"What Pokémon is that?"
"A Froakie," Silas answered calmly. "It's sleeping and recovering from a developmental injury."
Mira nodded slowly before returning her attention to Madam.
Silas quietly exhaled in relief.
Luckily, she hadn't asked him to reveal the Pokémon itself. Explaining a glowing golden cocoon infused with divine energy would have been nearly impossible without creating even more suspicion.
Madam smoothly redirected the conversation elsewhere before anyone could linger on the topic.
"You've always had a reputation for curiosity," Madam said dryly. "Questioning two people immediately after they survived a dangerous journey. A truly benevolent gesture from the esteemed Head of the Jenny family."
Mira allowed herself a faint smile.
"We are a little jumpy because of what we have seen."
One of the officers stepped forward carrying a large storage bag.
Silas initially assumed it contained supplies or evidence gathered from Mount Silver.
Then the officer turned the bag upside down.
Bodies spilled onto the road.
A pile of corpses crashed against the dirt in a sickening heap. Eeveelutions made up most of the dead, but Silas also spotted Ursaring, Fearow, and Sandslash among them. Burn marks, poison discoloration, and deep wounds covered nearly every body.
The smell hit a second later. Silas's stomach twisted violently.
Both he and Madam showed genuine shock at the sight. There was no need to fake the reaction. Even Madam's normally cold demeanor visibly cracked seeing the sheer number of dead Pokémon piled together like discarded trash.
There had to be at least fifty corpses. Madam had killed before. So had Silas but this was different. This wasn't a battle for survival. It was a slaughter.
Silas suddenly bent over and vomited onto the roadside.
The overwhelming aura of death surrounding the corpses dragged him back mentally to the Beedrill attack deep inside Mount Silver. For a brief moment, he could almost feel the piercing Poison Jabs tearing into his body all over again.
"So it seems you truly didn't know," Mira said quietly.
Madam slowly looked up.
"Know what?"
There was anger in her voice now.
"Two trainers using Venomoth attacked wild Pokémon throughout the lower mountain," Mira explained. "They inflicted multiple status conditions using the three powder techniques before hunting weakened targets down afterward."
Silas's expression hardened immediately.
Venomoth.
The assassins.
Suddenly the corpses made sense.
Madam's eyes narrowed dangerously.
For several seconds, the two women simply stared at one another while the tension between them thickened. It felt old. Personal. Layered with years of unresolved history Silas knew nothing about.
Finally, Mira spoke again.
"There are concerns the phenomenon on Mount Silver may have involved a Legendary Pokémon. I needed to verify whether or not you were connected to it."
For the first time since the encounter began, Mira looked slightly uncomfortable.
"For the trick with the corpses," she continued, "I apologize. But I hope you understand my position."
Madam's anger slowly cooled.
"If that is the case," she said evenly, "then we were fortunate not to encounter either the trainers or the Legendary Pokémon directly. Neither situation sounds survivable."
Mira gave a slight nod.
Madam wasn't petty enough to continue escalating matters after receiving an apology. Rare as they were from someone like Mira, she seemed willing to let the matter rest there.
Behind the officers, several Arcanine quietly continued testing the air.
Silas noticed it immediately.
Their noses occasionally shifted subtly toward Madam.
Toward him.
Toward the backpack carrying Froakie.
Silas wondered briefly whether they could smell the lingering traces of phoenix aura still clinging to them after leaving the Blessed Land.
If they noticed anything unusual, none of the Arcanine reacted openly.
After a long silence, Mira sighed.
"We'll continue investigating Mount Silver."
Madam nodded once.
"That sounds wise."
Mira studied her carefully.
"Can you explain why you suddenly look more than twenty years younger?"
Silas almost admired how smoothly Madam responded.
She never paused or hesitated.
According to her improvised story, the cave collapse trapping them had also revealed a hidden underground chamber containing a small energy-rich pool. They investigated the area, encountered a territorial group of Druddigon, and narrowly survived the confrontation after capturing the Pokémon through strategy rather than strength.
The energy inside the pool had supposedly accelerated Froakie's recovery while also healing Madam's injuries and revitalizing her body.
Madam finished the explanation with a shrug.
"Considering the alternatives, I'd say the experience was worth it."
Silas kept his expression perfectly neutral.
Honestly, the story sounded believable enough.
Dangerous cave systems occasionally hiding strange resources wasn't unusual inside Mount Silver. The existence of Druddigon in deeper cave territories also aligned naturally with the mountain's ecosystem.
Most importantly, the explanation stayed grounded.
Nothing about it sounded impossible. There was truth mixed in. The reverse aging on Madam was due to extended contact with the Phoenix lake water. This was also the case with Froakie but Madam left out Ho-oh's direct involvement for obvious reasons.
Mira stared at Madam for several long seconds before finally stepping aside.
