Silas's mission this time was to investigate the true background of Captain Stern.
According to the intelligence provided by Team Rocket, even Team Aqua seemed unusually interested in the famous maritime curator of Slateport City.
Before accepting the mission, Silas had already learned that several Rocket operatives had failed this assignment before him ,including a Rocket Executive-level operative.
A mission involving investigation and intelligence gathering had little to do with raw strength, but that only proved how troublesome this task truly was.
That was why Silas chose to visit the black-market information broker first instead of charging in blindly like a headless Tauros.
The reason he submitted three separate intelligence requests was simple:
To hide his true objective among unrelated information.
Even though intelligence merchants who survived off reputation rarely betrayed their clients, Silas still preferred to remain cautious.
After leaving his contact information, he paid a deposit of 300,000 Pokédollars.
Each intelligence request required a 100,000 Pokédollar advance payment , an extremely expensive price even among underground brokers.
Still, Silas believed expensive services existed for a reason.
If the broker dared charge such outrageous prices, then he naturally had confidence in the quality of his information.
As for the final payment, it would depend on the accuracy, clarity, and difficulty of obtaining the information.
After purchasing a batch of Dark-type training materials from the black market, Silas finally returned to the Pokémon Center.
He had barely rested aboard the S.S. Blissey, so the moment his head touched the pillow, he instantly fell asleep.
Fortunately, Honchkrow already understood his habits perfectly.
"Cawww…"
The Honchkrow silently hid itself within the shadows of the room, acting as a hidden scout and night sentry.
Meanwhile, Umbreon curled up beside Silas's pillow, serving as the visible guard.
One hidden in darkness.
One guarding in plain sight.
Only then could Silas truly relax his constantly tense nerves and enjoy proper rest.
....
The next morning, sunlight pouring through the window woke Silas from his sleep.
After washing up, he headed toward the Pokémon Center restaurant for breakfast. However, the moment he arrived, he froze.
The entire restaurant was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people.
"What's going on? Is there some special event today?"
Silas muttered to himself in confusion. Just as he considered leaving to eat elsewhere, the crowd suddenly erupted into excited cheers.
"Move aside! Miss Cynthia is coming through!"
"Damn it, stop stepping on me! I'm just trying to eat breakfast!"
"Miss Cynthia! Please give me an autograph!"
Silas instantly understood.
"So Cynthia's staying at the Pokémon Center too…"
"No wonder this place is packed."
"These fans are insane."
And this was only Hoenn. Silas honestly couldn't imagine what things looked like back in Sinnoh.
Shaking his head, he ignored the commotion and walked outside, planning to find another restaurant.
Meanwhile, Cynthia stood within the crowd, visibly troubled. Even with hired bodyguards clearing a path for her, the fan frenzy was so overwhelming that she could barely move.
Then Her golden eyes suddenly lit up. After finally breaking free from the crowd of fans, she hurriedly chased after Silas.
"Hm?"
Silas looked at Cynthia, who was slightly out of breath, with mild confusion.
"You chased after me just to return my coat?"
In her hands was the large black coat Silas had draped over her shoulders after the battle aboard the ship But Cynthia shook her head seriously.
"That's only part of the reason."
Then her expression turned unusually solemn.
"I also want to challenge you to a battle."
"A Flying-type battle."
"Your Honchkrow against my Togekiss."
Silas casually stored the coat inside his spatial ring. Honestly, he was somewhat tempted.
After all… This was a challenge from the future Champion of Sinnoh herself. But after thinking for a moment, he still declined.
"Sorry."
"I've been busy lately."
Silas smiled apologetically.
Cynthia's expression visibly dimmed.
Her Togekiss had only recently evolved using a Shiny Stone and had just stepped into the Elite rank ,almost identical to Honchkrow's current level.
The two Pokémon would make excellent sparring partners. Unfortunately, since Silas refused, Cynthia naturally wouldn't force him.
Silas suddenly smiled faintly.
"You're planning to participate in the Ever Grande Conference someday, right?"
"Then let's settle this there."
After saying that, Silas quickly finished breakfast and left.
Leaving behind a conflicted Cynthia staring at the menu in distress.
"Hmmm…"
"The curry meat pasta looks delicious…"
"But the tomato spaghetti also sounds really good…"
"What should I choose?"
The future Sinnoh Champion had once again fallen victim to her terrible indecisiveness.
....
Silas entered a dim alleyway.
"Caw…"
Honchkrow landed atop a nearby rooftop, vigilantly scouting the surroundings.
Only then did Silas cautiously retrieve a satellite phone from his spatial ring.
As expected, three unread messages had arrived. Each contained a string of encrypted codes. Silas skillfully opened the portable computer issued by Team Rocket and entered the decryption sequence.
Soon, three encrypted files appeared on-screen.
He opened the first file regarding Absol.
[Absol Sighting Report]
"Someone reportedly witnessed traces of an Absol in the forests south of Slateport City."
"The exact time and location require payment of the remaining balance."
Silas frowned slightly.
Only the opening section of the document was visible. The rest remained encrypted.
At the bottom of the page was a convenient transfer account. Naturally, if the client was dissatisfied with the clues provided, they could refuse further payment.
However, the initial 100,000 Pokédollar deposit would not be refunded.
Silas calmly reviewed all three files. In the end, he chose to pay the remaining balance for two pieces of information:
• Absol's whereabouts
• Captain Stern's detailed information
The total came to nearly 600,000 Pokédollars But for Silas ,who now possessed wealth exceeding ten million Pokédollars , this amount was insignificant.
[Captain Stern]
Age: 50
A famous figure in Slateport City.
Currently manages both the Oceanic Museum and the Stern Shipyard.
Widely recognized as one of Hoenn's greatest maritime explorers.
[Background Information]
Captain Stern was formerly employed by a massive industrial corporation specializing in offshore drilling platforms.
After the company collapsed, he recruited many former employees into his own shipbuilding company.
Today, Stern Shipyard stands among the finest shipbuilding facilities in the Hoenn region.
[Additional Information]
Captain Stern once posted a high-paying commission on the League Network, recruiting skilled Trainers to accompany him on a dangerous oceanic treasure expedition.
Silas quietly scrolled through the massive amount of information.From Stern's social connections and family details…To even trivial daily habits.
Everything had been recorded.
Silas narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.If the mission only involved this level of surface information…
There was no way so many powerful Team Rocket operatives would have failed before him.
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(End of chapter)