Silas had long been curious about this mysterious assistant. He clearly remembered how the researchers at Professor Rowan's lab, like Hamina, spoke of the man with awe in their eyes.
However, Mr. Berlitz had always stayed in his family's Sinnoh estate, and his communications with Professor Rowan were all done via video calls. Silas had never met him face-to-face.
"Yes, Mr. Berlitz is very interested in the concept of friendship," Cynthia replied.
Looks like it might be a good idea to visit after the tournament, Silas thought. According to Professor Rowan, it would take quite some time before the quantification of Friendship Values could be fully completed. That meant Mr. Berlitz wouldn't be returning to Sinnoh anytime soon.
"I'll sort out the data later and send the formula to you," Silas said readily.
Although it had caught him off guard, he had no reason to refuse.
Cynthia tilted her head. "Wait, aren't you the one making the Pokeblock? I was going to buy them directly from you."
"Huh?"
Silas tilted his head as well, confused.
"Weren't we talking about you buying the formula?"
A fair deal — one side pays, the other delivers. That made sense.
His response left Cynthia momentarily speechless.
"You are a certified Pokémon Breeder, right?"
Cynthia distinctly remembered that this guy had passed the Level 6 Breeder Certification Exam. Why was he asking something so strange?
"Yeah," Silas replied, feeling like they were talking past each other.
"Oh! Don't worry," he added quickly. "Even though my level isn't that high, I can still guarantee the quality of this formula!"
Cynthia rubbed her forehead, feeling a mild headache coming on. This breeder seemed… less professional than she'd expected.
"What I meant," she rephrased patiently, "is that you'll make the Pokeblock for me based on my Pokémon's data. I don't have the skill or license to make them myself."
"Oh… Right. Forget I said anything," Silas replied quickly, realizing his mistake.
At first, he'd thought Cynthia could just find another breeder to help, but she didn't need to and it made sense.
He was the one who knew the formula best; there was no point in going elsewhere.
"Hold on, let me check something."
Silas awkwardly opened his Pokégear and sent a few messages to some breeders he knew. Truth was, he'd never done this kind of transaction before.
His previous deals — like the one he made with Brock had been quite different.
After a while, he finally looked up.
"Ahem." Meeting Cynthia's amused gaze, Silas cleared his throat awkwardly.
He'd just learned that when it came to Poffin or Pokéblock trading, the transactions were generally categorized into three types — with Trainers, with other Breeders, and with large companies.
The same formula or finished product could have very different values depending on who the buyer was.
Naturally, factors like the effect of the finished product and the rarity of the formula also influenced the price.
Cynthia was technically buying as a Trainer, but not in the usual sense. That was why she said she wanted to buy the "formula."
Simply put — she was buying the most expensive kind.
"The recipe for the Togepi stage mainly focuses on Razz Berries, supplemented with Bluk Berries, Nanab Berries, and Pinap Berries. The latter two are added during the Togetic and Togekiss stages. I'll send you the exact proportions after Togepi hatches and I've completed a full data analysis," Silas explained, slipping naturally back into his professional breeder mode.
Cynthia nodded. "Got it. I'll have someone prepare the berries in advance."
That was one of the key differences between her and other Trainers. Cynthia provided her own ingredients — meaning she needed to know the general formula in advance.
After all, with her resources, she could easily obtain high-quality berries that weren't available on the open market.
Ordinary Trainers couldn't do that. Even if they commissioned a custom Poffin or Pokeblock based on their Pokémon's data, the breeder would typically handle all the ingredient sourcing. The client would just pay and receive the finished product — meaning they'd never see the formula.
This simple difference caused a huge price gap. Beyond the cost of premium berries, the moment a breeder shared even a partial recipe, the risk of their formula being reverse-engineered increased.
That was why sharing formulas was so expensive — they were a breeder's most guarded secrets.
The Pokémon Breeder community had a complete set of rules governing such trades, and Cynthia's mention of "buying the formula" was based on that system.
Who would've thought that Silas, a self-taught Level 6 Breeder, barely knew any of this?
After all, Silas had only gotten certified to save money by making his own Pokeblock and to boost his overall skill value. He'd never planned to make a living selling them.
Professional breeders might do that for a career, but Silas aimed to become a Pokémon Master, not a full-time breeder.
Making customized Pokeblock based on individual Pokémon data was a complex process. His own Pokémon already took up enough of his time and focus.
As for Cynthia — well, helping a friend didn't need much justification.
"I'll transfer part of your payment first, and then make regular deposits afterward," Cynthia said calmly, sipping her tea as she operated her Pokégear.
Silas discreetly swiped away the notification showing an eight-digit transfer into his account. Checking the time, he smiled and said, "Got any plans tonight? I could show you around the area."
