"Let's go. Since we're already here, let's take a good look around Saffron City."
After signing up for the Gym battle, Gu Yuan wandered through the city with Mankey and Sylveon.
Because Saffron City attracted many Trainers from other regions, Sylveon caught people's attention, but no one was overly shocked.
As a Trainer, Gu Yuan naturally focused on things related to training.
And when it came to that, one couldn't ignore Silph Co., which had the most complete selection of Trainer supplies in the region.
Especially when it came to Poké Balls, Silph Co. was the undisputed authority.
Stepping into the company's department store, the first thing Gu Yuan saw was a dazzling display of Poké Balls.
There were the standard Poké Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls, each with different capture rates.
Unfortunately, Gu Yuan didn't need any of those.
Whenever he wanted a Pokémon, he preferred to raise it from the beginning rather than capture it.
Even if he had to battle to catch one, he would defeat it completely, making it acknowledge his strength.
There were also specialty balls like Fast Balls and Heavy Balls, used to catch quick or heavy Pokémon.
But what made Saffron City most famous was the Master Ball developed by Silph Co., said to catch any Pokémon without fail.
Of course, that didn't include Legendary Pokémon. Otherwise, Silph Co. would have already taken over the world.
Browsing further, Gu Yuan found many luxury Poké Balls designed to make a Pokémon's stay more comfortable.
He had plenty of money, so naturally he wouldn't let his Pokémon live poorly.
He bought several, planning to let Charizard and the others test them later to see which ones they preferred.
Next came the medicine section. From standard Potions and Ethers to Antidotes and Paralyze Heals, everything was available.
Like evolution items such as the Moon Stone, medicines were divided into four ranks: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert, based on their effects.
These days, whenever Shadow provided Gu Yuan with training resources, he always included some medicine.
Although Gu Yuan still had some left, he bought more just to be safe.
Further ahead were TMs, Pokémon food, Pokéblocks, and various evolution items such as the Moon Stone and Charcoal.
Some of the supplies Shadow provided were enough, some were cheaper if exchanged with points, and others Gu Yuan didn't need at all, so there was no reason to overspend.
After walking through the entire store, Gu Yuan had stocked up on plenty of supplies.
"Elimination tournament, huh? Interesting."
When he reached the fourth floor, Gu Yuan noticed a large poster, the same he had seen at the entrance.
Many Trainers had gathered there, reading the tournament details.
Since Gu Yuan still had several days before his Gym battle, he wasn't about to miss the chance to compete.
The rules were simple.
Each participant could only use one Pokémon. Opponents were paired randomly. The winner advanced and the loser was eliminated.
At any given time, up to one hundred Trainers could battle in fifty matches simultaneously.
Even so, each Trainer might need to fight two or three matches a day.
To keep things fair, Silph Co. would provide free healing services for all participating Pokémon.
As for rewards, every participant who fought at least one match, winning or losing, would receive a Poké Ball made by Silph Co.
The more victories, the better the prizes. Rewards were divided into four categories: Poké Balls, TMs, Medicine, and Items. Participants could choose their preferred type.
Reaching the top twenty allowed a participant to select two categories, double what the top hundred received.
Those in the top ten could pick three, while the top three could choose four.
Third place could pick one extra item for a total of five, second place two extra, and first place four extra.
On top of that, the champion would receive a Master Ball crafted by Silph Co. itself.
After reading the rules and rewards, Gu Yuan couldn't help but be impressed by Silph Co.'s generosity.
Even the first-place prize alone was worth a fortune.
And the top three rewards were all of high quality.
For example, if the prize was a TM, nearly any move disk could be chosen.
Even those outside the top ranks could earn plenty of valuable items through sheer quantity.
It was clear that only a massive company like Silph Co. could afford to host such an event.
But Gu Yuan soon realized there was more to it.
At first glance, it seemed like Silph Co. was just spending money to advertise itself across Saffron City. But in truth, this was a clever investment.
Every participant would receive a Silph Co. product, and many would come to admire the company's wealth and generosity.
For Trainers, money was an essential part of growing stronger.
Once they realized that, many struggling Trainers would try to join Silph Co. for stability.
As for the wealthy ones, the company would still win their goodwill, ensuring they thought of Silph Co. first when buying supplies.
For the most talented competitors, Silph Co. would no doubt spend even more to recruit or partner with them.
Connections were vital for any powerful organization, and this tournament was an investment in the future.
Judging by Silph Co.'s current scale, it had clearly made the right bet.
Gu Yuan figured that even the company's president probably didn't know just how many people had once benefited from Silph Co., or how many would stand up to support it if the time ever came.
But Gu Yuan was certain of one thing: that number was enormous.
Even so, he felt no pressure as he registered for the tournament.
After all, he was currently posing as a gifted but unaffiliated Trainer who earned his own way.
Even if Silph Co. tried to recruit him, he could always consult Shadow first. Team Rocket still had plenty of influence.
And to be honest, Gu Yuan was confident his current strength would draw Silph Co.'s attention.
The rules limited the age of participants to under fifteen, the ideal range to test potential and find talent.
Older competitors tended to be seasoned veterans, making it harder for the company to forge new connections.
Gu Yuan didn't believe there were many true prodigies in the world who could reach the Ace Rank before turning fifteen, so he should have a chance of reaching first place.