The next 4 days passed without any major incidents.
Team Rocket's warning had gone out through every TR device shortly after Viper's meeting, instructing all members to return to the base as soon as possible and remain vigilant against external forces.
Silas had already checked Jessie and James' whereabouts and confirmed that both had rooms in the base.
He considered visiting them, but after seeing that they were training hard on their own, he decided against disturbing them.
If they were going to become capable officers rather than dependents, they needed space to grow without him constantly hovering over them.
So Silas focused on his own team.
Everyone trained like crazy.
Silas was not idle either. With Jason as a point of reference, he had become much more aware of the flaws in his knife work.
His previous training had made him fast, decisive, and dangerous against ordinary humans, but Jason's swordsmanship had shown him what true aura control through a blade could look like.
Silas could now infuse his aura into his knife more smoothly than before, making every slash sharper and more stable, but he still couldn't release a powerful Vacuum Wave Slash like the one Jason used against the Pinsir.
His current fighting style was versatile and reliable, but he still didn't have a true finishing move capable of ending a dangerous opponent from range.
Every day, he practiced until sweat soaked his clothes. He would stand in the training room, knife in hand, and repeatedly slash through the air while trying to compress aura into the blade's edge.
Sometimes the aura would tremble and briefly extend a fraction beyond the metal, but it would always scatter before becoming a real projectile.
Hermes explained that his aura quantity had improved, but his compression and release were still lacking. Silas accepted the evaluation calmly, though it only made him train harder.
A technique like Jason's couldn't be copied in a few days, but now that he had seen the path, he knew he would eventually reach it.
His Pokémon were no less diligent. Trapinch benefited enormously from the Dragon Scale. The young Pokémon already possessed solid talent, and under the constant nourishment of dense dragon and ground-type energy, his body began developing at a visible rate.
Silas had placed the scale around Trapinch's neck, and the little Pokémon trained relentlessly while carrying the precious item
His jaw exercises became more intense, his movements grew steadier, and his body seemed to tremble each time he absorbed another stream of energy.
Ever since Trapinch reached level 34, Silas had been patiently waiting for a certain moment.
On the fourth day, while everyone was training, Trapinch suddenly stopped moving.
A brilliant light burst from his body.
Silas immediately turned.
"So it's finally time."
The team stopped what they were doing and gathered around, giving Trapinch plenty of space while watching with clear excitement. Silas quickly retrieved an evolution solution and tossed it directly into Trapinch's mouth.
The solution had been prepared to help purify the Pokémon's body and improve the final evolution result. Trapinch ate it before the glow fully enveloped him.
The evolution lasted far longer than an ordinary transformation.
Silas waited patiently, occasionally checking the flow of energy surrounding Trapinch.
The Dragon Scale had helped Trapinch assimilate with his hidden dragon typing and trigger evolution in a more complete manner.
After nearly 8 hours, the light finally began to fade. In Trapinch's place hovered a green dragonfly like Pokémon.
Silas immediately scanned him.
Vibrava (M) — Level 36
Ability: Levitate
Potential: B
Moves: Rank B Sand Attack, Rank C Bite, Rank C Bulldoze, Rank C Sand Tomb, Rank C Mud Slap, Rank C Astonish, Rank C Sandstorm, Rank C Bug Buzz, Rank C Dragon Breath, Rank C Crunch, Rank C Superpower, Rank C Dragon Tail, Rank C Dig, Rank D Supersonic, Rank D Quick Attack
Silas smiled with genuine satisfaction.
Vibrava was his first Dragon type!
The evolution had improved his potential and unlocked new moves. However, Silas also understood that too much rapid growth wasn't always a good thing.
Trapinch had been a Pokémon with naturally limited mobility. Now he had become Vibrava, a Pokémon capable of hovering freely through the Levitate ability.
Even when he wasn't flapping his wings, he remained suspended in the air unless he deliberately descended.
That kind of drastic bodily change would take time to understand.
Silas walked over and gently petted Vibrava on the head before removing the Dragon Scale from around his neck.
The scale still contained plenty of energy, but there was no need to force more into him immediately.
Vibrava needed time to stabilize, not more power shoved into his body before he understood the power he already had.
"Take your time,"
Silas said through the psychic link.
"You don't need to master everything today. First, understand your body."
Vibrava buzzed his wings excitedly and tried to fly a circle around the room.
Halfway through the turn, he tilted too sharply and nearly crashed into the wall.
