Silas didn't have to wait long; Mary quickly walked in.
Silas got up hurriedly to greet her: "Good morning, Mary!"
"Good morning. This is Aoi, the girl you met last time."
Mary introduced the girl accompanying her.
"Hello." "Hello."
Skipping unnecessary small talk, the three immediately got down to business.
Mary's main purpose was to finalize Silas's participation in a broadcast program.
Although the old radio station's collapse was inevitable, if no remedial measures were taken, listeners would still care about the news.
They didn't care about inevitability, they just knew that Goldenrod Radio "had collapsed."
That was hardly good for the company's reputation. Silas and the Rainbow Feather presented a perfect opportunity.
If handled properly, it might even boost the station's fame further.
The executives of Goldenrod Radio had thought about claiming the Rainbow Feather as the station's property rather than Silas's.
But on one hand, the Rainbow Feather had flown into Silas's hands in full view of everyone, a clear choice by Ho-Oh. People aren't all blind.
On the other hand, Silas's backing wasn't insignificant. Rumor had it that even the Kanto League factions subtly supported him.
Within minutes after the incident, countless calls had flooded the Goldenrod City mayor's office, all warnings without exception.
Yes, the Rainbow Feather, representing Ho-Oh, was priceless, but that didn't mean Goldenrod City alone could resist half of Kanto.
Not to mention that several local Gym Leaders in the Johto region had also issued warnings.
"Plus the station manager and deputy station manager strongly opposed it, so no one else brought it up later."
Mary recounted the events from the previous day candidly.
Silas laughed: "Mary, aren't you afraid I'll back out after hearing all this?"
"Hurry up, this is the contract. Basically, it says you sign an exclusive with Goldenrod Radio. We can broadcast your program in all regions. The price is 8 million per month for a one-year contract."
Mary rolled her eyes and then had Aoi hand the contract to Silas.
The terms were extremely generous.
The key wasn't the monthly pay, but the contract length.
After a short one-year contract, if Goldenrod Radio wanted to renew, Silas's fee would definitely increase, at least three or four times.
For Goldenrod Radio, paying 100 million a year was trivial at most, half the cost of launching a Signal Booster. And Silas was confident they couldn't refuse renewal.
Mary said, "This was fought for by me, the station manager, and the deputy manager. Don't you want to thank me?"
"Then I'll treat you to a meal?" Silas said as he signed the contract.
He had checked it, just a standard contract, nothing unusual.
"Forget it," Mary sighed. "I'm super busy; later today I have a guest interview."
The two joked while Aoi quietly stood aside.
Mary glanced at her and suddenly said: "By the way, you might have an episode with Aoi in the future. The station is planning a show called 'Aoi's Secrets.'"
"Great, I'd be delighted," Silas replied enthusiastically.
His exclusive contract and program filming were paid separately; the more he filmed, the more he earned.
If it weren't for the thought of overdoing it, Silas would have done 24-hour continuous recording.
"Next is the recording at Nature Park the day after tomorrow. I mean, you'll be live-linking with me during the event for real-time broadcasting. Because Nature Park is large, the station specially applied for a Signal Receiver for this event.
We hope your route will follow this path; according to our records, this route has a rich variety of Pokémon."
As an experienced host, Mary was not someone who just sat in a room talking.
Besides lecture-style programs, adventure-style shows were her specialty.
"Will the Bug-Catching Contest organizers agree?" Silas had no objection to the route plan after all, he was being paid and had to follow some restrictions.
But the Bug-Catching Contest was a competitive event. If such a plan was implemented, it could compromise fairness.
Not everyone would know where Pokémon were located.
"Don't worry, leave it to me."
At some point, Whitney entered, patting her chest: "We're the biggest sponsor of the Bug-Catching Contest."
Silas realized it.
No wonder Mary mentioned needing Whitney's help.
"As for fairness, we'll tweak the rules slightly. You don't mind getting a limitation, right?"
