Froakie emerged from the dissolving cocoon covered in thick black sludge.
The substance clung to his body similarly to the impurities Chimchar expelled after first improving his physique long ago. Froakie blinked repeatedly beneath the grime before instinctively trying to wipe some of it away with his tiny hands.
Silas immediately scooped him up.
"Well… you definitely need a bath."
"Fro?"
A few minutes later, Silas carefully washed the sludge from Froakie's body inside the bathroom sink. Warm water ran over Froakie's smooth dark skin while Silas gently cleaned away the remaining impurities.
Froakie looked significantly healthier now, not just physically. You could see vibrant life in its eyes.
Before entering the cocoon, Froakie always appeared lethargic and fragile, as if even standing upright exhausted him. Now there was visible energy in every movement.
Silas activated a scan while drying him off.
Froakie (M) — Level 9
Ability: Protean
Potential: B
Moves: Rank F Pound, Rank F Water Gun, Rank F Toxic Spikes, Rank F Growl
Silas nearly laughed out loud. Level 9 signified Froakie was finally healthy.
"How do you feel?"
Froakie immediately began jumping excitedly around the bathroom in response. Silas stared briefly before smiling.
The sight reminded him strongly of Chimchar during the early days after improving his physical condition. Back then, Chimchar constantly leaped around the room simply because moving finally felt good.
Froakie now behaved exactly the same way. Unfortunately, Froakie was still soaking wet.
Water splashed everywhere as he bounced across the bathroom excitedly while croaking happily.
"Alright, alright," Silas laughed while dodging another spray of water. "You've definitely recovered."
The infectious excitement spread quickly through the room.
Electabuzz grinned widely while Monferno walked over curiously to inspect Froakie more closely. Froakie immediately leaped onto Monferno's shoulder before springing toward Electabuzz next.
The atmosphere inside the suite became unusually lively afterward. For the rest of the afternoon, the group simply relaxed together.
Silas ordered room service while the Pokémon sprawled around the couch watching television together. Froakie became especially fascinated with food. Every poffin and pokeblock he tried seemed to completely captivate him.
Before now, food had only ever been medicine, an attempt to keep him alive. So this was likely the first time Froakie had ever truly enjoyed eating.
Silas quietly watched him while leaning back into the couch. For his entire life, Froakie had suffered.
Born weak, constantly sick, and unable to grow properly.
Silas occasionally wondered what kind of fate could cause a Pokémon to begin life under conditions like that.
But everything changed once Froakie joined him. At first, Silas admittedly cared because of Froakie's potential.
A shiny jet-black Greninja with Protean was enough to tempt almost any trainer alive. Silas would never openly admit how much that influenced his early decisions, but he understood the truth himself.
Still, things had changed over time.
Somewhere along the journey, Froakie stopped being a future investment and simply became family.
And clearly, Froakie felt the same way.
From the first day, Froakie had watched Silas struggle desperately trying to help him survive. Whether it was risking himself inside dangerous caves, experimenting with recovery methods, or carrying him everywhere personally, Silas never once treated Froakie like a burden.
That mattered.
Pokémon understood sincerity better than most humans did. When trainers genuinely cared for their Pokémon, that affection was almost always returned.
Every single one of Silas' pokemon looked toward him with complete trust now.
The group eventually settled together across the couch while watching television. The show itself was ridiculous.
It followed the story of an absurdly powerful Gyarados capable of communicating with humans. Despite possessing overwhelming strength, the Gyarados desperately wanted to live peacefully.
Unfortunately, everyone around him constantly ruined that peace.
Humans annoyed him.
Wild Pokémon challenged him.
Fishermen interrupted him.
And every episode ended with the Gyarados eventually reaching his breaking point before comedically firing Hyper Beam at something in frustration.
Froakie absolutely loved it.
Monferno also found the show hilarious while Electabuzz repeatedly tried mimicking the exaggerated expressions the Gyarados made whenever irritated.
For a while, things felt normal.
Then the suite door clicked open. Madam entered wearing a noticeable grin.
"We made a small fortune," she announced immediately.
Silas straightened slightly.
"The Pokémon sold that quickly?"
"Very quickly," Madam replied while removing her cloak. "Especially the Druddigon."
Silas wasn't surprised internally.