"I've got a meeting with Lorelei tonight. Maybe next time," Cynthia replied with a polite smile. She wasn't lying — the appointment had been set for a while.
"Got it. Have fun then."
Silas wasn't surprised that Cynthia and Lorelei knew each other. There weren't that many powerful female Trainers in the world — it'd be weirder if they didn't know each other.
After chatting for a bit longer, they went their separate ways.
Receiving regular payments like this... almost made it feel like he was being sponsored.
Silas shook his head, laughing quietly to himself. What nonsense — this was fair pay for fair work.
Still, he returned to his room in a noticeably good mood. His financial worries had eased up quite a bit.
As expected, no matter what world you're in, knowledge is always the most valuable thing. At the very least, it can earn you money.
He glanced up at the clock.
"Only two more days left, huh," Silas muttered to himself.
According to the schedule, the elimination rounds would end on April 2nd. The sixty-four Trainers who fought their way out of the group stage would advance to the main arena for full 6-on-6 battles.
Of course, that was just the plan. If something unexpected happened, it could be delayed a bit but not by much.
For example, the elimination stage was originally expected to end on March 31st, which was today, but due to various factors, it ended up running two days late.
That sort of thing was perfectly normal.
"The next opponent is Sean Grant, ranked 77th before the tournament. His lead Pokémon should be Braviary. Since the match will take place on a Water Field, it's best to counter with another Flying type — Pidgeot."
"If the data's correct, Braviary's Ability should be Sheer Force, not Keen Eye. That means his moves won't trigger any secondary effects, but their base power will be higher not a good thing for Pidgeot."
"Braviary already has outstanding physical Attack power, and when you combine that with its Ability and move pool, Pidgeot probably can't withstand more than three direct hits, given its stamina and Defense."
"Also, Braviary's Hidden Ability is Defiant, which effectively blocks any stat-lowering moves from Pidgeot. If Pidgeot tries to weaken it, Braviary's Attack will actually increase sharply that would make things even worse."
"But Pidgeot does have the advantage of speed."
"Compared to the usual mobility and agility of Flying-type Pokémon, Braviary is a bit clunky. Pidgeot's speed advantage is clear, so the best strategy is to keep distance and avoid close combat."
"The 'Warrior of the Sky,' Braviary, never flees even when wounded — it takes pride in its bravery. So, exploiting that personality, we can adopt a sort of hit-and-run strategy."
"The key is to be careful of Braviary suddenly closing the distance with its moves. For Tailwind, Brave Bird, and Sky Attack, the countermeasures should be like this…"
As Silas muttered, he opened his notebook and began recording his strategies for the upcoming Water Field match.
The further he advanced, the stronger his opponents became. Luck could only take him so far and at this stage, even the "weak" Trainers weren't that weak.
Sean Grant, ranked 77th before the tournament, was the strongest opponent Silas had faced so far. Even though he had only one Pokémon at the quasi–Elite Four level, the raw power of Braviary and the solid team synergy made this a tough matchup.
"There's still a little more than a day to prepare. I've got to give it my all."
Under the pitch-black night sky, the player village was dotted with lights.
The remaining 128 Trainers were all pushing themselves to the limit, preparing for the final battle of this stage.
If they could win their next match, the main arena was already within reach.
April 2nd.
Water Field — Sixth-to-last match of the elimination round.
Silas Alaric vs. Sean Grant.
"Pidgeot, use Agility to create some distance!"
As the opposing Braviary used Tailwind, Silas remained calm and followed his pre-battle plan to evade.
Compared to Agility, Tailwind consumed more stamina and energy.
Of course, its speed boost was also greater.
But since Braviary's natural Speed was far slower than Pidgeot's, even under Tailwind's strong effect, it was soon outpaced again once Pidgeot boosted with Agility.
Sean Grant's expression turned grim.
The same scenario had repeated itself many times over the last five minutes.
He had anticipated this possibility, but it was clear the other side had prepared a highly targeted strategy.
He frowned.
Braviary was a large, eagle-like Pokémon with a white, triple-feathered crest on its head, red-brown at the base. Three white feathers extended from each cheek, and a tuft of white down covered its neck. The upper body and wing coverts were red-brown, while its chest, belly, legs, and the undersides of its wings were navy blue. Its tail feathers had yellow and blue bands at the ends.
Its appearance reminded Silas of the guardian beasts of his previous life's tribes — proud and loyal creatures that valued unity and fought fearlessly to protect their kin. The scars they bore were marks of honor.
Still, Braviary's superb close-combat ability couldn't make up for its lack of speed.
And in aerial battles, speed was often the deciding factor.
"Braviary, use Scary Face again!" Sean commanded.
...
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