The moment Reggie conceded and left the arena, shoulders slumped in silence, the crowd erupted once more.
"BLACK SKY! BLACK SKY! BLACK SKY!"
The roar shook the Verdanturf Battle Club to its core.
The host jogged onto the platform, microphone in hand, his voice booming across the hall.
"Let's congratulate our champion once again ,the mysterious and unstoppable Black Sky, who has triumphed in today's Ten-Win Challenge!"
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, for the ultimate reward - our Club's exclusive treasure – the Ability Capsule!"
The crowd howled in excitement.
Fans waved banners, others screamed till their voices cracked.
The organizers had made a fortune already, but even after the tournament, they weren't done milking the spectacle.
Behind his mask, Silas's expression was… flat.
He'd been through enough school assemblies to recognize forced enthusiasm when he heard it.
Still, he raised a hand politely, letting them grab a few photos for the press before retreating backstage.
.....
Backstage
The staff led Silas to a quiet preparation room.
No decorations, just sandalwood furniture-simple, expensive, pointless.
He had barely sat down when the door opened.
A man wearing a plain black mask stepped in, handed Silas a small ornate box without a word, then left.
"…Okay," Silas muttered, blinking behind the mask. "Creepy delivery service, noted."
Inside the box lay a capsule - translucent blue-violet, shimmering faintly. Under the light, thin streaks of genetic code seemed to swirl within.
"An… Ability Capsule."
He rolled it between his fingers. "It changes a Pokémon's Ability into another one except Hidden Abilities."
His eyes glinted behind the mask. Something like that would fetch millions of Pokédollars in Rustboro's underground markets.
For most trainers, this was a holy grail-For Pokémon with great Potential and stats but an inconvenient Ability, a single capsule could transform their entire worth.
But for Silas?
"Hmm… not that useful right now."
He smiled faintly. "Sharpedo's Speed Boost, Murkrow's Prankster, Crawdaunt's Adaptability -all perfect as they are. Eevee's Adaptability will turn into Synchronize once it evolves into Umbreon anyway… fits the tank role perfectly."
He set the capsule down, thinking.
'I'd only need this if I had something really cursed. Like a Magikarp with Run Away.'
He chuckled softly.
There were rumors of a rarer variant -the Ability Ointment, said to upgrade a regular Ability into its Hidden form. But that one was still prototype rumor territory; probably locked in some Devon lab.
...
He waited for a few minutes before another figure arrived - sharp suit, polite smile, eyes that screamed "I run shady businesses."
After the usual meaningless compliments, the man got to the point.
"I wonder if Mr. Black Sky would be interested in joining our Battle Club permanently?"
Silas tilted his head, pretending to think.
Inside, he was already laughing.
Ah yes, the classic 'join us and totally not become our puppet' offer.
He'd seen enough corrupt teacher councils in his old college to recognize power plays when he saw one.
Still, he smiled behind his mask.
"…Tempting," he said mildly, "but I prefer fighting my own battles."
The man froze, then gave a short, knowing laugh.
"Fair enough. We'll be in touch, should you change your mind."
As Silas left, the man watched him through the second-floor window, swirling his glass of wine.
"If not for these… delicate times," he murmured, "I'd have made him stay."
...
Pokémon Center – Later that Night
"Please take care of him, Nurse Joy."
"Of course," she smiled warmly, taking Crawdaunt's Poké Ball. "He's a tough one, but that battle looked intense!"
Silas nodded. "Yeah. He held the boost from Dragon Dance for half the match. That's… impressive stamina."
Now maskless, he found an empty seat near the corner and sank into it.
The fatigue hit all at once.
He hadn't even rested five minutes when a cold, familiar voice spoke behind him.
"Hey. You're Black Sky, right?"
Silas turned and blinked.
Reggie.
He looked… awkward. Still wearing the same jacket from the match, though now it looked more wrinkled than proud.The proud "Thunder God" now stood there, visibly forcing himself to approach.
Silas raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And here I thought I wasn't worthy of speaking to you."
He let the last words roll lazily, with a mocking edge.
Reggie hesitated, as if part of him wanted to say something else but pride won first.
Reggie's jaw twitched. He sat down opposite Silas, forcing composure.
"Actually, you only won because of luck. If my Staraptor had more ranged moves, the outcome would've been different."
Silas tilted his head, unimpressed.
"Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that," he said flatly. "It's amazing how fast excuses evolve when someone loses."
But Reggie kept talking - his voice rising, his pride flaring. The excuses piled up like poorly written battle notes.
Silas frowned slightly. He wasn't a saint, but he respected Pokémon. Crawdaunt wasn't a tool , he was a partner.
But Reggie?though ,He never once took responsibility. He just insulted his Staraptor over and over.
Finally, Silas cut in sharply.
"Your Staraptor fought better than you commanded. You don't deserve a Pokémon that loyal."
That froze him.
For a brief second, there was silence.
Then Reggie's voice turned ice-cold.
"A Pokémon's only duty is to win. If it loses… it deserves no pity."
Silas stared at him for a long moment then leaned back, folding his arms.
And there it is, he thought. The "Pokémon are weapons" speech. Classic.
He didn't bother replying aloud. Some trainers couldn't be reasoned with - only humbled.
'Maybe when someone like Brandon or Steven wipes the floor with you, you'll start cuddling Eevee and writing apology letters', he thought wryly.
Then his smirk deepened slightly.
'Actually… I should record this. Play it back for him later when he becomes a breeder and teaches baby Pidgey how to flap properly. Yeah, that'd be poetic.'
He nearly chuckled aloud at the thought.
Just then, Nurse Joy called out, "Silas! Crawdaunt's treatment is complete!"
He stood, taking the Poké Ball with a nod of thanks , only to find Reggie still standing nearby, face flushed with determination.
"Wait, Silas-"
Reggie stepped forward. "You… you got that Ability Capsule, right? Please – I'll pay the top market price. Whatever it takes."
Silas raised a brow.
"The same guy who just called me lucky is now begging for a favor?"
Reggie opened his mouth but said nothing.
Silas exhaled through his nose, studying him.
He really doesn't get it…
"…You know," he said finally, "for someone trying to make a deal, you're terrible at social skills."
Then he smiled faintly - not kindly, but not cruelly either.
'Still, if he's willing to pay… who am I to refuse free money from arrogance?'
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(End of chapter)