The moment Silas stepped into the Pokémon Center lobby, he was met by the low hum of chatter-small groups of trainers gathered in twos and threes, their voices mingling with the faint whir of the healing machines.
Most trainers who set out on journeys preferred traveling in teams. The wilds were dangerous, after all.
Only the truly strong or those skilled in survival dared to camp alone. The rest would rush to the nearest Pokémon Center before nightfall.
Silas's arrival drew no attention. He quietly handed over his Poké Balls for treatment and sat down in a corner seat to wait.
...
"Hey, did you hear? There's another ten-win streak at the Battle Club!"
"Seriously? Wasn't there already one 'Black Sky' just half a month ago?"
"Why would I lie? They say this guy, just like Black Sky, fought ten matches in a single day! Used a Gligar to crush a bunch of seven- and eight-win veterans!"
"Wow… a Gligar, huh? That's not even native to Hoenn, is it?"
Two ordinary-looking trainers chatted excitedly nearby, their words carrying through the hall.
Silas's ears twitched at the familiar name. Reggie… again?
"What a coincidence." He murmured, opening his Pokédex as a notification blinked onto the screen.
[Player Black Sky, your opponent for the Ring Championship has been selected. Would you like to register and participate?]
Silas's eyes narrowed in thought.
'According to what I've gathered, it usually takes half a year for any club to produce another ten-win challenger. If I miss this round, I'll have to wait six months…'
That was unacceptable. His travel plan was already mapped out; returning here half a year later would throw everything off schedule.
And besides Reggie's smug face still annoyed him.
Decision made, Silas typed two simple words:
Sign up.
Within moments, another message popped up-details, schedule, and rules.
"Half a month from now… figures," he muttered. "They'll want to milk the hype."
Then he frowned.
"So Reggie personally requested to promote it to the Intermediate Arena? Meaning level cap… under 40."
That arrogance again. Still, it didn't matter.
Since it was for the Ability Capsule, the rare prize that could rewrite a Pokémon's natural Ability, he couldn't afford to pass it up.
But raising the difficulty by himself,Reggie was either fearless or a fool.
....
"Trainer Silas, your Pokémon are fully healed!" Nurse Joy called kindly from the counter.
He retrieved his partners, gave a brief nod of thanks, and headed out toward Verdanturf's only Pokémon Mart.
The store was bustling as always,trainers restocking Poké Balls, sprays, and recovery items.
Silas ignored the crowd and went straight for the TM Skill Disc section.
Half a month until the championship.
Time to prepare.
He'd already gathered intel on Reggie: ten straight wins in the Beginner Arena, all using that Gligar.
But Silas had seen something else in the forest,Reggie also had a Staraptor.
"Flying- and Normal-types, huh… looks like I'll need to widen Crawdaunt's offense."
Currently, Crawdaunt's power leaned too heavily on Dark-type moves, with only limited Water coverage.
For the coming match, he'd need broader attack options.
....
His funds weren't an issue. Between the Petalburg Gym reward, Battle Club prize money, betting profits, and personal savings, Silas now sat on over ₽3 million Pokédollars not counting the Dusk Stone worth tens of thousands and the geostone stalactite valued in the millions.
He scanned the shelves and froze.
"...Hidden Power?" His eyes lit up.
There it was: a TM Skill Disc labeled Hidden Power.
If Protect was essential for every Pokémon, then Hidden Power was nearly its equal.
Almost any species could learn it, and its versatility made it one of the most valuable skills in existence.
The move's effect was like a lottery-randomly assigning one of eighteen possible elemental types, expanding offensive coverage in ways once thought impossible.
A Bug-type learning Hidden Power (Fire).
A Fire-type learning Hidden Power (Water).
A Dragon-type gaining Hidden Power (Fairy).
That unpredictability made it priceless.
Without hesitation, Silas placed the disc on the counter.
"I'll take it," he said.
The price tag read ₽400,000 Pokédollars,he didn't even blink.
"Do you have any more copies of Hidden Power?" he asked.
The clerk shook her head apologetically.
Silas sighed. "Figures. Getting even one was lucky."
...
Next, he selected two more discs for Crawdaunt:
Rock Slide (₽180,000)
Brick Break (₽250,000)
A Rock-type and a Fighting-type move-perfect for covering Flying and Normal weaknesses.
Total: ₽830,000.
Flashing his Level-2 League Trainer Card, he earned a 10% discount.
"Hmm… with a deal like that, I might as well stock up," he mused.
The black market charged triple and quality wasn't guaranteed.
After some thought, he added:
Four copies of Double Team (₽360,000 after discount)
One Shadow Ball disc for Eevee (₽225,000 after discount)
By the time he finished, he'd spent over ₽1.4 million, leaving the shop assistants wide-eyed.
A few nearby trainers whispered among themselves, stunned by the casual wealth on display.
But this was an official League-certified Mart-no shady dealers, no thieves.
Silas could afford to spend openly.
...
"I'd like to rent your Skill-Learning equipment," he said.
A clerk in a green uniform rushed over with a smile.
"Of course! You're our most valued customer today-please, use the machine free of charge!"
Silas nodded curtly and began the process.
One by one, each Skill Disc was loaded and learned without issue.
As the data screen blinked to completion, Silas's gaze sharpened.
"Hidden Power… Fire-type?"
He couldn't help but grin, excitement flashing in his eyes.
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(End of chapter)