The line of Arcanine parted slowly, opening a path down the road.
"You may leave," Mira said calmly. "But if I call, answer your phone."
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"Trust me when I say a conversation over the phone will be much more pleasant than one in person after I've had to track you down."
Madam inclined her head respectfully before continuing forward.
Silas followed beside her while Electabuzz and Monferno walked close behind, both remaining alert until they had fully passed through the formation.
Only after they placed significant distance between themselves and the officers did Silas finally release the breath he had been unconsciously holding.
"That could have gone a lot worse."
Madam quietly exhaled as well.
"Yes," she admitted. "Fortunately, suspicion without evidence rarely leads to action."
Silas glanced down toward his backpack.
"We definitely can't tell them the truth."
Madam snorted softly.
"If we told the League the truth, they would attempt to plunder Phoenix Forest permanently and capture Ho-oh for study."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Neither outcome would end well."
Silas grimaced.
"Yeah. That sounds about right."
The two continued traveling toward Viridian while the sun slowly dipped lower behind the distant mountains. Mount Silver gradually disappeared beneath drifting clouds, though Silas couldn't stop himself from glancing back occasionally.
The mountain felt different now.
Before, it had simply been a dangerous place.
Now it felt alive.
By the time they finally reached Viridian City, exhaustion had fully settled into Silas's body. The constant danger, underground travel, battles, and emotional strain were finally catching up to him now that things had become temporarily safe again.
They checked into the Pokémon Center almost immediately.
Before separating for the night, Silas handed Madam a bottle of water.
She took a sip before giving him a knowing look.
Silas simply smiled innocently.
The water had naturally been enhanced slightly using the cooking system and remaining aura-rich reserves they carried from Phoenix Forest. It wasn't enough to dramatically heal someone, but it would still aid Madam's recovery.
"You're learning," Madam said quietly.
Then she disappeared into her room.
Everyone slept late the next day.
Silas didn't even wake up for morning training.
When he finally opened his eyes, sunlight was already streaming through the curtains well into the afternoon. His entire body still felt heavy from accumulated exhaustion, though the fatigue was finally starting to fade.
The first thing he checked was Froakie.
The golden cocoon had noticeably shrunk overnight.
Large portions of the energy shell had already been absorbed, and the faint blue lines pulsing across its surface now moved far slower than before.
Silas's chest tightened slightly.
Froakie was close.
Very close.
After washing up, Silas left his room and headed toward Madam's suite. She had rented one of the larger rooms available, giving them enough space to organize supplies and sort through everything gathered during the Mount Silver expedition.
The amount of loot spread across the room was honestly absurd.
Pokéballs alone covered nearly half the table.
Silas had captured:
C- Fearow level 25
4 C+ Ursarings level 35
2 B- Teddiursas level 16
B Zubat level 15
3 C+ Golbat level 30
2 C+ Zubat level 25
B- Beedrill level 39
4 B Beedrill level 48
Madam's captures were even more ridiculous.
6 C+ Donphans level 56
2 B- Donphans level 56
1 B Donphan level 59
B+ Dragonair level 63
B+ Druddigon level 69
4 B- Druddigons level 63
Silas stared at the collection briefly.
The sheer value sitting inside this room could probably fund ordinary trainers for years.
Eventually, they agreed to sell most of the excess captures.
The Fearow, Golbat, weaker Zubat, Donphan herd, and most of the Druddigon would all be sold through Madam's connections.
Even injured, Madam still radiated the pressure of an elite trainer while preparing to leave. She took several painkillers before slipping a dark cloak over herself and placing the selected Pokéballs into a storage bag.
"I'll be back in a few hours," she said. "Stay here. The police are almost certainly still watching us."
"No problem," Silas replied while lounging back comfortably. "We deserve at least one day of relaxation."
Madam gave him a faint smile before leaving without another word.
The moment the door closed, the atmosphere inside the suite relaxed considerably.
Electabuzz immediately challenged Monferno to another sparring session.
Silas made the mistake of joining them briefly.
That ended badly.
Very badly.
After getting thrown across the room by Monferno during what was supposed to be "light" play-fighting, Silas finally accepted reality.
His Pokémon had become physically stronger than him by a ridiculous margin.
Still…
Silas couldn't stop smiling afterward.
They had come so far.
Not long ago, they were barely surviving against ordinary Beedrill. Now they possessed enough strength to survive elite assassins and travel through Mount Silver itself.
Silas looked around at his team quietly.
Electabuzz and Monferno. Both of them had stayed beside him through impossible situations. Not once had they abandoned him. The thought filled Silas with genuine gratitude.
Then his eyes shifted toward the golden cocoon resting nearby.
The sphere had begun shrinking rapidly now.
Light flickered across its surface before gradually fading away entirely.
Slowly, the cocoon dissolved.
And Froakie finally emerged.