Night gradually fell over the coastline.
The four of them left the shore and set up camp near the sea cliffs. As for Lucian's whereabouts, none of them knew, and no one dared to ask.
Inside his tent, Silas remained cautious. Crawdaunt stood guard at the entrance, its sharp claws glinting faintly in the dim light. Although wild Pokémon were rare in this area, Silas was not concerned about them.
What he truly guarded against… were his so-called teammates.
Holding a green potion in his hand, Silas observed it carefully. A faint emerald glow swirled within the liquid, and a subtle energy fluctuation could be felt even without specialized equipment.
"How exactly is this made…?"
"I can only identify one ingredient… Purple Mist Berry."
Silas frowned slightly. A potion capable of accelerating a Pokémon's growth was not something ordinary breeders could produce. This had to be the work of a highly skilled breeder—perhaps even someone at the master level.
He took out several testing instruments and began analyzing the potion in detail. However, after a long time, he could only identify a few auxiliary materials. Reverse-engineering the full formula was far beyond his current ability.
At the very least… not something he could accomplish right now.
After confirming that the potion was safe, Silas finally relaxed and began feeding it to his Pokémon.
There were more than a hundred doses in total. Under normal circumstances, it would have been enough for three Pokémon over a month. But Silas had five.
Clearly, it wouldn't last that long.
"A month later… that mission begins."
"The unknown is always the most dangerous…"
After a moment of thought, Silas made his decision. He would concentrate resources on Honchkrow and Sharpedo first. Both were already close to breaking into the Elite level.
As for Umbreon and Sandile, they would have to wait.
They were his hidden pieces, Pokémon that had never appeared openly. Investing heavily in them now would not be efficient.
"If everything goes well… I might have three Elite-level Pokémon before the mission."
After feeding the potion, Silas quietly observed the changes. Soon, faint star-like particles began to appear around Honchkrow and Sharpedo. The particles shimmered softly, gathering energy from the surroundings before gradually flowing into their bodies.
Silas watched silently, memorizing every detail.
.....
Morning
The next morning, Silas was awakened by noise outside his tent.
Frowning slightly, he stepped out and immediately saw the twin brothers arguing with Rose. Their voices were sharp, filled with tension.
But before Silas could even ask what was happening, his gaze shifted toward the beach.
There a Pokémon lay collapsed on the sand.
It let out a weak, pained cry.
Silas's eyes narrowed.
Lapras.
Its large blue body was covered in wounds, some shallow, others deep enough to draw blood. The crimson stains flowed down its body, mixing with the seawater and spreading across the sand.
Rose spoke angrily, her voice filled with frustration. "I found this Lapras first! What do you two think you're doing interfering?"
The younger twin scoffed. "If we hadn't helped injure it, you think you could've caught it alone?"
The older twin said nothing, but his expression clearly agreed.
Silas remained silent, observing.
Lapras was a rare Pokémon. Gentle by nature, highly intelligent, and capable of understanding human speech, it was known for carrying people across the sea. When in a good mood, it would even sing.
Precisely because of its docile nature, it had been hunted extensively in the past, causing its population to decline drastically.
Its rarity alone made it incredibly valuable.
With a base stat total of 535, Lapras was not weak by any means. While some rumors exaggerated its worth, there was no doubt that it was a highly desirable Pokémon—rarer even than most starter Pokémon, and approaching the level of pseudo-legendary rarity.
The three continued arguing, but their eyes never left the injured Lapras.
Then, almost simultaneously, they noticed Silas.
Their expressions changed instantly.
The argument quieted, replaced with wariness.
Clearly, none of them wanted him involved.
Silas simply stepped aside, uninterested in their dispute.
'Lapras are social Pokémon,' he thought calmly. 'They always travel in groups. When in danger, they call out to their companions.'
He said nothing aloud.
Instead, he released his Pokémon and began training away from the shore, deliberately distancing himself from the situation.
He had no intention of interfering.
.....
It didn't take long.
The ocean began to change.
From the distant horizon, multiple figures emerged.
Dozens of Lapras.
They moved together, forming a breathtaking sight across the sea.
One after another, they unleashed Ice Beam, freezing the surface of the ocean and creating a path as they rapidly approached the shore.
The injured Lapras let out a series of cries, its voice filled with relief and excitement.
"Damn it!" Rose cursed. "Its companions are here!"
She immediately threw a Poké Ball But before it could reach its target ,multiple streams of Water Gun shot forward, knocking it away instantly.
The twins reacted as well, releasing their Pokémon. Rose followed suit.
A brief battle broke out But against dozens of Lapras, their resistance was meaningless.
In mere moments, the group reached the shore, surrounded the injured Lapras, and swiftly carried it away.
Just like that it was gone.
All their efforts had been wasted.
"You did that on purpose!" one of the twins snapped.
"Don't blame me! If you hadn't interfered, I would've already caught it!" Rose shot back.
The argument reignited immediately.
Not far away, Silas leaned casually against a rock, watching the scene with mild interest.
Then, while their attention was elsewhere, he quietly moved.
From the blood-stained sand where Lapras had lain, he collected a small sample and stored it carefully.
"A Lapras group in this sea…"
"That's valuable information."
Whether for future capture or to sell to information brokers ,it was worth keeping.
Silas dusted off his hands and turned away, his expression calm as ever But in his eyes there was a faint glint of calculation.
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(End of chapter)