Thanks to Hermes, he already understood just how valuable many of the captured Pokémon truly were. Potential mattered enormously to wealthy trainers and clans. Several of the Pokémon Madam captured possessed extremely high long-term value.
Still, Silas concealed his knowledge naturally. Feigning surprise was easy. Luckily he didn't have fake his excitement.
"How much did we make?"
Madam sat down calmly before answering.
"The Druddigon sold for roughly six million each on average. The Donphan herd averaged around four million each. Everything else together sold for another ten million."
She paused briefly.
"I also hired several trustworthy third parties to avoid attracting unnecessary attention. Their standard fee is ten percent."
Silas immediately started calculating mentally.
"So total sales reached roughly seventy-eight million."
Madam nodded.
"You made ten million from your captures. I made sixty-eight."
Silas quickly continued.
"After the ten percent fee, that leaves about sixty-one million for you and roughly nine million for me."
Madam looked mildly impressed.
"If training fails, perhaps you can become an accountant."
Silas grinned immediately.
"I'd love to account for my cut actually."
Madam stared at him coldly for several seconds. The abrupt shift caught Silas completely off guard.
Then she suddenly smiled.
Silas quickly realized she was messing with him. Madam handed him a black bank card containing his share.
"No complaints here," Silas replied quickly while accepting it.
Honestly, seven million was more than fair considering the truly valuable Pokémon mostly came from Madam's captures. Silas had essentially become wealthy overnight despite contributing far less overall.
Even so, he understood something important. Being a trainer consumed money endlessly.
People outside the profession often imagined powerful trainers simply becoming rich from battling or selling Pokémon. The reality was much harsher.
High-level training was monstrously expensive.
Once Pokémon reached pseudo-elite levels, ordinary supplements, berries, and training materials stopped being effective entirely. Only specialized high-grade resources could continue strengthening them consistently.
Those resources cost fortunes.
For example, premium-grade Flame Essence required for pseudo-elite fire-types averaged nearly ten million per set alone, and even then the supply only lasted several weeks when properly incorporated into advanced pokeblocks.
And that only covered one Pokémon.
Suddenly, the enormous wealth Madam earned didn't seem nearly as absurd anymore.
This was why most trainers plateaued around the advanced level.
Talent and wealth weren't enough.
Only people possessing both resources and exceptional Pokémon could realistically pursue the upper tiers of the profession consistently.
Most of those individuals came from major clans.
The Jennys, Joys, and Stones were prime examples.
Families with generations of accumulated wealth, influence, and breeding resources.
Madam quietly watched Silas processing everything. Then her expression shifted slightly.
"I received a call from Mira."
Silas immediately looked up.
"She'll remain in Viridian tonight," Madam continued. "So avoid the underground market for now."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"I know you're itching to spend your money."
Silas coughed lightly.
"Maybe a little."
Madam gave him the same stern look a parent might use toward a troublesome child.
"Be careful. We're almost certainly still being watched."
Silas nodded.
Honestly, after everything that happened recently, he had no desire to wander around anyway. A quiet rest day sounded far more appealing.
After Madam left briefly to handle more business matters, Silas decided to check everyone's progress.
Monferno — Level 39
Ability: Flame Aura
Potential: B+
Moves: Rank B Scratch, Rank B Aura Sphere, Rank C Flame Wheel, Rank C Taunt, Rank C Shadow Claw, Rank C Vacuum Wave, Rank C Mach Punch, Rank C Flamethrower, Rank D Acrobatics
Electabuzz — Level 39
Ability: Static
Potential: B+
Moves: Rank B Brick Break, Rank B Thunder Punch Rank C Thunder Bolt, Rank C Light Screen, Rank C Cross Chop, Rank C Thunder Wave, Rank C Ice Punch, Rank C Fire Punch
Silas lingered slightly longer on Electabuzz's scan.
Thunder Punch especially stood out.
Electabuzz wielded the move almost instinctively now. The level of mastery developing there honestly bordered on frightening.
While Silas reviewed the scans, Froakie suddenly leaped directly onto Madam's shoulder the moment she returned.
The unexpected movement startled her slightly before she immediately reached up and rubbed Froakie's head affectionately.
"So little one," Madam said softly, "you finally recovered."
"Fro fro!"
Froakie immediately started bouncing excitedly around the room again as if personally demonstrating exactly how healthy he felt now.
