After taking inventory, Silas allowed himself to drift into sleep surrounded by his Pokémon.
Monferno rested near the couch with his tail flame flickering softly in the darkness while Electabuzz leaned against the wall nearby with its arms folded even while sleeping. Froakie curled up comfortably against Silas's side, occasionally making soft croaking noises in its sleep.
The two Teddiursa slept together while Zubat hung upside down near the window curtain.
For the first time in a long while, Silas slept peacefully.
The following morning, he woke feeling completely refreshed.
Despite everything that happened the previous day, his sleep had been deeper than usual. Silas suspected the battle itself had changed something mentally. The hesitation and uncertainty weighing on him previously had finally broken apart during the fight.
It almost felt like a rebirth.
Regardless of the reason, Silas felt good.
Really good.
After seeing Madam off early that morning, Silas completed his exercises before showering and eating breakfast with his Pokémon. Once everything was finished, he prepared to leave for the gym.
This was his first official Team Rocket mission. Silas made sure to arrive early.
The moment he entered the gym, Percy immediately approached him.
"You're early," Percy observed calmly. "We leave in thirty minutes."
Silas nodded.
"You can wait here."
"Can I use a computer while I wait?"
Percy didn't seem to care one way or the other.
He led Silas into a small office space containing several computers before leaving him alone.
The system only required an official trainer card to access.
Silas immediately sat down and started researching training manuals for his Pokémon.
For common and moderately rare Pokémon, the Indigo League provided free introductory training manuals to licensed trainers. The manuals usually covered growth strategies, nutritional guidelines, move compatibility, and battle development up to roughly level thirty-nine.
Anything beyond that required paid manuals or private resources, naturally. The League wasn't going to hand out elite-level information for free.
"Hermes," Silas ordered internally, "download everything accessible from this computer and any connected servers you can reach. Do not discriminate."
"Downloading now," Hermes responded immediately. "Estimated completion time: ten minutes."
A pause followed.
"Please note that your current level of access only permits retrieval of approximately one percent of the total data network."
Silas didn't feel disappointed hearing that.
One percent of the Indigo League's accumulated knowledge was still an absurd amount of information.
"That's fine. Continue."
Silas understood perfectly well that greed would only expose him. The Indigo League represented one of the largest organizations in the Pokémon world. Any aggressive attempt to steal data would attract attention instantly.
He wasn't remotely strong enough to survive that kind of scrutiny yet.
While Hermes worked quietly in the background, Silas continued searching manually through available training resources.
He successfully downloaded a detailed Zubat manual but couldn't find anything useful for Teddiursa. The bear Pokémon was uncommon enough that quality information apparently required paid access.
Fifteen minutes later, Hermes finished.
"Download complete."
Silas immediately left the office and returned to the waiting area.
Right on time, an Alakazam suddenly appeared directly in front of him.
"Brace yourself," the psychic Pokémon spoke telepathically. "Do not resist."
Silas nodded calmly. The next moment, reality distorted around him.
Teleportation always felt strange. One instant he stood inside the gym. The next, he appeared aboard a small aircraft high above the clouds.
Archer sat nearby alongside two familiar figures and a Meowth.
Silas immediately recognized them.
Jessie, James, & Meowth.
The infamous trio that somehow managed to chase Ash Ketchum across nearly every region imaginable back in Silas's previous life.
"Whatcha staring at, kid?" Meowth snapped immediately. "Keep lookin' at me like dat and I might hafta cut ya up."
Silas didn't respond verbally.
Instead, he calmly released Monferno from his Pokéball. The atmosphere changed instantly.
Meowth stopped talking.
Pokémon naturally sensed pressure from stronger opponents, especially those operating at entirely different tiers of strength. The moment Monferno appeared, Meowth immediately recognized the massive difference between them.
Archer silently observed the interaction with amusement. Jessie and James also visibly straightened after sensing Monferno's presence more clearly. Silas remained calm. Weakness was sin in this world.
He wouldn't provoke people unnecessarily, but if someone threatened him, he would respond appropriately.
Silas quietly studied the trio afterward.
Despite their reputation as comic relief in his previous life, Silas actually pitied them somewhat. Jessie grew up orphaned, James fled an oppressive family, and Meowth was rejected by his own kind.
Yet despite everything, the three still remained fiercely loyal to one another.
That kind of loyalty was rare. Silas mentally noted them as people worth keeping close in the future.
Not because they were secretly overpowered but because trustworthy people were a rare and thus valuable commodity. Especially inside organizations like Team Rocket.
The four Rocket grunts exchanged brief introductions afterward before Archer finally addressed the group.
"Now that you're acquainted," Archer began, "let's discuss the mission."
The atmosphere became serious immediately.
"You are to retrieve any Moon Stones you encounter and map the inner cave layers of Mount Moon. There are also rumors of ancient Pokémon fossils hidden deeper inside."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"If forced to prioritize one objective, prioritize the Moon Stones."
Silas listened carefully.
Then Archer looked toward him directly.
"Silas, this mission is your test."
His gaze shifted toward Jessie and James afterward.
"You two should consider this your final opportunity."
The pair lowered their heads immediately.
Silas noticed the subtle shame in their expressions but didn't comment. The remainder of the flight passed quietly.
Roughly an hour before landing, Archer and Alakazam suddenly teleported away from the plane entirely, leaving the remaining Rocket grunts behind.
Not long afterward, the aircraft finally landed.
