Night had fallen.
The sky was sprinkled with countless stars.
Starlight drifted gently down, casting a soft glow across the world.
Thanks to Suzie's skills and all the healing sprays Silas picked up in Viridian City, Ash's Pikachu wasn't totally recovered in just a few hours—but it was running, jumping, and playing with no problem. The remaining minor bumps could wait for Nurse Joy to handle at the Cerulean City Pokémon Center tomorrow.
And Ash's Pikachu wasn't one to hold a grudge. During dinner, Silas's Pikachu even split some of its food with Ash's Pikachu, which won it over immediately; after dinner, the two Pikachu were dashing about, playing to their hearts' content.
Brock and Misty, meanwhile, spent the evening learning massage techniques for Pokémon from Suzie.
Ash alone sat by himself after dinner, staring up at the starry sky, lost in thought.
"Still upset?" Silas walked over and sat down beside him.
Ash nodded, his voice tinged with frustration: "If I lost to your Charizard, I'd have nothing to complain about—I know how strong it is, and you've been training it for five years. But it's Pikachu. You only got your Pikachu when you set out, same as me, so why is there such a big gap between them?"
"That's all?" Silas didn't answer right away—instead, he just smiled and pressed further.
"That's not all, is it?" Ash shook his head with a bitter grin. "That's also why you won't actually travel with me, right?"
"Exactly." Silas didn't bother denying it. Instead, he nodded and pointed toward the two Pikachu still playing nearby. "Tell me—what do you think our Pikachu are doing right now?"
"Playing, obviously." Ash shot them a glance, still confused.
"Yes and no." Silas shook his head, watching his own Pikachu with clear satisfaction. "My Pikachu is playing with yours, sure. But it never stops training. See the belt around its waist? That's a weighted belt—and Pikachu's been running around all night with that on. Even now, playing with your Pikachu, it's moving under twice normal gravity."
"Twice gravity...?"
Ash shot a look at Silas's Pikachu, who was having the time of its life, unbelieving. "That's got to be a joke—there's no way it could play that easily in doubled gravity, is there?"
Silas chuckled, then explained coolly, "My Pikachu is always training, even when it eats or sleeps. What about yours, Ash? Have you actually put any real training into your Pikachu?"
Have I?
Have I seriously trained Pikachu at all?
Silas's words sank in, and Ash fell silent, lost in thought. He finally shook his head, forcing a smile. Not only Pikachu—even his Charmander, Caterpie, and Pidgey hadn't gotten any real training.
Seeing Ash so thoughtful, Silas continued, "Ash, I know you want to be a Pokémon Master. But a true Master is defined by quality, not quantity. I warned you and Gary before—don't just catch Pokémon at random. If you do catch one, you owe it proper training. Since you left home, have you really raised and developed any of your team?"
"No."
"So what makes you think you're entitled to disappointment?"
"I guess nothing." Ash shook his head, blushing in embarrassment all the way to his ears.
Ignoring Ash's embarrassment, Silas looked up at the stars, his voice taking on a serious note. "Ash, if you just catch Pokémon because it's fun for you, that's honestly tragic for them. Every time you capture a Pokémon, you're taking control of its fate and its future. If you're not ready to help them grow stronger, you're better off not catching them at all. Let them wait for a Trainer who really is ready."
"I get it." Ash nodded hard, determination flickering on his face.
Seeing Ash's resolve, Silas knew he'd said enough. He'd done his part warning Ash. If Ash still chose to follow his own route, just like in the stories, there was nothing more Silas could do about it. In the end, everyone walks their own path—no one really gets to call someone else's choices wrong.
Ring, ring! Ring, ring! Ring, ring! Ring, ring!
Just as their conversation ended, Silas's phone started to ring. Glancing at the ID, his expression grew complicated, but he stepped aside and took the call. "Old man, what's up?"
"Hey, hey, hey!" A raspy, elderly voice crackled through the line, totally unfiltered. "Do you even know what manners are, kid? An old timer gives you a call out of the goodness of his heart, and you can't even say hi? 'Grandpa' wouldn't kill you, you know. I wonder what Samuel Oak would say if he heard you greeting your elders like this."
"Cut the crap," Silas replied, tone perfectly flat. "What's this about? If you're just calling for small talk, forget it—I just spent all day hiking through the Mt. Moon tunnel. All I want is a good night's sleep before I go challenge the Cerulean City Gym tomorrow."
"Cerulean City?!" The old man sounded surprised, then delighted. "Perfect! Once you finish the Cerulean City Gym, stop by and see me. I've got a surprise you'll love!"
"I'm not interested."
Silas didn't even hesitate to refuse.
A low, mischievous laugh answered him. "Suit yourself. I was actually going to give you a Pokémon you've been wanting for ages, but if you aren't interested, this old man will just hang onto it for himself! Oh, right—and I think your fiancée is coming to Kanto soon. Can't remember exactly when…but you might just run into her."
"I'll be there."
The smile vanished from Silas's face. With just those three words, he hung up.