After witnessing the defeated Pokémon, Silas was satisfied with Tropius' performance.
She fought aggressively without becoming overzealous, and most importantly, she displayed excellent battle IQ.
"Tropius, great work. I think you're right. I need to make better use of my powerful Grass Dragon."
"It's good that you recognize my value. I work hard, you know."
Silas laughed as Tropius blushed. Seeing such a large and imposing Pokémon like her act so shy was too much for him.
Despite all the joking, Silas didn't neglect her injuries.
"Tropius, use Synthesis."
Solar energy began converging onto Tropius. At the same time, Silas fed her several Sitrus Berries and sprayed her with high-quality Potions. Under the effects of all three healing methods, Tropius's injuries healed rapidly.
Fifteen minutes later, she was back in good health. She still needed a little time to recover her stamina, so Silas provided several high-grade Pokéblocks to help expedite the process.
With the matter settled, Silas pressed onward.
The Pokémon along the path were now much too weak for his team. The only one truly benefiting from the training was Hippopotas.
The little hippo Pokémon was working hard to become stronger. He now sat comfortably at Level 35 and was already showing signs of evolution, but Silas had him suppress it.
They still needed an area rich in Ground-type energy or a natural treasure for Ground-types to maximize the evolution's benefits.
Suppressing evolution was frustrating, but it was a necessary evil.
The longer a Pokémon could stall, the greater the boost in both potential and effective combat power.
Take Infernape for example. He was now Level 48 yet could already contend with Advanced-tier Pokémon.
Most Pokémon at Levels 48 and 49 struggled against others of the same level, let alone opponents from a higher tier.
Silas was playing the long game. He intended to train every one of his Pokémon as thoroughly as possible while taking advantage of every available method to give them a leg up in power.
Silas understood that power was everything. He was aiming for the highest tier of strength, the true elites. As such, he always made time to properly train his Pokémon during the stage before their final evolution.
Extensive research conducted by both the League and Team Rocket proved this to be true. It was even speculated that pseudo-legendary Pokémon came to exist because this process repeated itself over hundreds of generations.
As Silas walked down the path, he remained lost in thought while staying vigilant.
He sensed someone nearby but couldn't pinpoint their exact location.
"You are quite bold to be returning to the base."
Silas looked up and saw a hooded figure.
He frowned.
The man was dressed like a Luminary Court member, yet he spoke of returning to the base as though he were a Rocket.
"Do we know each other?"
"No… but we will."
The man threw out several Poké Balls.
A Pyroar, Noivern, Pangoro, and Mienshao appeared before Silas.
He wasn't impressed.
Had this happened earlier, the lineup might have given him pause. Now, however, it was simply too weak.
Every Pokémon except Mienshao sat at Level 47.
Mienshao alone was Level 51.
"Hahaha, I think you're overestimating yourself."
"You think stealing a few resources under Victor's nose makes you difficult to deal with? You don't even pose a mild challenge. By the time this is over, you'll be trampled beneath my feet."
After hearing that, Silas wasted no more words on the man.
Actions spoke louder than words.
"Go, Infernape and Electabuzz."
Without even igniting his Aura, Infernape engaged Pyroar with Mach Punch.
He delivered the attack as a vicious uppercut that launched Pyroar high into the air before following with a spinning Mega Kick that smashed the Fire-type straight into the ground, instantly knocking it unconscious.
When Pyroar landed at the man's feet, he was visibly shaken.
Pyroar could normally withstand tremendous punishment, yet it had been defeated so effortlessly.
At the same time, Electabuzz teleported above Noivern and delivered a powerful Ice Punch.
Noivern fared better than Pyroar.
It immediately retaliated with Dragon Pulse, but Electabuzz sliced straight through the attack using Iron Tail.
"Electabuzz, use Thunder."
Electabuzz charged a dense mass of electricity before releasing it, guiding the bolt with his Psychic power.
Noivern dodged the initial trajectory but wasn't prepared for the lightning to change direction mid-flight.
The redirected Thunder caught it completely off guard.
Before Electabuzz could finish it off, Mienshao fired a Focus Blast.
The attack exploded upon impact, blasting Electabuzz backward.
