The morning sunlight shone down on the burly man, blue and gold intertwining around him, making his imposing aura even more striking.
Before Silas and the others could respond, the man leapt directly off the rooftop.
"BOOM!"
A heavy impact shook the ground, dust scattering everywhere.
Above, the Braviary merely flapped its wings calmly, clearly used to this sight.
As the dust settled, Chuck appeared before them in a kneeling position.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he casually stood up with a cheerful grin.
"Young people sure are energetic, huh? Up this early already."
"Gulp."
Silas subconsciously swallowed.
The building Chuck had jumped from wasn't skyscraper-high, but it was at least twenty to thirty meters tall.
And yet he landed completely unharmed.
Only now, after seeing it with his own eyes, did Silas truly understand what Aura powers meant.
So Ash was actually kind of weak in comparison…
The thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"Good morning, Master Chuck!"
Janine greeted loudly, though the trembling in her voice revealed just how excited she was.
Chuck casually recalled Braviary.
"Morning, morning. You're Koga's younger sister, right? I think this guidance assignment was coordinated through you."
Despite his terrifying strength and high status, Chuck was surprisingly approachable, just like many Trainers within the League.
At least compared to the eccentric Trainers out there, he was very easy to talk to.
"Yes, Master Chuck. It's an honor for you to personally guide the students of our Ninja Academy."
Janine's face was bright red, though whether from excitement or the cold weather was hard to tell.
After exchanging a few words with the headmaster, Chuck quickly turned his attention to Silas.
"Well then, we meet again, young man~"
He laughed heartily.
"We do," Silas replied helplessly. "Back then, I never imagined your strength was this ridiculous."
Chuck burst into laughter.
"Well, Cynthia and I happened to be there teaching the advanced students at the time. Since I was free anyway, I figured I'd take a look at the talented youngsters recommended by Professor Oak and Professor Rowan.
Speaking of which…"
He clicked his tongue in amazement while looking at Silas.
"Your growth has been incredible."
With Chuck's Aura abilities, it wasn't difficult for him to sense that Silas now was worlds apart from the Silas from a year ago.
Such progress in only a year could only mean the young man possessed exceptional talent, not only as a Trainer, but in personal physical training as well.
"Oh right, I've got something for you!"
Suddenly, Chuck slapped his forehead and pulled out a yellow oil-paper package from his bag.
Silas reflexively caught it.
"This is…?"
He looked confused.
Chuck flashed a wide grin.
"Master Bruno asked me to bring you some RageCandyBars. Said it was a promised reward or something."
Silas froze briefly before remembering.
Back during the Seafoam Islands mission, Bruno had mentioned this.
At the time, it was just a casual bet about tournament rankings among the participants.
Silas honestly felt touched.
He hadn't expected an Elite Four member as busy as Bruno to actually remember.
"Master originally wanted to deliver them personally," Chuck explained carefully, "but Lance disappeared somewhere again recently, so Master ended up covering his duties too.
He's been pretty busy, so he asked me to bring them along."
It could only be said that Bruno's charisma was truly immense.
Especially among Trainers who pursued strength wholeheartedly, that unique martial artist aura naturally drew admiration.
Not everyone liked muscular men, but Bruno definitely had no shortage of fans.
Of course, his overwhelming strength also helped.
Silas casually unwrapped one of the RageCandyBars and took a bite.
Not bad.
A little too sweet for his taste, though.
"Then please thank Master Chuck and Master Bruno for the gift. I'll enjoy them properly."
After all, the RageCandyBar specialty from Mahogany Town wasn't far from here, which was probably why Bruno had Chuck bring them.
With Chuck's strength, traveling between the two locations probably took almost no time at all.
Janine's jealous stare looked practically ready to spit fire.
Silas casually packed the RageCandyBars away, planning to share them with his Pokémon later.
Then, unable to contain himself any longer, he eagerly asked:
"So what exactly do I need to do today, Master Chuck?"
Chuck scratched his buzzcut.
"Uh…"
For a moment, he actually hesitated.
The highly motivated Silas blinked.
Surely they hadn't made up the test on the spot, right?
This was Alder's request, after all.
"Got it!"
Chuck suddenly slammed his fist into his palm.
