The next few days passed far more peacefully than Silas expected.
After the brutal battle against the ninja assassins, the silence of the Blessed Land almost felt surreal. The same lake that had once seemed mysterious now felt strangely calming, its waters glowing faintly beneath the nighttime sky as typeless energy drifted naturally through the air.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Silas could breathe without feeling immediate danger looming over his shoulder.
That didn't mean he relaxed completely.
If anything, the recent battle had reinforced how dangerous the outside world truly was. Wild Pokémon were one thing. Human enemies willing to assassinate trainers directly were another entirely.
Silas had nearly died because he underestimated that difference.
More importantly, Madam had nearly died because of his mistake.
That realization lingered heavily in the back of his mind over the next several days.
The older woman herself seemed far less bothered.
Madam spent most of her recovery time submerged inside the lake while Arcanine rested nearby like a vigilant guardian. The deep wound Gallade carved across her chest had already begun healing rapidly due to the aura-rich waters, though the injury still looked severe enough that Silas occasionally wondered how she remained so calm about it.
"Stop staring," Madam said lazily one afternoon without even opening her eyes. "You look guilty enough to confess to murder."
Silas looked away immediately.
"You almost got cut in half."
"And yet I didn't."
Her tone remained completely unconcerned.
Silas honestly couldn't tell whether that attitude came from experience, confidence, or simply insanity.
Probably all three.
Nearby, Froakie remained submerged within a smaller spring connected to the main lake that several Vaporeon had shown them after the battle.
Unlike the main lake, the water there was far denser with typeless energy. The surface shimmered faintly gold beneath the light while Froakie's cocoon floated quietly at the center of the pool.
Ever since entering the golden egg-like state created by Ho-oh's power, Froakie had remained asleep.
Still, the changes were obvious now.
The sickly weakness that once clung to him had already started fading. Hermes no longer detected the unstable energy fluctuations that previously plagued Froakie's body, and even the occasional cracks that briefly appeared along the golden cocoon's surface had started disappearing entirely.
Silas crouched quietly near the edge of the spring.
For a long time, Froakie's condition felt like a ticking clock hanging over everything. Every improvement carried uncertainty attached to it, every hopeful sign followed by another setback.
Now, for the first time since receiving the egg, Silas genuinely believed Froakie would survive. Not barely survive but actually thrive. Hermes' voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Based on current observations, Froakie's cellular degradation has almost completely halted. Recovery efficiency continues exceeding projections."
Silas nodded slightly.
Good, very good.
Hermes had also determined that the smaller spring possessed significantly higher aura density than the main lake itself. According to the AI's calculations, Froakie needed to remain submerged there for at least three days for the healing process to fully stabilize.
Not far away, Monferno sat cross-legged near the lake with his eyes closed. Faint traces of blue aura occasionally flickered around his body before disappearing again.
Ever since the battle, Monferno had been trying to recreate the transformed state consciously.
So far, the results were inconsistent. Sometimes the aura appeared briefly. Other times nothing happened at all.
Silas approached slowly before sitting beside him.
"You're frustrated."
Monferno cracked one eye open before snorting softly.
That was answer enough.
"It'll come naturally eventually," Silas said. "You unlocked it in battle once already."
Monferno looked unconvinced. Honestly, Silas understood why.
The difference in power during the transformation had been absurd. Monferno moved faster, hit harder, and displayed far greater aura control than before. Losing access to that kind of strength afterward would frustrate almost anyone.
Hermes had already explained the likely issue.
Monferno lacked consistency.
The transformation itself wasn't random. It was the result of Monferno unconsciously synchronizing his aura, emotions, and fire-type energy simultaneously during extreme combat stress.
Replicating that state intentionally would require diligent practice.
Electabuzz, meanwhile, seemed thrilled by the entire experience.
The electric-type repeatedly challenged Monferno to sparring matches over the next few days, clearly eager to test his own growth after reaching level thirty-seven. More than once, the surrounding forest shook from the sound of thunderous impacts and electrical explosions during their training.
Madam watched one particularly destructive sparring session before glancing toward Silas.
"Your Pokémon grow fast."
Silas shrugged slightly.
"They fight hard."
"That's not the only reason."
Her gaze drifted briefly toward Monferno.
"The aura-sensitive ones especially."
Silas remained quiet.
He had started realizing just how rare aura actually was.
Before Mount Silver, aura mostly felt like another useful power system Hermes could analyze. But after seeing Ho-oh react to it so seriously, Silas understood there was far more significance attached to aura users than he initially realized.
That thought lingered with him later that night as he reviewed Hermes' combat recordings.
"I want a full analysis on the battle," Silas said quietly.
"Compiling."
Several moments passed before Hermes responded.
"Primary cause of tactical failure: premature lowering of guard against hostile trainer."