Ursaring burst into laughter.
Vibrava quickly steadied himself and pretended nothing had happened, which only made the rest of the team even more amused.
Silas smiled but did not tease him. The transition from Trapinch to Vibrava was too massive to adjust to instantly.
For the remainder of the training period, Silas dedicated most of his attention to helping Vibrava control his movement. He had him practice hovering at different heights, turning midair, stopping suddenly, and descending without losing balance.
Vibrava still preferred to use Bite as a finishing move, as though he were still a Trapinch, but that was fine for now. Old habits could be refined later.
Excadrill was also progressing well. The Steel Orb constantly radiated dense steel type energy, and Excadrill absorbed it steadily to temper his claws and body. He had originally been level 40, but in a short period of time he had already grown to level 42.
That rate of growth immediately caught Silas' attention because since cracking level 40, most of his Pokémon had to train like mad just to gain a single level.
Seeing Vibrava and Excadrill improve so quickly while his higher level Pokémon remained stagnant forced Silas to confront an uncomfortable truth.
Resources mattered more and more as strength increased.
Below level 40, hard work, good food, proper training, and enough battles could still produce visible growth. After level 40, however, pure effort began to lose effectiveness. Natural treasures, rare materials, specialized environments, and powerful energy sources became essential. Without them, Pokémon strength could stagnate in the level 40-49 range for months or even years.
Silas looked across his team and understood that this problem would only become more frequent. Most of his Pokémon were approaching pseudo-advanced class or had already entered it.
If he couldn't consistently acquire resources, then no matter how talented they were, their growth would eventually slow.
Before he could dwell on it further, his TR device began ringing repeatedly.
The sound was sharp and urgent.
Silas opened the message.
"We are meeting to discuss current events. You have 10 minutes to gather. Same location as the trials."
It was Viper.
Silas immediately returned his Pokémon to their balls, leaving only Frogadier in his shadow, before heading out.
He moved quickly through the base and arrived among the earlier participants. The atmosphere inside the field house was noticeably different this time.
There was no casual arrogance, no loud bragging, and no obvious attempts to posture. Everyone had received the same warning about external forces, and the unknown made people cautious.
At the center of the room stood Viper.
He looked as strong and imposing as always.
Once the field house filled, he began speaking.
"Trial participants, you have actually all done well so far," Viper said, his deep voice carrying easily across the massive room. "Unfortunately, the official trial is now over. We have some unwelcome guests."
A wave of murmurs immediately spread through the crowd.
Viper allowed it to continue for only a moment before silencing everyone with a sharp look.
"These intruders will serve as your island training from this point forward. Those who believe they possess enough strength may engage them at their own peril. If you lack Pokémon at the pseudo-advanced class, you are most likely no match for them."
The warning was blunt, and because it came from Viper, no one dared treat it lightly.
"For now, all basic rooms are free. Other rooms and facilities will be subject to half pricing."
That announcement drew some relief from the gathered members. At the very least, Team Rocket was removing the burden of basic survival while the island situation became more dangerous.
"The beach sand will be red with intruder blood by the time I am done!"
The shout came from a tall woman standing near the front. Her Sandslash echoed her sentiment, making several threatening gestures with its claws.
Viper glanced at her calmly.
"While I appreciate the enthusiasm, please take stock of yourself. That Sandslash will not be enough to protect you outside the base from now on."
The woman stiffened, and the Sandslash slowly lowered its claws.
Viper then pulled out a spherical device and activated it. A projection of the island map appeared above the room. Several red dots glowed across the terrain, roughly fifteen in total.
"The red dots are confirmed enemy strongholds," Viper explained. "We will strike them hard and fast. They will rue the day they tried to compete with Team Rocket."
His game plan was direct.
Viper and his elite squad would eliminate enemy bases two at a time, moving with speed and overwhelming force. Meanwhile, the trial participants would engage and stall the nearest strongholds, preventing reinforcements from freely supporting one another. The attacks would begin that night.
Silas listened carefully.
This was no longer a trial.
It was war.
As everyone began leaving, Silas received a private message from Viper ordering him to stay behind. He allowed most of the crowd to pass him before slowing down, lingering near the back until the field house emptied. Once the last participants left, Viper turned to him.
"Since you provided key intelligence, I will keep you in the loop."
Silas stood silently, giving Viper his full attention.
