"Shrrk—"
Drapion's drill-like claws spun wildly through the air, producing a sharp buzzing sound.
A faint purple trail lingered wherever they passed.
With the reach of its long arms, it seemed Blaziken was completely sealed off.
"Let's see where you run this time."
Watching Blaziken charge forward recklessly, Reggie smiled confidently.
Drapion's poison was extremely potent.
And Cross Poison itself had a high chance of poisoning the opponent.
With both factors combined, even a slight graze would almost certainly inflict the Poisoned condition.
Once poisoned, Blaziken would be at his mercy.
Not to mention, Drapion's Ability was Sniper.
Cross Poison already had an increased critical-hit ratio. Combined with Sniper's boosted critical damage, this strike could deal devastating damage.
It might even knock Blaziken out in a single hit.
"This is the price of overconfidence."
Reggie looked at the opponent who had once defeated him.
Seems your tournament achievements have made you blind.
Let me show you—
"Ding~"
The instant his gaze shifted away from the battlefield, Blaziken's figure vanished mid-charge.
The unexpected sound made Reggie snap his eyes back.
On the ground, a large hole seemed to mock him.
Drapion's Cross Poison had sliced through empty air, its claws colliding with each other in a sharp metallic clang.
Silas spread his hands.
"You didn't think my Blaziken couldn't use Dig, did you?"
His smug tone was especially punchable.
Normally, without a mask and hat concealing his identity, Silas wouldn't speak like this.
But today was special.
And his opponent was someone he didn't particularly like.
Reggie's face darkened.
He truly hadn't considered Dig.
Arena battles weren't ideal for that move. If you weren't careful, you could burrow outside the battlefield and disqualify yourself.
But—
"Drapion, use Earthquake!"
Reggie demonstrated that sometimes burrowing underground wasn't a smart choice.
"Use Bounce."
As if predicting him, Silas called out the move even before Reggie finished.
As Drapion leapt and slammed down onto the arena floor—
A fiery silhouette burst skyward from the ground.
"Boom!"
The violent tremor and the slightly lowered stage showed just how powerful Drapion's Earthquake was.
But even the strongest move was useless if it missed.
Blaziken hovered briefly in the air, calmly looking down at its opponent.
Sparks drifted past.
"Blaze Kick."
Trainer and Pokémon moved in perfect harmony.
Flames engulfed Blaziken's powerful right leg.
With a twist of its waist—
A blazing wave crashed down onto Drapion's head.
"Thud!"
Unlike Drapion's earlier miss, Blaziken's strike landed cleanly.
The force of the aerial descent combined with Blaze Kick's inherent power sent Drapion crashing flat onto the ground.
"Skree!"
Drapion cried out in pain. The scorched marks on its armor deepened.
Silas praised it sincerely.
"Nice Defense. Pretty impressive."
Though genuine, given the battlefield situation, it sounded mocking to Reggie.
"Get up, you useless thing."
He spoke coldly to Drapion.
Hearing its Trainer's voice, Drapion struggled upright, supporting its battered body with its claws.
It panted heavily.
Some watching Trainers frowned.
Silas shook his head.
"Looks like you haven't changed at all."
For a moment earlier, he had thought Reggie had matured.
Clearly, he'd imagined it.
"Drapion, use Poison Sting."
Reggie ignored Silas and continued attacking.
Purple energy gathered at Drapion's fangs.
Sharp silver needles formed before its mouth, each glowing with an ominous violet hue.
"Blaziken, full-power Flamethrower. Finish it."
Seeing Drapion struggling to execute its move under harsh command, Silas decided to end its suffering.
Poison Stings shot one after another into the sea of flames—
But aside from occasional purple mist dispersing, none struck Blaziken.
"Drapion is unable to battle. Blaziken wins.
The victor is Contestant Red."
After confirming Drapion had fainted in the flames, the referee calmly announced the result.
Silas reached out, intending to stop Reggie for a few words But Reggie recalled Drapion and left without a word.
"What's his problem?"
Nearby Trainers voiced dissatisfaction.
Not just toward his opponent, but toward his own Pokémon as well.
Still, considering his displayed strength, they decided to complain quietly.
If not for facing "Red," Reggie would likely have been one of the event's finalists.
"Next time, I guess I'll have to hit him even harder."
Silas rubbed his head.
He now remembered, Reggie only changed his attitude toward Pokémon after being severely defeated by Brandon, one of the Frontier Brains of the Battle Frontier.
Given the current development pace of the Yuanta Group, the Battle Frontier would likely take quite some time to form.
If so, waking Reggie up could be his responsibility.
After all, they were acquaintances.
He wondered how Reggie might thank him someday.
With that thought, Silas greeted the referee and left.
The tournament continued fiercely.
"Granbull is unable to battle. Blaziken wins."
After yet another victory, Silas became the first Trainer to enter the Top 16.
"Where did this guy come from? He's so strong."
"Yeah. Aside from that Drapion Trainer, he's been finishing everyone in two or three moves."
Trainers discussed animatedly.
Few connected "Red" with yesterday's Silas.
Yes, both used Blaziken, but as the Fire-type starter from Hoenn, Blaziken was popular among strong Trainers and not rare.
"Hmph. Probably too ugly to show his face."
Someone muttered sourly.
There were always people like that everywhere. But honestly, idiots who actually said it out loud were rare.
The surrounding Trainers looked at him strangely.
The pockmarked man's face turned red.