"Let's have an intense and exciting full 6-on-6 battle so I can evaluate your strength and the bond you share with your Pokémon!"
"Ahem…"
Even the headmaster couldn't help coughing awkwardly.
This testing method was far too Trainer-like.
Besides If it was truly a 6-on-6 full battle, then who exactly was Silas supposed to fight?
The headmaster knew everyone's strength here.
Yesterday evening had already proven that nobody in the academy could challenge Silas, not even himself or Janine.
Which meant there was only one opponent left.
Chuck himself.
And considering Chuck's strength.Silas inhaled sharply in disbelief.
What is this? Are they seriously treating me like Red now?
He suddenly regretted using Red's alias before.
Was he somehow cursed by fate or something?
"Relax, relax." Chuck waved his hand casually.
"It's not like I expect you to beat me. It's just a guidance match, a guidance match. We'll stop when it's about right.
Mainly, I just need to give Alder an explanation so he stops pestering me.
Honestly, I could just declare you passed if I wanted."
Then he grinned.
"Or…"
Chuck's gaze suddenly sharpened, and the aura belonging to a Champion-level Trainer gradually spread across the entire field.
"Or do you simply not have the courage?"
"No," Silas replied immediately, raising an eyebrow. "I'd be honored."
As for pressure?
That was nothing.
He hadn't even flinched in front of the Legendary Beasts.
The only thing was that, realistically speaking, he didn't hold any delusional hopes of defeating Chuck.
But as a Trainer, he would always believe his partners could achieve victory.
And honestly, battling a Champion-level Trainer, as long as losing didn't cost him his life would only benefit him.
Besides, from what Silas knew, Chuck's ace Pokémon lineup overlapped heavily with his own.
"Excellent!"
Chuck looked delighted by Silas's decisive answer.
"Then there's no time to waste. Let's begin right now."
"Here?"
Silas glanced around at the students gradually gathering nearby.
Their hearing really did suit ninja training.
The Headmaster and Janine hurriedly added:
"If it's inconvenient, we can send the students back."
Even while saying that, neither of them moved an inch.
"Right here," Chuck confirmed. "As for the students, just have them stay farther away. Don't let them get caught in the aftershocks and injured."
He only said that as a precaution.
In reality, with Silas's team mostly at the pseudo-Elite level, they simply couldn't produce destruction on that scale.
If something really went wrong, it would probably be because one of Chuck's own Pokémon caused it.
"Yes, sir!"
The Headmaster and Janine enthusiastically began organizing the students alongside the instructors.
"Luxray, clear the field with Static first."
Before stepping onto the standard battlefield, Chuck casually tossed out a somewhat worn Poké Ball.
A majestic blue-and-black lion-like Pokémon appeared before everyone.
Luxray, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon, commonly found in Sinnoh.
An Electric-type Pokémon with special vision abilities capable of instantly detecting prey hiding behind thick walls.
When activating this x-ray-like vision, its pupils glow gold, and because the ability consumes enormous amounts of electricity, it often sleeps for long periods to recover energy.
Silas recognized it immediately.
Back in the Scarlet Forest, he had worked with Officer Jenny there, whose Pokémon lineup included Arcanine and Luxray.
But compared to Officer Jenny's Luxray, this Champion-level Luxray was practically the king of its species.
Not only in strength, but also in size.
At nearly 1.8 meters long and weighing over seventy kilograms, it might not sound particularly massive compared to the lions from Silas's previous world, but he had every reason to believe the creature before him could casually tear apart an ordinary lion with a single swipe.
A yellow electromagnetic pulse swept across the entire academy in an instant.
At first, nobody noticed anything wrong.
But soon, shouts erupted everywhere.
"My Pokégear stopped working!"
"My camera footage is completely distorted!"
"The academy's surveillance system is down!"
Everyone stared in shock as every electronic device instantly lost functionality.
"Don't worry. Everything will return to normal after the battle ends." Chuck's calm voice echoed across the grounds. "Until then, enjoy this battle properly with your own eyes."
Only now did he truly display the bearing worthy of the League's Chief Combat Instructor.
Silas's pupils contracted involuntarily.
That level of range…
That level of precise control…
As expected of a Champion.
From this simple action alone, a glimpse of Chuck's terrifying strength had already been revealed.