Silas grimaced slightly.
Direct and painfully accurate. Hermes reminded Silas of Madam a little.
"The hidden Haunter represented a contingency strategy commonly employed by assassination-oriented trainers. Recommendation: assume enemy trainers maintain concealed assets until fully restrained and searched."
Silas committed the lesson to memory immediately. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
Hermes continued.
"Secondary combat analysis confirms Monferno's Flame Aura state increases all base combat parameters by approximately twenty percent while simultaneously amplifying aura and fire-type compatibility."
"Any drawbacks?"
"Current energy consumption is extremely high. Extended usage risks severe physical exhaustion."
That matched what Silas observed after the battle.
Monferno could access overwhelming bursts of power, but his body still lacked the conditioning necessary to sustain the form for long periods.
Still…
The potential was terrifying.
Silas leaned back against a nearby tree and looked upward through the canopy overhead. Faint moonlight filtered through the leaves while typeless energy drifted slowly through the forest like glowing mist.
A year.
That was the timeline Ho-oh gave him to raise 6 pseudo-elite Pokémon.
Silas exhaled slowly.
Before entering Mount Silver, a goal like that would have sounded impossible.
Now?
It still sounded insane but no longer unreachable.
The next morning, Madam finally stood fully healed beside the lake.
Only a scar remained where Gallade nearly bisected her chest. She reaped rewards from bathing in the lake water. Madam now looked more than a decade younger than before the trip.
"Ready to leave?" she asked.
Silas looked around the Blessed Land quietly. Part of him almost didn't want to.
This place felt detached from the outside world entirely. The air, water, aura, and constant sense of life made everything beyond Phoenix Forest seem harsher by comparison.
But staying forever was impossible. He still had too much to accomplish.
Silas nodded.
Together, they packed their supplies before preparing to leave the same way they entered through the underwater rift hidden beneath the lake.
Neither of them noticed the massive silver figure watching from the ocean depths after they disappeared beneath the water.
The moment Silas and Madam fully passed through the underwater vortex, Lugia emerged from the sea.
The legendary Pokémon dwarfed the surrounding waters effortlessly.
Its silver body reflected the moonlight while psychic pressure rolled outward across the ocean in invisible waves. Despite Lugia's immense size, the water around it barely moved.
"I know you are still here, Ho-oh."
A spatial rift opened nearby moments later.
Ho-oh emerged calmly from within the distortion.
"Lugia," Ho-oh said evenly. "Why are you seeking me out?"
Lugia's gaze shifted briefly toward the location where Silas and Madam disappeared.
"What is the deal with the group that just left? Why do I sense two powerful auras among them?"
"The Monferno is one," Ho-oh replied. "The other is one of the humans. I blessed them for this reason."
Lugia remained silent.
Ho-oh continued.
"You understand their importance, right?"
"Yes," Lugia answered slowly. "I understand. This is very serious."
The ocean around Lugia darkened slightly as psychic energy spread unconsciously outward.
"If possible," Lugia continued, "I will offer them my aid as well."
Ho-oh nodded once.
"We have ten years to prepare. Betting on this group is not a bad decision."
Lugia's attention shifted again.
"And the woman?"
Ho-oh's eyes narrowed slightly.
"She possesses strong aura compatibility. You saw how her body reversed signs of aging when exposed to the rich aura environment here. Her ceiling is not as high as the boy or Monferno, but she should not be underestimated."
Lugia nodded slowly before diving back beneath the ocean.
Moments later, another spatial rift opened underwater and swallowed the legendary Pokémon completely.
Ho-oh remained alone for several seconds afterward.
Then it vanished into a rift as well.
Meanwhile, Silas and Madam traveled back through the underwater tunnels wearing their breathing masks without issue. The surrounding waters remained unusually calm, and there was no sign of hostile Pokémon nearby.
Using Arcanine's powerful sense of smell for navigation, the group steadily made their way back toward the ordinary cave systems connected to Mount Silver.
Dragonair handled most of the battling along the way.
The dragon Pokémon had grown increasingly close to evolution and needed additional combat experience to fully stabilize its growth. Wild Pokémon throughout the caves stood little chance against Dragonair now, especially after the constant strengthening everyone experienced inside the Blessed Land.
Hours later, the group finally reached a point where the underground interference no longer blocked long-distance movement abilities.
Arcanine immediately used Teleport.
The world blurred around them.
A moment later, they appeared near the base of Mount Silver beneath the open sky.
Silas froze briefly.
Fresh air, grass, and sunlight graced his 5 senses.
After spending so long underground surrounded by tunnels, caves, ruins, poison, darkness, and hidden worlds, the sight almost felt unreal.
Silas looked upward toward the massive open sky and smiled faintly.
He had never been so happy to see grass in his life.