Silas stepped outside and immediately saw Mount Moon.
The massive cave entrance towered before them like the maw of some ancient beast. Jagged rock formations surrounded the entrance while cold air drifted outward from deep within the mountain.
Silas blinked in surprise. The aircraft itself had been relatively small. James noticed his expression.
"Spatial compression technology," James explained casually. "Smaller vessels attract less League attention."
Silas nodded slowly.
Team Rocket's technology was honestly impressive.
The group was greeted shortly afterward by a black-haired Rocket officer accompanied by a Nidorina.
Silas scanned it immediately.
Nidorina — Level 39
Ability: Poison Point
Potential: C+
Moves: Rank B Slash, Rank B Bite, Rank C Poison Tail, Rank C Focus Energy, Rank C Poison Fang, Rank C Double Kick, Rank C Water Pulse, Rank C Shockwave, Rank C Bulk Up, Rank C Focus Energy, Rank C Ice Beam
Silas mentally noted the scan.
The Nidorina was extremely well trained for its level.
"I'm Frank," the officer introduced himself calmly. "I'll be leading this operation."
Unlike many authority figures Silas encountered recently, Frank didn't seem arrogant or condescending. His instructions were direct and efficient.
"Moon Stones remain important," Frank continued, "but fossils are the primary objective if discovered."
He glanced toward the cave entrance.
"Several teams already entered earlier. A few more are still arriving, but you may proceed now."
"Yes sir," Silas, Jessie, and James responded together.
Frank nodded approvingly.
The group entered Mount Moon shortly afterward. The cave atmosphere immediately felt different from Mount Silver. Mount Moon was colder.
The air carried an ancient stillness that felt strangely unnatural. Faint glowing minerals embedded within the walls illuminated portions of the tunnels while distant dripping water echoed endlessly through the cave system.
Eventually, the group reached a four-way fork in the tunnels. Silas studied the branching paths briefly.
"You two take the left side," he suggested calmly. "I'll handle the right."
Jessie and James exchanged glances before agreeing.
Despite technically belonging to the same organization, Team Rocket members often fought among themselves for resources, promotions, and opportunities. In extreme cases, Rocket members even killed each other.
Giovanni apparently tolerated internal power struggles as long as profits and operational efficiency remained unaffected.
Trust inside Team Rocket therefore remained limited. Even now, none of them fully trusted one another.
After splitting up, Silas continued deeper into the cave system alone.
Several minutes later, the sound of falling rocks echoed ahead. A group of Geodude suddenly dropped from the ceiling, blocking the path.
Silas scanned them quickly.
Level 20 and poor potential but perfect training material for Silas.
Silas released Zubat and the two Teddiursa.
"Handle them."
The battle immediately became chaotic. Zubat moved first.
Using a combination of Bite and Absorb, the bat Pokémon darted rapidly between targets while draining energy from weakened Geodude almost like a vampire. Every successful drain visibly restored Zubat's stamina while simultaneously weakening its opponents further.
The two Teddiursa fought differently.
Both repeatedly used Close Combat, though their physical conditioning clearly lagged behind their offensive instincts. After only two rapid uses, each Teddiursa began panting heavily from exhaustion.
Silas observed carefully.
"Hermes," he ordered internally, "begin designing long-term conditioning programs for all Pokémon currently under my ownership."
"Understood."
With access to League training data, Hermes should now be capable of developing significantly more advanced training regimens and nutritional systems.
The Teddiursa adapted surprisingly quickly during the battle.
One would aggressively attack using Close Combat until exhausted before withdrawing temporarily while the other took over. The moment one recovered enough stamina, they switched again naturally.
Silas smiled slightly watching them.
Smart.
After several minutes, eight defeated Geodude littered the cave floor while the exhausted Teddiursa collapsed onto the ground panting heavily.
Silas didn't bother capturing the Geodude nor did he finish them off.
The group simply continued onward.
Over the next hour, Silas encountered additional Geodude, Paras, and Zubat colonies throughout the cave network. The constant battles steadily increased the confidence of his younger Pokémon.
Zubat especially improved rapidly.
Silas intentionally encouraged it to repeatedly use Brave Bird despite the recoil damage involved. Several times afterward, he had to feed it Oran Berries to offset the self-inflicted injuries.
Still, the training was worth it. Battle experience accelerated growth far better than safety ever could.
Eventually, Silas entered a massive cavern.
Signs of previous battles covered portions of the area. Cracked stone, scorch marks, and claw damage lined the walls, suggesting earlier Rocket teams already passed through recently.
Silas continued deeper then he noticed something strange.
Embedded within the walls were dark stones unlike anything he had seen before. They resembled pieces of the night sky itself.
Black surfaces covered in tiny glowing white specks.
Moon Stones.
The deeper Silas traveled, the richer the stones became. The darkness within them deepened while the glowing specks brightened until portions of the cave almost resembled miniature galaxies trapped inside stone.
Silas's eyes widened slightly.
They were beautiful.
Once Hermes confirmed several qualified as mid-grade Moon Stones, Silas immediately started harvesting them.
His storage space ability made excavation absurdly convenient.
By simply touching the stones directly, Silas could transfer them instantly into storage without damaging the surrounding cave walls.
No tools required.
No effort wasted.
Silas quickly became absorbed in what felt like a shopping spree for priceless evolution materials.
Then he suddenly heard familiar voices echoing faintly through the tunnels ahead.
Alongside them came the unmistakable sounds of Pokémon battling.