
Silas stepped forward.
"You didn't disappoint me."
...
The other Sandile were unconscious , not dead.
Silas had monitored carefully.
Once the dominant structure was clear, he had intervened before fatal damage occurred.
The others would be treated.
Sold later.
Valuable.
Strong.
But not the apex.
Silas descended into the pit.
The victorious Sandile did not attack him.
Instead, it lowered its head slightly.
Instinct recognized hierarchy.
The first creature it had seen upon hatching…
Was Silas.
Silas crouched and placed a hand gently on its head.
The Sandile tensed-
Then stilled.
"From today onward… you fight at my side."
He withdrew a Luxury Ball.
The red light enveloped the battered Sandile.
Click.
Captured.
Not as property.
As partner.
....
Enhancement
Silas released him again immediately.
The Sandile blinked under the fading sunset.
Silas held out the prepared earthen-toned potion.
"This will hurt."
"San?"
He tilted the bottle.
The Sandile bit down instinctively - crushing glass without hesitation.
Crunch.
The medicine flowed.
Golden-brown energy radiated faintly around his body.
The sand beneath him vibrated.
Umbreon stepped back.
Crawdaunt gave a low rumble of approval.
The Sandile's body trembled… then stilled.
Power settled deeper into his core.
Ground-type affinity strengthened.
Control sharpened.
His breathing slowed.
When he opened his eyes again
They were calmer.
Focused.
Silas smiled faintly.
"Welcome to the team."
...
Later That Evening
The desert sky burned orange.
Silas walked toward Town's outskirts.
Umbreon padded quietly at his side.
Murkrow circled overhead.
"Kraaa!"
The Sandile trotted behind his heel, small but fierce, tail cutting lines in the sand.
A trainer passed them and barely noticed the small crocodile.
But Silas knew.
This one would grow.
Into something terrifying.
...
They searched for a sparring partner.
The outskirts should have been filled with low-level wild Pokémon.
But the area felt…
Empty.
Too empty.
Even Murkrow returned shaking his head.
"Kraa."
Silas frowned.
"A dominant presence nearby?"
Territory suppression.
Likely.
Just as he turned to leave-
A blue sphere rolled out from behind a rocky slope.
A purple beam of energy followed.
Before Silas could fully react,The blue sphere unfolded.
A short, sturdy trunk lashed outward.
The purple attack shattered instantly.
The creature uncurled.
Small.
Stocky.
Blue-gray hide.
Tiny tusks.
"Phanpy?"
Silas's eyes sharpened.
Phanpy were native to Johto.
Rare in Hoenn.
Which meant one thing.
This was someone's stray.
Or something stronger was nearby.
The little elephant Pokémon stomped the ground.
"Phan!"
The earth trembled slightly.
Behind the rocks-Something moved.
Silas slowly reached for a Poké Ball.
The Sandile at his heel bared his teeth.
"Krrr…"
Good.
Very good.
Trial by battle begins now.
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(End of chapter)