After saying goodbye to the Nido family, Silas exited through the small opening leading out of their den and carefully covered it behind him.
He didn't seal it completely. That would have been rude and dangerous.
Instead, he shifted loose rocks, dirt, and broken stone around the entrance until it looked far more inconspicuous from the tunnel outside. If another trainer or wild Pokémon passed through carelessly, they would be far less likely to notice the small opening.
The Nido family had treated him fairly. That deserved consideration.
Once satisfied, Silas continued down the tunnel with Zubat and the two Teddiursa. The deeper path eventually led toward an opening where cool fresh air drifted in from outside.
Silas paused when he felt it.
Fresh air, not the stale cave air he was growing accustomed to which meant there was outside mountain wind.
The opening itself was too narrow for him to pass through comfortably, so he released the Teddiursa and pointed toward the rock surrounding it.
"Use Close Combat. Widen it carefully."
The two baby bear Pokémon immediately went to work.
Their small fists struck the stone repeatedly in quick bursts, and although they lacked endurance, their coordination had improved noticeably after constant training inside Mount Moon. Bit by bit, the opening widened until Silas and his Pokémon could pass through.
When Silas finally stepped outside, he found himself beneath the night sky. For a moment, he simply stared upward.
Stars stretched across the heavens above Mount Moon, bright and clear against the darkness. After spending so much time surrounded by stone tunnels and dim mineral light, the open sky felt almost cleansing.
He was truly outside.
The area around him was heavily wooded, with thick trees rising from uneven mountain terrain. Branches twisted together overhead, forming natural pathways between sections of forest.
Walking through the undergrowth would be slow and annoying but it was perfect training for Zubat.
Silas returned the Teddiursa and his other Pokémon before looking toward the bat Pokémon.
"Take me up."
Zubat hesitated briefly before fluttering toward Silas.
It wasn't large enough to carry him easily, but with careful positioning and repeated bursts of effort, Zubat managed to lift him toward one of the thicker branches. Silas helped by grabbing bark and pulling himself upward until he finally reached the elevated walkway formed by overlapping branches.
Zubat dropped beside him, breathing heavily.
"Good work," Silas said.
Zubat perked up immediately. Pokémon almost always enjoyed being praised. Positive reinforcement worked with most of them.
At this height, many nearby branches were thick enough to support his weight. Silas began moving carefully from tree to tree, occasionally leaping across gaps while Zubat guided him through the dark.
Luckily, Silas was in excellent condition for a human now. What once might have been dangerous felt surprisingly manageable.
Then a roar tore through the forest causing Silas to freeze instantly.
The sound was raw, guttural, and filled with pain.
It had to be a badly injured Pokémon.
He ran toward the noise.
For several minutes, he moved quickly through the branches while Zubat flew ahead as a scout. The roar was followed by crashes, shouting, and the unmistakable sounds of battle.
When Silas finally reached a clearing, his expression darkened. He saw Jessie and James sitting on their knees.
Their clothes were torn, faces bloodied, and expressions hollow with shock.
All around them lay devastation.
Arbok was burned beyond recognition, its long body charred so badly that Silas could barely identify it. Weezing had been split in two, its body lying motionless in separate sections across the dirt.
A Weepinbell flopped weakly in a pool of green fluid nearby. A long gash ran down its face, and thick green liquid poured from the wound at an alarming rate.
Silas immediately understood.
These weren't just defeated Pokémon. They were dying.
Staring down at Jessie and James were two Rocket members dressed in uniform. The man had green hair and an arrogant sneer. The woman beside him had orange hair and a cruel expression that looked far too comfortable surrounded by suffering.
Around them circled Houndoom, Mightyena, Machoke, and Murkrow.
James suddenly lifted his head. His eyes were wild.
"You killed my Pokémon," he growled, voice shaking with fury. "You will never have peace as long as I live."
Then James lunged at them himself.
Machoke intercepted him with ease. A single punch buried into James's gut, folding him over before he coughed blood onto the ground and collapsed.
Jessie screamed his name.