Madam actually smiled warmly watching him.
Even during her colder periods, she always treated Pokémon gently.
After chatting casually for a while longer, Madam's expression gradually became serious.
"Silas," she said calmly, "we need to discuss the battle against the assassins."
Silas immediately stiffened. Guilt resurfaced almost instantly.
"I made a terrible decision," he admitted quietly. "I lowered my guard completely."
Madam nodded once.
"Yes. You did."
Her tone remained calm.
That honestly made the conversation worse.
"Dragonair showed me a reconstruction of the battle earlier today," Madam continued. "The issue wasn't your strength."
Silas remained silent.
"The issue was hesitation."
The words landed heavily.
"Mercy toward enemies can become cruelty toward your allies and yourself."
Silas lowered his eyes in shame.
"What if I died because you were taken hostage?" Madam asked directly.
The image immediately resurfaced in Silas's mind.
Gallade's blade carving into Madam's chest.
The blood.
The panic.
The realization that everyone could have died because he assumed the battle was already won.
"If Monferno had used maximum power immediately," Madam continued evenly, "there was zero chance you would've been captured."
Silas clenched his fists slightly.
She was 100% right, the problem wasn't weakness. It was his indecision and lack of awareness.
He hesitated because part of him still subconsciously held back against human opponents.
That hesitation nearly killed everyone.
"I understand," Silas said quietly. "I can't hesitate like that again."
Madam stared at him intensely.
"I don't think you fully grasp how serious the situation was."
Her voice sharpened slightly.
"We could have died in that forest and nobody would have ever known what happened to us."
Silas said nothing afterward. There was nothing to argue against. The guilt already existed inside him.
Madam simply forced him to confront it directly. For several long moments, silence filled the suite.
Then Madam finally spoke again.
"Tonight, after my meeting, we're visiting the underground market."
Silas blinked.
"You need to toughen yourself mentally," Madam continued. "The world outside doesn't reward hesitation."
Silas slowly nodded.
An hour later, Madam returned looking visibly irritated. Silas immediately noticed something missing.
Her thermos.
The one containing diluted aura-rich lake water.
"Mira confiscated it for 'League research,'" Madam said bitterly. "I told them it was medicinal and that I needed the remaining amount for recovery."
Her expression darkened.
"They didn't care."
Then she reached into her coat and produced Ho-oh's feather.
"Fortunately, they don't know about this."
Silas felt anger rise inside him almost immediately.
"The League really is full of hypocrites," he muttered bitterly.
Tangrowth's death resurfaced instantly in his mind.
Koga watching calmly while his Pokémon died.
Madam nodded slightly.
"Though there is some good news."
Silas looked up.
"Those two ninja trainers were confirmed to be subordinates of Koga."
Silas's eyes narrowed immediately. Koga was on his shit list along with that entire gang.
"The League publicly labeled them traitors who went rogue and slaughtered Pokémon on Mount Silver."
A cold smile crossed Madam's face.
"So at least we got some revenge."
Surprisingly, hearing that genuinely made Silas feel better.
The anger and guilt of that came with the memories of losing Tangrowth, the near loss of Madam, everything slowly started aligning into a clearer understanding.
He finally understood what Madam had been trying to teach him all this time.
Kindness and decisiveness were not opposites.
A person could still care deeply for others while remaining ruthless toward threats.
"Madam," Silas said quietly, "I think I finally understand what you meant earlier."
Madam looked at him expectantly.
"I can still be kind," Silas continued. "But when someone threatens me or the people I care about… I need to act decisively."
Madam looked genuinely proud hearing that.
"Good."
Then she stood.
"Now let's visit the underground market."
Later that evening, the massive underground district buzzed with activity beneath Viridian City.
Madam allowed Silas to explore independently for a short time before disappearing into the crowds herself.
"Meet back here in thirty minutes," she instructed before leaving.
Silas nodded before immediately heading toward the Hunter Guild building.
First priority:
Settling his debt.
He had absolutely no interest in owing favors or money to one of the most powerful organizations in the world.
When Silas entered the building, the receptionist waiting behind the desk was someone entirely new.
She had long green hair and matching green eyes.
The woman looked up immediately the moment he entered.
"We've been expecting you," she said politely.
Then a familiar voice echoed from behind the nearby door.
"Donna," the voice called casually, "let him through."