"This island is one of Mew's creations," Viper said. "A Mew Abode. There are a few scattered across the world, but this one was newly discovered."
Silas' expression shifted.
Mew.
That explained far more than he expected.
Viper continued, "Mew Abodes are valuable because many different types of Pokémon and resources can be found within them. Ecosystems that should not coexist appear side by side. Rare materials regenerate naturally over time. Other legendary Pokémon may occasionally appear as well."
Silas immediately thought of the mural depicting Ho-oh and Lugia.
"The problem is that Pokémon above level 54 are restricted here. The temporal barrier rejects stronger Pokémon. The Boss had to use special methods to create a passage for us through the barrier."
Silas listened intently, and pieces began falling into place.
The situation was far more complex than he had realized.
The island had never simply been a punishment ground. Archer had once explained that many veteran Rocket members considered the newer officers and elite officers weak.
The recent mission failure rates had been unusually high, and many of the promoted Elite Officers barely possessed passable strength. Some had only one Pokémon at level 40, and even that was often unstable.
One of the biggest bottlenecks for most Pokémon existed in the level 40-49 range. Breaking through could take eight months to a year under ordinary circumstances.
But inside this island, a full year passed while only a month went by outside.
I
It was perfect.
The weak members would be removed. The talented ones would grow. The younger generation of Team Rocket would be tempered under pressure while the organization gained access to rare Pokémon and resources at the same time.
The failed missions had been the excuse. The island had been the true opportunity.
A chill ran down Silas' spine.
Giovanni was terrifyingly shrewd.
The group of elite officers, officers, and grunts gathered here were mostly the youngest within Team Rocket.
The goal was to temper the new blood, not merely punish failure. It was a tremendous opportunity disguised as discipline. Now, however, the Luminary Court had made that opportunity far more dangerous.
Viper's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"That group of intruders seems to want something valuable here. Since we are now aware of them, we cannot afford to miss out.
Your timely intelligence allowed us to enter the game proactively instead of reacting after the fact."
His gaze sharpened.
"Giovanni will hear of your contributions when this is over. Do not let that get to your head. Train diligently. Your talent is high, but if it cannot be converted into strength, it is meaningless."
Silas saluted.
"Yes sir. I will train diligently."
Viper nodded, and Silas left the field house with a heavy mind.
When he returned to his suite, he immediately entered the training room and released Monferno. He needed to understand exactly what his first partner was capable of.
"Monferno, how strong do you really become when cloaked in those blue flames?"
Monferno considered the question carefully.
"If I use my maximum output, I can maintain early advanced-class strength for a few minutes. For my normal boost, I can reach peak pseudo-advanced strength."
He replied through the psychic link.
Silas stared at him silently for a moment.
That was enormous.
Monferno's blue flame state was far more powerful than Silas had fully understood. At maximum output, even if only briefly, Monferno could touch the advanced class. That kind of burst strength could decide a life-or-death battle.
During the four days of training, Silas had also assimilated the Aura Orb and gained massive benefits.
His aura reserves had exploded, and his understanding of the power had deepened dramatically. Without Monferno's assistance or psychic reinforcement, he could now match a peak intermediate Pokémon in personal combat.
If he used every trump card available, he believed he could contend against a mid pseudo-advanced Pokémon for a short time.
That was a frightening amount of progress.
Silas truly appreciated Viper now. Without the rewards he had received, his overall power would never have increased this quickly.
Excadrill was stronger because of the Steel Orb, Trapinch had evolved into Vibrava thanks to the Dragon Scale, and Silas himself had taken a massive step forward through the Aura Orb.
His psychic power now lagged behind his aura, but that didn't worry him. Psychic energy served him best in communication, stealth, perception, and support. Aura would be his primary combat weapon.
Things were advancing nicely.
Silas almost had to thank the Luminary Court for appearing.
Their presence had exposed a greater danger, but exposing them had also brought him enormous benefits.
Now the true trial was beginning, and Silas intended to grow stronger from it.
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There will be a bonus chapter tomorrow. I appreciate the powerstones!!
Thanks for the continued support on my first fanfic!!
Moving forward, every 50 Power Stones, I will release a bonus chapter.
I will also be releasing bonus chapters for milestones. The next ones are 100k views and chapter 100.
Finally, I will be releasing 3 extra chapters once we reach 10 reviews. 5 star reviews are appreciated but not required, I want honest feedback so I can improve.
Once again, thanks for all the support and feedback!