Silas moved to scan the enemy Pokémon, but danger struck before he could finish the thought.
Fire Blast roared toward him through the trees.
Zubat reacted instantly.
Tailwind surged around them, and the sudden burst of speed allowed Zubat to pull Silas out of the blast path just before the flames tore through the branches where he had been standing.
Silas kept moving. He jumped from branch to branch before landing in the clearing. Monferno and Electabuzz appeared beside him immediately.
The enemy Pokémon reacted at once. Mightyena growled lowly. Machoke shifted into a fighting stance. Murkrow flapped backward slightly. Only Houndoom remained steady, staring at Monferno without fear.
The green-haired man stepped forward while carefully studying Silas's Pokémon.
"Who are you?" he asked. "I apologize if we attacked without warning."
The apology was worthless.
Silas heard the wariness beneath it.
He wasn't sorry, he was simply being cautious.
Silas scanned the enemy team.
Houndoom (M) — Level 41
Ability: Flash Fire
Potential: C+
Moves: Rank B Howl, Rank B Fire Fang, Rank B Thunder Fang, Rank B Crunch, Rank C Nasty Plot, Rank C Flamethrower, Rank C Dark Pulse, Rank C Fire Spin, Rank C Shadow Ball,
Mightyena (F) — Level 35
Ability: Intimidate
Potential: C
Moves: Rank B Howl, Rank B Fire Fang, Rank B Thunder Fang, Rank B Crunch, Rank C Snarl, Rank C Taunt, Rank C Roar, Rank C Sand Attack, Rank C Take Down
Murkrow (M) — Level 35
Ability: Super Luck
Potential: C+
Moves: Rank C Peck, Rank C Wing Attack, Rank C Aerial Ace, Rank C Roost, Rank C Dark Pulse, Rank C Night Shade, Rank C Haze, Rank C Gust
Machoke (M) — Level 38
Ability: Guts
Potential: C+
Moves: Rank B Karate Chop, Rank B Focus Energy, Rank C Low Kick, Rank C Thunder Punch, Rank C Fire Punch, Rank C Ice Punch, Rank C Bulk Up, Rank C Bullet Punch, Rank C Knock Off, Rank D Focus Blast
Machoke and Houndoom were the main threats.
Before Silas could fully settle on a battle plan, Meowth moved.
The small Pokémon, who Silas had barely noticed beneath Murkrow's harassment, suddenly crushed a deep gray gem in his paw.
Normal-type energy erupted from Meowth like a geyser.
Murkrow had been too close. The dark bird tried to pull away, but Meowth's Slash came first.
The attack tore across Murkrow's body, leaving a deep wound that sent it crashing to the ground. Blood pooled beneath it almost immediately.
Meowth didn't stop.
He threw himself toward Mightyena next with another Slash.
This time, Mightyena met him directly using Take Down. The impact knocked Meowth backward, but his claws still carved a long wound across Mightyena's side.
This time, Silas reacted.
"Electabuzz, Charge Beam. Aim for the wound."
He wasn't going to waste Meowth's opening.
Electabuzz fired a concentrated bolt of electricity toward Mightyena's injured flank. The dark-type twisted aside in time, barely avoiding the attack but the dodge carried it directly into Monferno's path.
Monferno used Acrobatics with Mach Punch, launching himself forward in a blur before striking Mightyena cleanly. The blow disrupted its balance completely.
Electabuzz fired again. This time, Charge Beam struck true and Mightyena collapsed heavily onto the ground. Whether it was alive or dead was unclear.
Meowth answered the question himself.
Seconds after seeing Mightyena fall, he rushed forward and attacked it viciously with Fury Swipes. Mightyena howled in pain, proving it still lived but not for long.
Meowth's claws tore through again and again until the howling stopped.
Mightyena died with an expression of disbelief, as though it couldn't accept falling to such a weak Pokémon.
Silas watched calmly and tossed Meowth an Oran Berry. Meowth caught it, breathing hard, eyes still burning with fury.
Silas turned back toward the remaining opponents.