Whitney smiled at Silas.
Silas shrugged: "Sure, I'm not competing for first place anyway."
He wasn't a fan of Bug-type Pokémon, nor did he have the mindset of "conquering Bug-types equals conquering the world."
He joined events just to add fun to his otherwise boring journey.
Otherwise, he could have spent most of the time in the wild, occasionally returning to a town, instead of one event after another.
He always thought a Pokémon journey needed these experiences.
The train moves forward; the destination doesn't matter, it's the scenery outside the window that counts. Besides companions who always accompany him, meeting people along the way was also important.
Without Misty, May, Brock, Alice, Serena, and even Gary, would Ash be the same Ash traveling across regions?
"Then we'll limit your capture attempts to three. Others have ten chances," Whitney muttered.
At first glance, this seemed harsh.
The contest judges consider overall performance, strength, potential, species, abilities, even appearance. Losing seven chances meant Silas had to choose his captures carefully.
A careless choice could result in submitting a Caterpie.
But Silas had Zero.
In these assessments, he was far superior to others.
So this limitation was negligible for him.
He was pleased, he couldn't imagine someone actually requesting a harder challenge just because winning was too easy.
Silas was not a masochist.
Three attempts would require some thought, even for him. After discussing details, everyone left. Before leaving, Silas took the main reward, a large batch of MooMoo Milk.
Whitney naturally couldn't make it simple.
He estimated that if stored properly, the milk could last until next year, enough to raise many Pokémon.
"Today, the citizens are truly happy," Silas hummed a cheerful tune as he walked.
After spending 200 million at yesterday's auction, he had just recovered a large portion today.
Feeling rich, he straightened his back.
"Good afternoon! Why are you so happy?" Norman's voice called from the side.
Silas turned; Norman was standing outside a restaurant with his family, apparently ready for lunch.
"Good afternoon, Norman-senpai! Good afternoon, Caroline-nee! And May and Max too~"
Silas smiled brightly.
Max "hmph" and turned away.
He hadn't forgotten that two days ago, this guy had given him a mountain of homework.
Thinking about Max made him want to cry.
His parents wouldn't care, especially Caroline. Hearing Silas call her that, Caroline beamed: "Since we're all here, let's eat together."
Norman nodded: "Yes, and tell me why you're so happy."
"Alright."
Silas unusually didn't refuse.
It seemed Norman and Caroline liked his attitude.
The five of them chatted happily in a small private room, except Max.
Silas openly discussed his collaboration with Goldenrod Radio.
"That's great! Goldenrod Radio is famous in other regions too, and the terms are excellent."
Norman genuinely rejoiced for him.
May, quietly listening, eyes sparkling, was thrilled. Hearing a field program host? That was super cool.
Looking at her younger brother playing with his fingers, May suddenly felt he wasn't that impressive.
This big brother was definitely right.
"Max, you haven't finished your lunchtime homework yet."
Ignoring the adults' talk, May assumed her elder-sister authority.
Max was stunned, weren't they supposed to skip this today? He had already contributed his snacks!
Caroline turned: "Max, no. Homework must be done every day. Today we'll let it slide since you're eating with Silas, but in the future, be punctual."
"Okay."
Bitterly, Max lowered his head. He had no choice.
Why had his sister suddenly changed her mind? Watching May eagerly lean close to Norman and Silas, listening to their adventure stories, Max understood.
He secretly vowed to become an incredibly strong Trainer, then beat both his father and Silas mercilessly.
A cartoonish little figure danced in his mind.
At this moment, Silas was recounting the Dark Cave adventure. May mimicked a camera with her fingers, excited:
"Were there really scary Ghost-type Pokémon in the cave? Like ones you can only see with special glasses?"
"Not really. Most Ghost-types can be seen with the naked eye. Those that require special glasses are more like spirits than actual Pokémon."
Silas explained.
