After days spent beneath Mount Silver and inside the strange sacred forest hidden beneath it, the open air above the mountain felt almost unreal. The air inside Phoenix Forest had been rich with energy and life, but familiarity bred comfort.
No matter how beautiful the Blessed Land had been, it still existed beneath layers of stone, darkness, and isolation.
Out here, the world felt open again.
The gentle wind carried the scent of grass, dirt, and fresh water across the mountain paths. Silas stood still for a moment simply breathing it in. Real air. Real sunlight.
Only now did he fully realize how oppressive the underground had been.
Phoenix Forest itself had been peaceful, but Mount Silver was another story entirely. The caves were filled with predators, territorial Pokémon, collapsing terrain, and hidden dangers waiting around every corner.
More than once they had been hunted through the darkness by creatures far stronger than themselves.
Surviving the mountain almost felt harder to process than surviving the assassins.
Beside him, Madam rested one hand against Arcanine's shoulder while quietly adjusting the bandages beneath her coat. The aura-rich lake water inside the Blessed Land had preserved her life and accelerated the healing of her injuries tremendously, but the wound Gallade inflicted had nearly split her chest open.
She was lucky to walk away with only a scar.
Even now, Silas could tell every movement caused her pain despite her refusal to acknowledge it aloud. Madam carried herself the same way she always did, calm, sharp, and composed.
Arcanine occasionally glanced back toward her with quiet concern as if confirming she was still standing properly.
Dragonair circled overhead in smooth, elegant loops.
Its long silver-blue body glided through the sky like a ribbon flowing through the wind. During their time in Phoenix Forest, Dragonair's growth had accelerated tremendously due to the dense aura environment. The dragon Pokémon carried itself differently now. Its movements felt smoother, more controlled, and more confident than before.
Electabuzz stood nearby with its arms folded while scanning the surrounding terrain cautiously. Monferno sat on a nearby rock, unusually quiet.
The flame on his tail flickered slowly behind him as he stared toward the distant horizon deep in thought. Ever since the battle against Shin's group, Monferno had become far more introspective.
Silas understood why. Monferno had touched something incredible during that battle.
The explosive power of Flame Aura still lingered vividly in Silas's memory. The speed, the pressure, the blue aura flames wrapping around Monferno's body—it was easily the strongest combat boost Silas had witnessed personally.
Naturally, Monferno would think about it constantly now.
Silas walked over and placed a hand lightly on Monferno's shoulder.
"We'll figure it out together," he said calmly. "The power is already yours. Remember that."
Monferno blinked before looking up toward Silas.
The tension in his posture relaxed slightly afterward. He gave a small grin and nodded once.
Silas smiled in return. Then he opened his bag carefully and reached inside.
His fingers lightly tapped against the smooth golden sphere resting safely within.
Inside it slept Froakie.
Ho-oh's Life Dew had completely encased Froakie within a protective cocoon of golden energy after beginning the healing process. The cocoon resembled a large polished egg now, though faint blue lines pulsed slowly across its surface in steady rhythms.
Even while dormant, Froakie's presence felt far healthier than before.
Hermes had already confirmed the cocoon remained stable and that the healing process was progressing extremely well. For now, all Froakie needed was time.
Silas closed the bag carefully.
"Next time," he muttered while glancing back toward Mount Silver, "we take the scenic route."
Madam snorted softly beside him.
"Mount Silver rarely offers scenic routes."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"And we barely scratched the surface. We only explored portions of the lower cave systems. Arcanine would be considered among the weaker Pokémon there. For now."
Silas blinked.
Then he laughed under his breath despite himself.
The humor didn't fully reach his eyes though.
After everything they survived, ordinary travel suddenly sounded incredibly appealing.
Madam eventually removed the flame feather Ho-oh had gifted her and studied it quietly while standing beside Arcanine. Dense fire-type energy pulsed softly from the feather's surface.
Silas noticed the subtle discomfort in Madam's posture again.
She could not comfortably ride on Arcanine for extended periods due to her injuries, which slowed their overall travel considerably despite Arcanine's access to Teleport. Even so, their pace remained vastly faster than ordinary trainers traveling on foot.
Silas honestly envied the ability.
Having a Pokémon capable of Teleport completely changed the way a trainer could operate tactically. Retreating, advancing, ambushing, escaping, mobility alone created endless advantages.
Silas could already imagine catching enemies completely off guard using sudden attack strategies in battle.
The thought lingered pleasantly in his mind while they continued descending the mountain.
Eventually, they arrived near Route 22.
That was when Arcanine suddenly stiffened.
The massive fire-type lifted its head sharply toward the wind while its nostrils flared slightly.
Madam noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
Arcanine gave a low rumble before turning its gaze toward the distant road leading back toward Pallet Town.
Silas followed the direction instinctively.