"It seems the battle is now a fair two on two," he said coldly. "I hope you don't regret attacking me."
The orange-haired woman's expression twisted with rage.
"Butch, let's take this new guy out first," she said. "Then we'll finish off that pathetic trio."
Her gaze snapped toward Meowth.
"Especially that Meowth. He will pay."
She made several cruel gestures with her hands, clearly imagining what she wanted to do to him.
Butch's expression had darkened as well.
Murkrow was dead.
Training even a decent Murkrow required time and resources, and all of that investment had been wasted by one sudden strike.
Silas gave them no time to recover emotionally.
"Electabuzz, Thunderbolt. Monferno, Aura Sphere. Combine them."
Monferno formed an Aura Sphere while Electabuzz poured electricity directly into it. The sphere became unstable quickly, crackling with lightning as Monferno condensed the combined energy as much as possible before he fired.
The electric Aura Sphere shot toward Houndoom and Machoke.
Houndoom countered with Flamethrower while Machoke used Focus Blast. The attacks collided violently.
Machoke's special attacking power was lacking compared to its physical strength. Focus Blast helped weaken the electric Aura Sphere, but not enough to stop it completely.
The sphere pierced through the clash and struck Houndoom directly.
Houndoom staggered backward with a pained snarl.
Silas and his Pokémon pressed immediately.
Electabuzz moved with Quick Attack while Monferno followed with Mach Punch, both focusing down Houndoom before it could regain control.
In desperation, Houndoom unleashed its strongest attack, Dark Flamethrower.
Dark Pulse merged with Flamethrower, producing a terrifying stream of black fire that surged across the clearing.
The attack forced Electabuzz to retreat instantly but Monferno kept advancing. He resisted both dark and fire-type energy far better than Electabuzz could.
Mach Punch struck 3 times in rapid succession.
Monferno hammered Houndoom relentlessly before suddenly shifting his rhythm entirely. His punches became sharper, closer, and more numerous, flowing into one another with brutal momentum.
Silas's eyes sharpened as he recognized the fighting type move.
Close Combat.
Monferno had learned Close Combat mid-battle.
It made sense.
He had watched the Teddiursa repeatedly use the move throughout Mount Moon. As a fighting-type Pokémon, Monferno also possessed the natural compatibility necessary to learn it.
Even so, using it for the first time in actual battle required serious talent.
Machoke moved to intercept.
As another fighting-type, Machoke recognized the danger immediately and blocked many of Monferno's strikes. It even managed to land a powerful Thunder Punch, knocking Monferno backward.
Monferno twisted midair as Acrobatics activated. He repositioned instantly and slammed back into Machoke from an unexpected angle.
The exchange lasted only moments afterward.
Monferno was better trained, at a higher level, more versatile, and had superior potential.
After two brutal exchanges, Machoke collapsed unconscious.
Houndoom soon followed.
Meowth had recovered some stamina from the Oran Berry by then. The moment he saw the defeated Pokémon lying helplessly, he rushed forward again.
Silas didn't stop him.
Meowth tore into Houndoom and Machoke with raw fury until neither moved again.
Silas understood.
Meowth had watched his companions get slaughtered. Anyone would be filled with rage.
Then Meowth turned toward Butch and Cassidy as his claws extended again.
At that moment, a Primeape suddenly leapt between them.
"I think you've vented enough anger," Rex said casually as he walked out of the cave entrance nearby. "Fair to say?"
Silas had noticed Rex's approach earlier but said nothing.
He wanted to see how this played out.
Jessie and James were still too shocked to respond properly.
Only Meowth remained coherent.
The small Pokémon trembled with rage for several seconds before finally lowering his claws. He understood the hidden meaning.
Killing their Pokémon was one thing. Killing fellow Rocket members in front of witnesses was something else entirely.
Meowth turned slowly toward Silas.
"Silas," he said, voice rough but sincere, "thank you for your kindness."
His gaze drifted toward Arbok, Weezing, and Weepinbell.
"You saved my life."
His claws clenched tightly.
"And my friends can rest in peace knowing they've been avenged."