The streets of Lavaridge Town bustled with life that morning.
A long line of Trainers stretched down the cobblestone path, all waiting outside a small, old-fashioned herbal shop. The scent of drying roots and herbs drifted through the air.
Silas stood among them, curious.
"This place supposedly sells Revival Herb," a young man in front of him whispered. "It's the base ingredient for Revive Blocks. The old couple who run it… they've been cultivating medicinal herbs for generations."
When it was finally his turn to step inside, Silas was greeted by a warm, earthy aroma. Wooden shelves lined the walls, stacked with countless jars labeled in careful handwriting.
Even Energy Powder and Energy Root-both rare and expensive-sat neatly on the counter.
Silas's eyes lit up. Jackpot.
Without hesitation, he purchased every Energy Root in stock. At ₽100,000 apiece, it wasn't cheap but to a breeder like him, it was worth every coin.
He knew how rare they were. Energy Roots only grew under strict conditions-specific soil composition, controlled humidity, and complete protection from wild Pokémon. In the wild, the chances of finding even one were almost nonexistent.
"These seem hand-cultivated…" Silas murmured, examining the subtle color differences on the roots.
The owners-a kindly elderly couple-moved about quietly behind the counter, their motions practiced and calm.
By all logic, people with such skill and resources should've attracted plenty of trouble and they had.
Rumor had it that a large corporation once tried to buy them out by force, but the attempt was stopped by a powerful Altaria. The incident grew so serious that Officer Jenny herself had to step in to mediate.
Since then, the humble herbal shop had earned both fame and quiet respect. Nobody dared to mess with them again.
After spending nearly ₽1,000,000, Silas left the store with his arms full of carefully packed herbs.
His balance had dropped from ₽2.7 million to less than two million now but he didn't regret it.
"Being a breeder really is expensive," he muttered, smiling wryly. "But rare ingredients like this are worth it."
He stored the wrapped herbs safely in his storage backpack, knowing full well that even the Breeders' Guild in Rustboro City struggled to acquire Energy Roots this fresh.
Outside, the line had only grown longer. People whispered excitedly about the shop's pre-order service, though the next harvest wouldn't be ready for several years.
Given the owners' old age, some even wondered if they'd live long enough to see it but the couple seemed unconcerned. They were already training a few young apprentices inside, passing on their lifetime of knowledge.
Silas, however, had no plans to stay.
After returning to the Pokémon Center, he finalized training routines for his team before diving straight into his latest obsession: developing "Sun & Rain" Pokéblock Cubes.
He unrolled a massive sheet of paper across his desk, filled with messy scribbles of formulas, notes, and reactions.
His process was simple-test everything, eliminate impossibilities.
"Will Sunny Rain Essence and Wood Powder react negatively?"
"Huh… Sunny Rain Flow with Radiant Water seems to promote plant growth."
"Wait, Sunny Rain Flow and Grey Essence Liquid cause a violent reaction–boom!"
For three days straight, Silas barely left his room. Meals were delivered to his door; even Nurse Joy checked in twice, worried he might've passed out inside.
The room became a chaotic lab of bottles, powders, and burn marks.
After hundreds of trials, he finally uncovered part of the formula:
The Sun & Rain Blend required Energy Powder and a balance of Water and Fire-type materials-complementary forces that stabilized each other.
Beyond that, many of the minor supporting ingredients were still a mystery.
Even so, finding this much in three days was proof of his potential.
He leaned back with a tired smile. "Alright, enough isolation. Time to stretch a bit."
Pulling the curtains open, sunlight burst into the room, forcing him to squint.
No wonder Nurse Joy had been suspicious after all, her family had been informed that Silas was a League-backed breeder-in-training, one of the candidates the Pokémon League had quietly invested interest in.
Of course she'd check on him.
Still, he didn't plan to linger in Lavaridge Town any longer.
Despite its charm, being so close to Mt. Chimney always made him uneasy.
After all, Team Magma's headquarters were rumored to lie somewhere within those volcanic tunnels.
Even if the main story hadn't reached that point yet, Silas wasn't about to take chances.
The Next Morning
He checked out of the Pokémon Center and headed north-toward the Jagged Pass, the winding trail that connected Lavaridge to the slopes of Mt. Chimney.
Just like its name, the trail was uneven and rocky.
His Mach Bike handled the terrain easily, bouncing across the cracked path while loose stones tumbled down the mountainside.
Silas's purpose was twofold:
First, to train Umbreon, helping her adjust to her evolved form.
And second, to gather Fire-type materials for his ongoing Sun & Rain Pokéblock experiments.
He crouched near a slope, scraping a handful of pale grey dust from a nearby boulder.
"This… volcanic ash," he murmured, rubbing it between his fingers. "Could be useful."
The ash, carried down from Mt. Chimney, was sometimes used in breeder formulas. Some claimed that Fire-type Pokémon raised on volcanic ash developed stronger flames but no data supported that theory.
"Still… worth testing."
He poured the sample into a glass vial, sealing it for later.
As he climbed higher, the stones around him began to shimmer with faint crimson streaks, glowing faintly under the intense heat.
By the time he reached the mountainside, the entire path was painted in fiery hues-the mark of Mt. Chimney's living heart beneath the surface.
Silas exhaled softly, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Looks like we're getting close to the source…"
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(End of chapter)