Fortunately, the damage was minimal.
"So, do you still think I'm easy to deal with?"
The man was furious.
His arrogance had immediately put him at a disadvantage.
"Your skill is passable, but it isn't enough to defeat me."
"Right."
Telepathically, Silas instructed Infernape to use Mega Shift to target the man personally the moment an opportunity presented itself.
"Electabuzz, use Discharge."
Electabuzz flashed beside Noivern, but the Flying-type was already prepared with Dragon Pulse while the man ordered Mienshao to launch another Focus Blast.
Electabuzz barely teleported away in time.
Despite his recent increase in strength, he still couldn't clash head-on with an Advanced-tier Pokémon.
Mienshao had to be avoided.
"Infernape, ignite your Aura and use Close Combat on Mienshao."
"Mienshao, use Close Combat as well. Let's show him who the strongest really is."
Both Pokémon charged simultaneously.
A blur of fists, elbows, knees, and kicks erupted as they exchanged a relentless flurry of blows.
Watching them was like witnessing two grandmasters of martial arts fighting for their lives.
Mienshao's technique was slightly superior.
However, Infernape possessed far greater explosive power.
One devastating punch finally forced Mienshao backward.
Then Infernape gathered power into Mega Kick.
Instead of attacking Mienshao, he suddenly vanished.
Using Mega Shift, he flashed straight past the Fighting-type and appeared directly in front of the hooded man.
Shadow Claw ripped through him like butter.
The entire exchange lasted only a few seconds.
The man hadn't even realized he was already dead.
"First-class ticket to see Arceus. Enjoy."
Seeing their trainer collapse into a pool of his own blood, all four Pokémon rushed desperately to his side.
"I'll let you all say your goodbyes… but don't worry. You'll be joining him soon."
Silas calmly released Politoed for additional support.
Against the overwhelming difference in strength, the remaining Pokémon fell one after another.
After confiscating all of the man's valuables, Silas had Excadrill bury the body before continuing the journey.
Along the way, Silas encountered several more foolish lackeys.
Every one of them met the same grim fate alongside their Pokémon.
Only one Pokémon was spared.
It was a male Combee.
Had it been female, Silas would have kept it in hopes of eventually obtaining a Vespiquen. They were valuable for their ability to produce honey.
After walking for several hours, Silas finally stopped to rest for the night.
His Pokémon eagerly gathered around, anticipating dinner before engaging in some light training.
Unfortunately, this happened to be one of the rare nights when no wild Pokémon were drawn in by the scent of food.
Silas didn't mind.
He enjoyed simply spending time with his Pokémon.
Moments like these were surprisingly rare.
There always seemed to be another battle to fight, another resource to obtain, or another place to reach.
Looking up at the stars with his team, Silas realized he had been doing a better job recently of giving everyone time to rest.
Satisfied with the balance, he set the matter aside.
Later that night, Silas meditated while practicing control over both his Psychic and Aura powers.
The katana Jason had given him continued to serve him well.
It withstood the strain of both energies perfectly, and its natural sharpness was exceptional.
Using both Psychic power and Aura, Silas steadily developed his own sword style around his unique abilities.
For example, he could alter his trajectory in midair by manipulating his own body with Psychic power, greatly expanding the number of angles from which he could attack.
After practicing for some time, Silas finally joined his Pokémon in resting.
Tonight, one of the Poliwrath stood guard.
The following afternoon, Silas finally arrived back at the base.
A faint sense of nostalgia washed over him.
It had been several months since he had last returned.
Fear of being taken advantage of had kept him away until now.
The fact that multiple assassins had already targeted him was proof enough that his caution had been justified.
Even so, Silas strode confidently toward the entrance.
The base looked much the same as he remembered.
The only noticeable difference was that far fewer people could be seen moving about than before.
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Thanks for the continued support on my first fanfic!!
Moving forward, every 50 Power Stones, I will release a bonus chapter.
I will also be releasing bonus chapters for milestones. The next ones are 300k views and chapter 200.
Finally, I will be releasing 3 extra chapters once we reach 10 reviews. 5 star reviews are appreciated but not required, I want honest feedback so I can improve.
Once again, thanks for all the support and feedback!