The most direct example would be the Cubone in Violet Town's Pokémon Tower.
But such cases were rare.
That Cubone's form was due to an intense desire to protect its child, combined with Violet Town's special environment.
Otherwise, the Spirit World's rules wouldn't allow it.
Caroline and Norman smiled.
Seeing May show rare interest in Pokémon made them happy.
Norman, soon to become Petalburg Gym Leader, hoped May would inherit his position. As for Max, Norman thought his son's personality was better suited for research.
If possible, he planned to move to Hoenn later and have his friend Dr. Odagawa teach Max more.
Petalburg City wasn't far from Unova Town; his Pokémon could transport Max daily.
Poor Max didn't know his father had planned his future. Becoming a strong Trainer? Probably out of reach.
But who knows.
May was ecstatic, gesturing in the air and shouting "Exploration Team" or something similar.
Silas felt a little overwhelmed by her sudden enthusiasm.
Caroline noticed his awkwardness and intervened with food: "May, here's your favorite bread."
Hearing this, May returned to her seat.
Even Silas, with his keen perception, only caught a fleeting shadow.
He sighed in relief.
Norman curiously asked: "So you're also skilled at breeding, right?"
Silas had casually mentioned being a Breeder while chatting with May earlier, which is why Norman knew.
He wanted to talk more.
"Not really, just passed the Level 6 Breeder exam, almost failed."
Silas was modest.
He later learned that League exams often deliberately made cross-level tests difficult.
They believed steady progress was best.
But a few talented individuals could achieve what most couldn't.
Norman was amazed.
Although he didn't know exactly how Silas had gone from nothing to passing the Level 6 Breeder exam, considering his age, it probably took only two attempts at most.
A Level 6 Breeder of that age was rarer than a 20-year-old Elite-level Trainer.
"Looks like Max really has to do his homework properly," Norman thought to himself.
Max, happily eating lunch, suddenly sneezed for no reason.
Of course, Silas was paying for this meal. He slipped to the front desk while no one was paying attention. By the time Norman and Caroline realized, Silas had already left.
"No worries, there will be other opportunities."
Hearing Caroline's complaints, Norman laughed: "Next year, we'll stay in Petalburg City. By then, May and Max will have finished their basics."
Caroline froze mid-sentence.
"Alright."
Her eyes were slightly red.
"After all these years running around, you've worked hard."
Norman embraced Caroline.
Max and May watched silently. Goodness, at the Pokémon Center, two kids had stuffed themselves full at lunch.
But their moods were completely different.
Max was excited, he wanted to see Pokémon from other regions.
May, however, felt a little sad, because it meant she'd be separating from her good friend again.
"Oh! Hoenn has many ruins too. The three Legendary Birds often fight there, so it's truly an explorer's paradise."
Max knew just how to comfort his sister.
Sure enough, May's attention was immediately diverted.
Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Silas prepared meals for his Pokémon before beginning today's training.
Cradling his Vulpix, he supervised loudly, immediately pointing out any mistakes.
Vulpix peeked its head out from his arms, observing the older Trainers working up a sweat, eyes full of innocent curiosity.
"You'll need to train hard too."
A large hand covered its head.
"Vulpix!"
Vulpix chirped.
At this moment, it didn't fully understand what "training" meant.
It only thought: if its "father" wanted it to do this, it must be okay, it wouldn't hurt it.
After a while, Vulpix's eyelids drooped.
Having played in its Poké Ball all morning, it finally felt tired.
Silas naturally lowered his voice while instructing his Pokémon.
The sun rose and set.
The next day, Silas arrived at the Nature Park in northern Goldenrod City to register. Seeing the massive crowd, he muttered: "No wonder this is the ultimate gathering for Bug-type fans."
Everywhere he looked, most people were dressed like standard bug-catching boys or girls.
Trainers like Silas were rare.
"During the event, Trainers may only use one Pokémon. When capturing Bug-type Pokémon, please use this special Park Ball!"