"What are you staring at? Is it that weird?"
"Well, it's rare to see someone who looks like a Feebas, so we're a little curious."
A late-arriving Trainer didn't hold back and fired back immediately.
"Mm, in terms of rarity, even Feebas can't compare."
His companion cheerfully continued.
Someone in the crowd chuckled first.
Then the entire area filled with laughter.
The mocked man flushed red.
"A trash Trainer like you can only run your mouth."
"Yeah, yeah. I bet you can only beat a Magikarp."
"Hey, don't insult Magikarp. Magikarp could probably beat Feebas."
"True. Then what about a Metapod that only knows Harden?"
"Not good enough. Metapod can at least evolve into Butterfree. Can he?"
The two Trainers worked together seamlessly, not giving the man any room to retaliate.
"If you're ugly yourself, don't assume everyone else is the same~"
That final sentence shattered his emotional defenses.
The three quickly descended into a shouting match.
Security from the Goldenrod Department Store arrived almost immediately.
Over a dozen muscular guards appeared alongside Machoke and Machamp. Whether strong or not, they were certainly intimidating.
The head of security made a polite gesture.
The three were swiftly "escorted" downstairs.
A few minutes later—
"Oh? You're back. Where's that guy?"
Seeing the two Trainers return, the others asked with amused smiles.
They seemed used to this kind of thing.
"He ran off."
One of them clicked his tongue.
"No backbone at all."
His partner nodded with a smile.
After the brief commotion, everyone resumed chatting.
Some even started taking bets on who would win the championship.
Small wagers here and there, yet the total sums were far from small.
However, among the two who had mocked the man earlier, the one who had grown quieter after returning stared thoughtfully at Silas's back in the distance.
"Come on, let's place a bet too."
Unaware of anything unusual, his companion casually slung an arm around his shoulder.
"Sure."
He followed along naturally.
Other Trainers made room for them.
Though unremarkable in appearance, the two were Top 16 competitors.
"Hmm? Was that my imagination?"
Sensing someone watching him, Silas turned his head. The feeling disappeared instantly.
Several Trainers in that direction smiled at him politely.
Silas nodded in return.
Probably those gamblers staring at him. Not even trying to hide it.
With his sharp hearing, he had long overheard their betting.
Too bored to care, he continued waiting.
After four more battles, Silas and Blaziken smoothly claimed the tournament championship.
It wasn't that there were no strong opponents.
He and Blaziken were simply stronger.
Under staff organization, the sixteen competitors were guided into a spacious room.
"Top 16 participants, please follow me. We'll proceed to the auction first. Your mysterious prizes will be delivered after the auction concludes."
A man dressed like a butler entered and immediately led them upstairs.
"The sixteenth floor? Didn't expect that."
One Trainer sounded impressed.
The sixteenth floor of the Goldenrod Department Store wasn't easy to access.
Money alone wasn't enough. Strength and social status were equally required.
Silas was curious as well.
It was his first time attending an auction.
How exactly did bidding work? Urgent question.
On the sixteenth floor, the gilded doors opened to reveal a grand and luxurious hall.
Many individuals were already seated in private chairs.
"Trainers, your seats are here. Please take them."
The butler led them to a respectable section.
Everyone sat down contentedly.
Except—
There were only fifteen seats.
Silas raised an eyebrow.
"The Champion's seat is elsewhere. Please follow me."
The butler continued.
The other fifteen cast strange looks at him but said nothing.
His strength spoke for itself.
A Pesudo–Elite-level Trainer commanded respect from most factions.
After a few turns, Silas and the butler disappeared from sight.
Someone let out an envious sigh.
One person lowered his head, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.
"Damn it. He's not here. So the 'get close and befriend him' plan won't work."
Thousand Faces muttered irritably.
He had gone to great lengths to infiltrate this place.
Since he wasn't skilled in direct combat, he had been eliminated early.
Fortunately, the person he impersonated used similar Pokémon.
That's why he had deliberately provoked the pockmarked man into leaving.
Unexpectedly, the man had a companion, and Thousand Faces had spent considerable effort completing the disguise.
"I'll have to think of another way."
Thinking of Silas's Shiny Ampharos and Ralts, his eyes burned with greed.
To a master of disguise like him, a simple mask and hat were laughable.
And that was supposed to fool people?
"Lord Red, this is your private room. Please."
The butler respectfully opened a separate VIP suite.
Silas nodded slightly.
"This is the auction catalog. If you require anything, press the red button to call for service.
As an Honorary Citizen of Goldenrod City, all your purchases receive a 20% discount."
After explaining the details, the butler withdrew.
"Whew—"
Inside the private room, Silas removed his mask and took a deep breath.
This feeling was incredible.
If the tournament had merely been a warm-up, this treatment truly demonstrated the power of that identity card.
He had only heard about it before.
Now he understood.
Honorary Citizen privileges were outrageous.
A 20% discount was no small matter.
Even outside auctions, his regular shopping as a Trainer often started in the millions of Poké Dollars.
After a 20% reduction, that was hundreds of thousands saved.
Not to mention the VIP suite.
He casually opened a drink and flipped through the auction catalog.
"Health Candy XL / Muscle Candy XL / Resist Candy XL / Genius Candy XL / Clever Candy XL / Swift Candy XL"
The first line of items made his eyes widen.
He checked again.
No mistake.
Good grief.
Silas straightened up.
These were extremely rare XL Candies, capable of improving even Elite Four–level Pokémon.
..
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