Silas's eyes burned with excitement.
Wasn't a stronger opponent exactly what made battles thrilling?
The two sides took their positions at the trainer platforms.
There was no referee.
Nor was one necessary.
Chuck sent out his first Pokémon first.
"Then let this guy go first, Gallade, show the youngster a thing or two."
"Gallade!"
A Gallade noticeably larger than Silas's own appeared before Chuck.
It elegantly raised its blade-arm in a formal combat salute.
Silas's hand moving toward his belt unconsciously shifted direction.
"In that case, learn from your senior how to become stronger. Go, Gallade!"
A flash of red light appeared.
One large and one small Gallade faced each other across the battlefield.
Chuck chuckled softly.
"Looks like you found yourself another excellent partner this past year. That's wonderful."
Then he crooked a finger.
"Come on then. Let me see its spirit."
"Gallade, use Teleport, then Brick Break!"
Silas wasted no time, immediately ordering an offensive.
"Gallade!"
Purple-blue light flashed across Gallade's body—
Yet it remained standing exactly where it was.
It cried out in alarm.
This was the first time in its life that Teleport had failed.
"One of the abilities Psychic-type Pokémon gain after reaching Champion level," Chuck explained casually. "Using overwhelming psychic power to stabilize space itself. Unless you're at least near Champion level, forget about using Teleport."
Looks like that kid really made the old partner interested in teaching, Chuck thought inwardly.
Otherwise, against an Elite-level youngster, Gallade normally wouldn't bother fighting this way.
Still, Chuck didn't mind.
Teaching was teaching.
He already had a good impression of Silas anyway.
Probably because he saw traces of his younger self in Silas and Blaziken.
Still stunned, Silas nodded.
So that was how it worked.
Thankfully it was merely stabilizing space rather than completely sealing it.
Otherwise Psychic-types at Champion level would practically be invincible.
"In that case, start with Swords Dance to strengthen yourself, then rush in with Aerial Ace and use Rock Smash!"
He instantly adjusted his commands.
For Gallade, swift close-range combat was essential.
It wasn't bad at prolonged battles—
It was simply better suited for relentless explosive offense.
"Gallade!"
A faint glow emerged from Silas's Gallade as its aura sharply intensified.
Its feet slammed into the ground, leaving cracks behind as it shot forward like a streak of white light skimming across the battlefield.
At the same time, its blade-arms emitted a heavy, earthen glow.
"Not bad," Chuck praised. "You've trained your Psychic-type's multitasking quite well. An Advance-level Pokémon capable of simultaneously using moves of two different attributes is impressive."
As he spoke, Silas's Gallade had already reached Chuck's Gallade.
"Gallade!"
Carrying its momentum, it slashed downward with its elbow blade.
Clang—!
A long metallic collision echoed across the field.
Chuck's Gallade merely raised one arm slightly and effortlessly blocked the strike.
Silas's Gallade's eyes flashed sharply as both blade-arms launched into a rapid barrage.
Clang clang clang clang clang!
Sparks exploded violently between the two Pokémon.
No matter how fast Silas's Gallade attacked, Chuck's Gallade responded with only a single simple motion:
Raise its arm.
It let out a calm cry before tapping Gallade's elbow blade aside with its other hand.
A blinding streak of white flashed past its tilted head in an instant.
Purple-blue psychic waves continuously rippled between the two Pokémon.
The entire battle scene became strangely bizarre.
It almost looked as though Chuck's Gallade was controlling Silas's Gallade's body to attack itself.
Visible to the naked eye, Silas's Gallade's attack patterns grew increasingly unpredictable and increasingly fluid.
Silas unconsciously clenched his fists.
"Come on, Gallade! Land a hit on it!"
Hearing its Trainer's encouragement, Gallade became even more fired up.
Chuck smiled while watching the scene.
Then suddenly—
His brows furrowed as he looked toward the distant sky.
A dragon's roar pierced the heavens.
"ROOOOAR—!"
"Pause for a moment. Gallade, come with me!"
Bang!
Feeling the sensation of striking something solid, Silas's Gallade became excited.
Did it finally succeed?
But when it looked carefully it had only struck the ground.
Gallade froze.
Where had its senior gone?