Nearby, a staff member shouted, holding up a Poké Ball.
The top half was green, the bottom half white, with four pale green leaves at the switch, and two red dots above.
"Each Trainer may receive ten Park Balls, but note: they can only be used once. When judging the winner, only the Pokémon submitted counts. Enjoy the event, and compete for the Bug Catching Champion title!
The winner will receive the special champion prize prepared by Nature Park and one of the Bug-type Pokémon they caught!"
The staff member shouted with all his might.
These Park Balls were actually defective Poké Balls. Single-use, with a slightly lower catch rate.
The patterns were added by Nature Park itself. Many similar Poké Balls existed, often used in Bug-Catching-style events or hunting areas.
This was also a way for big companies to dispose of defective Poké Balls.
"Not only that, but a mysterious guest will participate, following a certain route. Of course, he only has three Park Balls.
Can he break through and win under such conditions?"
Silas, having just received his Park Balls in a quiet corner, shrugged.
Luckily, Whitney had told him about this yesterday.
He casually put on a special headset, which transmitted the hustle and bustle of the event.
"Mr. Silas, please switch to Channel 8. Senior Mary is preparing there."
A staff member had noticed him entering and guided him. Silas switched channels to avoid disrupting their work.
"How does it look? Professional?" Mary asked with a smile.
"Very professional, everything is orderly," Silas replied. "As expected of Goldenrod Radio."
"By the way, if you find a Bug-type Pokémon you like, will you try to catch it?" Mary asked curiously.
Silas thought for a moment: "If I like it, probably yes. But I don't think there will be one here I really want."
He wasn't biased against Bug-types and acknowledged they could be strong. But Silas was aesthetic-oriented.
Very few Bug-types matched his taste.
Considering typing as well, the options were very limited. Breeding cost was barely a concern with his contract, he didn't mind raising an extra one or two Pokémon if necessary.
Mary: "Don't underestimate Nature Park. It has the most diverse Bug-types in the world, and the organizers add new species for the event every year."
Her tone was slightly urgent.
Of course, as a Goldenrod native, she was unhappy to hear an outsider imply her hometown lacked good Pokémon.
Silas realized his mistake: "Then I'll wait and see. Hopefully, I'll find a suitable partner."
At this time, the staff on the platform waved flags.
"Then, let the Bug-Catching Contest begin!"
The amplified sound echoed throughout the venue.
The participants rushed into the forest en masse.
The forest spans Routes 35 and 36, the largest in the area.
Even if double the number of participants entered, it wouldn't make a significant impact.
Soon, only scattered individuals remained.
Silas then stepped forward.
"Today's special program is a live broadcast of the Bug-Catching Contest. We specially invited Silas, recently recognized by Ho-Oh, as a guest. Silas, say hello to everyone."
Mary spoke through the headset.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Silas. Today, I'll guide you through the paradise of Bug-type Pokémon Oh, look what I found: a Cascoon from Hoenn.
This Pokémon is wrapped in pure white silk, hanging motionless from a tree, leaving only two small openings. Two red eyes peek out, observing everything.
Cascoon evolves from Wurmple. It drinks dew from its silk to stay hydrated.
Additionally, when a Cascoon dies, it leaves a white solid substance, highly nutritious and crunchy. However, this energetic Cascoon is not our target for the Bug-Catching Contest.
Its size is roughly ten percent smaller than average. The tips of its silk threads are slightly yellow, suggesting it may have accidentally eaten a Cheri Berry as a Wurmple. This affects its growth and energy potential.
Also, when I approached, it only reacted slightly, indicating it has limited control over its body. As Trainers in the wild, the best way to evaluate a Pokémon's strength and potential is by considering both external and internal factors.
External cues like color changes and body size are visible, while reactions involve internal aspects. A well-developed, high-potential Pokémon is likely to be an excellent predator or escape artist."
..
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