At first, he saw nothing beyond the winding dirt roads and patches of tall grass swaying gently in the breeze.
Then shapes began appearing along the horizon.
A long formation steadily approached from the distance.
Several Arcanine walked calmly at the front of the group in perfect synchronization while blue-uniformed officers kept pace beside them. The formation spread naturally across the width of the road, blocking passage without openly appearing hostile.
Silas counted quickly. There were at least 8 officers and a dozen Arcanine.
And standing calmly at the center of the formation was a woman who looked strikingly similar to the others while somehow carrying a completely different presence.
Authority.
The officers subtly adjusted themselves around her without even realizing it. Their posture straightened slightly whenever she moved, instinctively maintaining respectful distance.
Beside her stood an enormous Arcanine.
Even among the other elite fire-types, this one stood out immediately.
Its posture radiated calm confidence while intense heat rolled subtly from its body despite the Pokémon remaining perfectly still.
Silas immediately understood who this woman was.
The Head of the Jenny family.
Tension settled into the atmosphere almost instantly.
Madam's expression remained calm as she began walking forward, though Silas noticed the faint tightening in her shoulders as the distance between both groups shrank.
Arcanine padded quietly beside her.
Silas followed slightly behind Madam but couldn't resist taking the opportunity to scan the Head Jenny's Arcanine.
Arcanine — Level 86
Ability: Flash Fire
Potential: A
Moves: Rank A Growl, Rank A Odor Sleuth, Rank A Flamethrower, Rank A Protect, Rank A Reversal, Rank A Extreme Speed, Rank A Flame Wheel, Rank A Flare Blitz, Rank A Fire Blast, Rank A Overheat, Rank A Wild Charge, Rank A Morning Sun, Rank A Crunch, Rank A Double Team, Rank A Aerial Ace, Rank A Dragon Pulse, Rank B Outrage, Rank B Thunder Fang, Rank B Psychic Fangs
Silas's eyes widened slightly despite himself.
He expected the Pokémon to be powerful.
But this?
This was a pseudo-champion level Pokémon.
And unlike many powerful Pokémon Silas had seen so far, this Arcanine carried itself with terrifying discipline. Every movement felt refined and deliberate.
Madam and the Head Jenny stopped several feet apart in the center of the road.
For several seconds, neither side spoke.
Finally, the woman smiled faintly.
"Cousin," she said warmly. "It's good to see you."
The warmth sounded practiced rather than genuine.
Still, it wasn't openly hostile either.
Madam inclined her head slightly.
"Cousin Mira."
Silas wisely remained quiet.
This was clearly family business, and he had absolutely no desire to place himself in the middle of whatever complicated history existed between the two women.
Mira's eyes slowly moved over Madam's bandages before shifting toward Silas briefly.
There was sharp intelligence hidden behind her calm expression.
Nothing about her felt careless.
"There was a phenomenon on Mount Silver last night," Mira said evenly. "A brilliant golden light illuminated the sky. Viridian City, Pewter City, and portions of Cerulean all reported witnessing it."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"Naturally, the League has taken an interest."
Madam folded her arms loosely.
"It must be serious if you left your office personally."
A flicker of annoyance crossed Mira's face immediately.
"You seem to have found a wonderful opportunity to age backwards," Mira replied dryly. "I see it also restored your childishness."
Silas nearly laughed.
It was honestly impressive how family members could provoke each other using insults that barely sounded insulting.
Madam looked visibly irritated now.
"Yes, we saw the light as well," she said calmly. "We were training near one of the lower ridges when the sky suddenly ignited. The pressure in the air changed almost instantly, and even Arcanine reacted badly to it."
One of the younger officers frowned immediately.
"You expect us to believe that's all you know?"
Madam slowly turned toward her.
"I expect you to remain quiet unless spoken to."
The officer stiffened immediately.
Madam continued without raising her voice.
"When the sky suddenly turns gold, the heat spikes, and the mountain begins shaking beneath your feet, investigating becomes significantly less appealing than surviving. The terrain around us started collapsing within minutes, and we barely escaped before the ridges gave way entirely."
Silas nodded naturally in support of the explanation.
"We thought the mountain might be erupting," he added. "Or that some extremely powerful Pokémon triggered an earthquake somewhere deeper inside. Either way, getting out became the priority."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"We actually became trapped inside one of the caves temporarily after tremors triggered a landslide."
Several officers exchanged uncertain looks afterward.
The explanation sounded believable because most of it was true.
Mira studied both of them carefully.
"You were close to the source then?"
"Close enough to realize we wanted absolutely nothing to do with it," Madam answered evenly. "Mount Silver has its reputation for a reason. When the environment itself begins behaving unnaturally, smart trainers leave before things worsen."
Silas noticed Mira's gaze drift very briefly toward his backpack.
And linger there for half a second too long.