"Here!" Janine said, flicking the badge toward Silas.
Silas caught it with one hand, gave it a little bounce, then pocketed it. "Thanks."
The Fuchsia Gym didn't have a front counter—since it was located in the wild, it wasn't very secure, so all badges were issued directly by the Gym staff.
"Next time—next time we're doing a proper battle! A full 6-on-6!" Janine still seemed a little unwilling to accept the loss.
Silas agreed enthusiastically, though in truth, based on his current plans, he probably wouldn't return to Fuchsia City for years.
"I'm off~" he casually said goodbye, tossing the badge into his badge case and slipping it into his backpack.
"Later~" Janine waved as she watched his figure disappear into the distance, then turned back to her family's training grounds to continue her own training.
In the world of trainers, people constantly came and went. Most became acquainted through their shared love of Pokémon, but many only crossed paths once in a lifetime.
In the end, it was usually your Pokémon who stayed by your side.
"Hey, Brother Bruno," Silas said while walking down the road back toward Fuchsia City. His Pokétch buzzed with background noise from the other end. "What are you doing over there?"
"Oh, nothing special," Bruno replied as he casually tossed a Mankey aside. "About what you said earlier—portrait rights, right? I think you're onto something."
"I just talked with that guy Baoba again. Looks like you've got another 5 million Pokédollar ad deal coming your way."
"What a shame though—you only just debuted this year. Otherwise, that price could've easily been five or six times higher."
Bruno kept muttering about the missed opportunity.
Silas gave a simple, honest smile. "Thanks, Brother Bruno."
"No big deal. Alright, I've got my hands full here—we'll talk later."
Bruno sounded genuinely busy and hung up right after speaking.
Silas returned to the Fuchsia Pokémon Center, still puzzled. The TVs inside were broadcasting the news.
"According to frontline reports, regions across the country are currently cracking down heavily on black markets. Cities such as Viridian in Kanto, Olivine in Johto, and Fortree in Hoenn have had their black markets completely dismantled.
Other cities are also undergoing cleanup operations.
Sources state that this operation was proposed by Professor Oak and was approved by the League under the code name: Thunder Dawn.
The term 'Thunder' speaks for itself—this entire operation lasted just about two hours from start to finish.
The League deployed elite combat units to execute the takedowns. Based on eyewitness accounts, criminal syndicates had no chance to resist.
As for the word 'Dawn,' insiders suggest that the League will soon revise the Pokémon Protection Act and issue new, comprehensive regulations on anti-poaching activities.
With the black markets gone, a brighter future awaits us.
Silas blinked.
He'd only gone out to challenge a Gym—and now it felt like the whole world had changed in his absence.
Honestly, the League's strike against the black markets had taken him completely by surprise. There had been no warning signs at all.
But perhaps that was why the operation had gone so smoothly.
Still, the aftermath wasn't small.
All around the Pokémon Center, trainers watching the broadcast were murmuring in shock and disbelief.
Silas furrowed his brow slightly and returned to his room.
Now it made sense why Bruno had sounded so noisy on the call—he was probably wrapping up the cleanup.
As for whether this sudden operation would lead to chaos, Silas didn't think it was anything worth worrying about.
For one, it wasn't really his place to worry.
And secondly, the League wouldn't be foolish enough to greenlight Professor Oak's sweeping plan without preparation.
It was almost certain that relevant laws and policies would be issued soon.
After finishing his daily tasks, Silas and his five Pokémon companions drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
The Next Morning...
He set off again on a new leg of his journey.
By now, the League had already swiftly implemented new legislation—to put it simply, the former black markets had now been legalized. The League itself would oversee operations, with official egg shops opening in every city.
The prices were roughly the same as what the black market had charged. As long as you weren't chasing high-spec eggs, they were fairly affordable.
Silas figured that the League had been able to launch this on such a large scale mainly because of the massive resource seizure during the black market takedown. Otherwise, there was no way they'd have had enough Pokémon Eggs to stock all these stores.
At the same time, Pokémon Egg transactions were now officially permitted—but only for eggs, and only under the League's notarization process. Private, unsanctioned trading was still banned.
For many trainers, this was actually a positive development. It gave them a legal, reliable way to earn money through breeding.
Not only that—when it came to Pokémon Hunters—those criminals who stole Pokémon from trainers or used any means to capture them—the League had raised the bounty system's intensity even further.
If any trainers had the ability and opportunity to help capture these hunters, the League would offer even greater rewards.
The regulations were long, but Silas skimmed through them. The League had clearly considered all angles of the issue.
Of course, protests were inevitable—some groups believed that legalizing the trade of Pokémon Eggs would only lead more trainers to pursue profit by venturing into the wild and attacking innocent Pokémon.
Silas didn't offer any opinion on the matter.
In fact, the League wasn't sitting idle either. They had already taken action to prevent abuse—for instance, the area in front of him right now: a Pokémon Preserve, a zone where capturing or attacking Pokémon was strictly forbidden.
"Trainer up ahead, please stop moving forward—you're about to enter a Pokémon Protected Zone~!"
From a distance, a majestic red figure was running toward Silas, carrying a petite woman on its back. He could faintly hear them calling out to him.
Silas stopped in his tracks.
Screeeeech~!
The Arcanine skidded to a halt with a sharp screech as its claws dug into the ground.
"Ah, terribly sorry!" said Officer Jenny, saluting Silas as she approached. "But I have to remind you, Trainer—this area ahead isn't open to unrestricted entry."
Silas returned the salute and pulled out his Pokédex. "Hello, Officer Jenny. I'm Silas Alaric—I made a prior appointment to visit. Here's my identification."
Jenny took the Pokédex and began verifying it.
"Arf~"
The Arcanine sat obediently and barked a friendly greeting at Silas.
"Hello there." Silas couldn't help but pet the big dog's fluffy, light brown mane. The natural heat from the Fire-type made the place feel especially warm and comfortable.
"All set, Silas. Your ID checks out," said Officer Jenny as she returned the Pokédex. "Welcome to the preserve—but please remember, no capturing Pokémon allowed!"
She looked a bit surprised at how well Silas and the Arcanine were getting along.
"This guy here isn't usually so friendly with strangers."
"Arf~"
The Arcanine stuck out its tongue, creating a charming contrast with its normally fearsome appearance.
"Haha, maybe I've just got that kind of aura—Pokémon seem to like me." Silas gave the big dog another pat. So satisfying.
"Wanna take a ride on him?" Jenny suddenly offered.
"Huh? Really?" Silas asked, half in disbelief.
"Arf~!"
The Arcanine gave a loud bark and stood up, tossing its head—as if clearly saying, Get on already.
Silas's face lit up. "Well, I won't say no to that!"
.....
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