The next day.
Pokémon Tech.
This academy is the only institution officially recognized by the Indigo League.
Any student who graduates from this academy can use their diploma to participate in the annual Indigo League tournament!
However, the bar for entry at this prestigious academy is set incredibly high. To join, students either have to pay sky-high tuition or have family members who wield real power and influence within the League. As a result, you could say that nearly every student here comes from wealth or privilege.
Principal's Office.
Early that morning, after leaving Cerulean City, Silas and Suzie arrived at the office. Besides Silas and Suzie, there was an elderly man with a full head of white hair and a white beard, his face kind and amiable as he peppered Silas with gentle, caring questions—at least to Suzie, the whole atmosphere felt just like family.
This scene didn't change until the old man's secretary arrived and led Suzie away.
As soon as Suzie left, the mood shifted completely. The elderly man's warm smile vanished without a trace and was replaced by a sly, mischievous look. With a leering wink, he said to Silas, "Kid, you really picked a great girl. Looks like old Oak is set on having a great-grandchild soon, huh?"
"Get lost."
Silas's demeanor was nothing like the respectful attitude he'd shown in front of Suzie. He gave the old man an exasperated glare. "Don't lump your own dirty thoughts in with my grandpa. All he wants is for me to travel in peace."
"Oho?" The old man was unfazed by Silas's rudeness. With a sly grin, he said, "Kid, this is Pokémon Tech—and it's my turf. Do you really want to mouth off to me? Don't you worry I'll just have you detained here and force Oak to come pick you up?"
My turf.
Those two words revealed everything. This old man was the Principal of Pokémon Tech... Takashi!
"Heh…" Silas couldn't help but smirk, firing back without hesitation, "You'd better round up a few Champions to protect your fancy academy first. Don't complain to me if you try to lock me up and the place gets reduced to rubble in a Champion battle—then you wouldn't even have anywhere to hold me!"
Champion battle?!!
The term made Takashi's heart skip. He gazed at Silas in shock. Silas's Charizard was already legendary within the League for its power, but no one truly knew just how strong it was. Some predicted it was entry-level Elite Four, others said late-stage Elite Four—at most, some dared guess peak Elite Four. But nobody had ever predicted Champion level.
The Champion tier had two requirements:
First: a Pokémon's power must be at the absolute peak of Elite Four.
Second: the ability to grasp the true nature of one's elemental power.
These two things sound simple, but they've stopped countless trainers in their tracks.
A Pokémon can only reach Elite Four peak with both dedication and immense potential. And even if you get there, reaching Champion level still requires some kind of extraordinary opportunity. If you miss that, all your effort is wasted. That's why nobody ever seriously predicted Charizard was Champion level—until now.
Yet here was Silas, admitting it himself—how could Takashi not be stunned?
"Kid." Takashi's jaw hung open, the shock plain on his face as he stared at Silas. "You're not lying, are you? Your Charizard is really Champion level?"
Silas watched Takashi's amazement, thinking to himself—if Takashi found out about the existence of Elemental Crystals, he'd probably go insane. With those, Silas's Pokémon wouldn't even need some lucky break: as long as they reached Elite Four peak, they could immediately break through to Champion. But, of course, he wasn't about to say any of that. All he offered was a cool, "Believe it or not, that's up to you."
"I believe it! I do!" Takashi nodded like mad, then told Silas, "Sit tight, kid. I have some business to take care of."
With that, Takashi left the office without another word.
...
Video Conference Room!
After leaving his office, Takashi hurried to another room, locking the door behind him before dialing a number. The call connected almost instantly.
On the screen appeared Professor Oak, still slurping from a bowl of instant noodles.
"Takashi," Professor Oak said, dabbing his mouth with a napkin and giving a casual nod, "Why are you calling? Did something go wrong with that batch of Pokémon I gave you? If so, I can—"
"Stop right there!" Takashi cut him off in a rush. "There's nothing wrong with the Pokémon you gave me. It's your grandson Silas who's a problem!"
"Silas?!" Professor Oak's laid-back expression turned deadly serious. "What happened to him?"
Takashi didn't mince words. He got straight to the point: "Did you know Silas's Charizard is Champion Tier?"
"Champion Tier?!" Professor Oak's eyes went wide. He'd always known the Charizard living with his grandson was strong—but he never dreamed it had reached Champion level!
After the initial shock faded, Professor Oak suddenly burst out laughing, wild with joy. He laughed so hard that tears streamed down his face; he was laughing and crying at the same time. "Hahahahahaha! Thank you, Arceus! After one hundred and fifty years, Kanto finally has a true Champion! And that Champion is my grandson!"
"Yeah..." Takashi gazed at Professor Oak, deeply moved himself. Then he said, "Oak, the reason I called today is to discuss something. I want to give it to Silas. That way, even if he never gets a second Champion-level Pokémon, he'll still have a seat at the top."
"It?" When he heard that, Professor Oak quickly sobered up, a serious look settling on his face. "Isn't it a bit soon?"
"I don't know," Takashi shook his head, saying with a bitter smile: "What Silas has shown is just too monstrous. We simply can't predict his path. Now we can only try. The reason I called you today is just to give you a heads-up. If Silas really manages to subdue it, and later if the old guys in the League blame us, you absolutely must not..."
"I know!" Professor Oak nodded, his expression turning grave. "I'll contact those old guys of mine immediately. I guarantee everyone will calm down!"