"Sandile, Murkrow, use Hidden Power!"
At one of the training fields inside the Pokémon Center, Silas was training his Pokémon's skills.
Recently he had given his Pokémon many TM moves, so they needed time to practice and properly master them.
Murkrow was doing relatively well.
Thanks to its Prankster ability, it had a natural talent for learning status moves.
Sandile, however, had a heavier workload.
It needed to master both its inherited moves and the new TM moves Silas had taught it.
"Sandile, remember! When using FocusEnergy, you must concentrate completely. Gather all your spirit into one point!"
Sandile's strength had been improving almost every day.
Its growth speed was astonishing.It had already reached Level 16.
Besides its natural talent, this rapid progress was also due to the large amount of resources Silas invested in it.
The Pokeblock Cubes and Ley Line Milk potions he fed it were far from ordinary.
All that investment had produced fast level growth.
Because Sandile had experienced fierce fighting from the moment it hatched, its battle instincts were extremely sharp.
Against enemies it was brutal and aggressive.But toward Silas, its trainer, Sandile remained completely obedient.
It also deeply respected Murkrow, who it regarded as a senior companion.
Both Pokémon shared similar personalities:
cunning
ruthless
aggressive in battle
Because they had fought together many times, the two Pokémon had naturally become close partners.
.....
Mauville Food Court
At noon, instead of eating inside the Pokémon Center as usual, Silas went to one of Mauville City's most famous attractions.
Mauville Food Court.
Also called the Battle Food Plaza.
It was located in the southeastern district of Mauville City and occupied a large area.
Rumor said the plaza had been inspired by the restaurant districts of Lumiose City.
Because of this, many unique snacks had appeared there.
Some famous foods included:
Village Sandwiches
Magnemite-shaped baked buns
Mauville mixed noodles
And many others.
However, the most unique feature of this place was the rule:
Before your meal is served, you must battle another trainer.
The battles were held publicly for customers to watch.
Silas was currently sitting outside a café, calmly watching a match taking place in the plaza.
"Nuzleaf! Don't lose! Show some backbone!"
"Don't give it any breathing room! Makuhita, use Arm Thrust!"
Two trainers wearing League trainer uniforms were passionately commanding their Pokémon.
Eventually, one trainer won.
According to the plaza rules, the loser pays for the winner's meal.
Fortunately, the price wasn't expensive.
Usually just a few dozen to one hundred PokéDollars.
Even some special dishes made using Pokémon ingredients only cost a few hundred PokéDollars.
For ordinary trainers, the price wasn't a burden.
Because of this, the plaza was always filled with:
regular people
amateur trainers
spectators looking for entertainment
Silas casually scanned the menu on his Pokédex and ordered a large amount of food.
As expected from a technology-focused city like Mauville, they even used QR code ordering systems.
Even in Rustboro City, most restaurants still used traditional paper menus.
Silas leaned back in his chair and watched the ongoing match.
"Sigh… Nuzleaf is about to lose."
He judged calmly.
Makuhita's Arm Thrust was surprisingly powerful.
Silas suspected two possibilities:
1. It was holding a Black Belt (boosts Fighting-type moves)
2. Or it had the Sheer Force ability
Either way, Nuzleaf had almost no chance.
After all:
Nuzleaf (Grass/Dark)
Fighting-type attacks deal 2× damage
As expected Less than a minute later, Nuzleaf was knocked out.
Makuhita won the match and earned a free meal.
The defeated trainer had to pay the bill.
....
Silas Joins the Battle
Silas checked his order status.
His food would take a while to arrive.
Seeing the lively atmosphere, he suddenly felt the urge to battle as well.
He scanned the QR code on the table and registered for a match using his Pokédex.
Within three minutes, he was matched with an opponent.
Silas adjusted his trainer jacket and walked toward the central battlefield.
When he saw his opponent ,He raised his eyebrow slightly.
His opponent was a stunning blonde woman.
She possessed the appearance of a classical Western beauty. Wearing a long purple dress, the sound of her high heels echoed softly across the plaza.
Silas had to admit ,Her beauty was striking.
Even more impressive was the aura of elegance she carried.
He had only ever seen such presence once before.
From Madam Mira.
However, Silas quickly regained his focus and entered battle mode.
"Sandile. Prepare for battle."
Since this was only an entertainment battle, Silas did not send out his main Pokémon.
This was a good opportunity to train Sandile.
The woman calmly threw a Poké Ball.
A ghost-like Pokémon slowly appeared.
"Froslass."
Froslass floated in the air wearing what looked like a kimono-like ice cloak.
Its head resembled a sideways teardrop.
Through small openings in its icy mask, its purple skin could be seen.
The lower body appeared hollow.
This Pokémon was unique because:
It evolves from female Snorunt only
It requires a Dawn Stone to evolve
Because of this special condition, Froslass is quite rare.
Silas carefully observed the energy fluctuations around it.
Its level was clearly higher than Sandile's.But the exact level was difficult to determine.
Silas smiled slightly.
"Pressure creates motivation."
"Sandile… this will be a tough battle."
Despite the level disadvantage, Sandile showed no fear at all.
Instead, its fighting instincts began to boil with excitement.
"Sandile, use Focus Energy!"
This move had become one of Sandile's specialties thanks to constant training.
In an instant, Sandile concentrated its spirit and gathered its power. Preparing for a decisive strike.
The woman spoke calmly.
"Froslass, use Icy Wind."
Froslass gently waved its sleeve-like arms.
A freezing wind filled with ice crystals swept across the battlefield.
The cold air covered half the arena.
Even though Sandile turned its back and used its scales as protection, frost still stuck to its body.
Its speed dropped slightly.
"Sandile—charge forward!"
"Use Bite!"
Although Ice-type moves were strong against Sandile's Ground typing, Sandile's Dark typing was super effective against Froslass' Ghost typing.
So neither side had a clear advantage.
Sandile ran forward with its short legs. But the frost covering its body slowed it down.
The woman calmly gave another command.
"Froslass, use Ice Shard."
A fist-sized shard of ice formed in front of Froslass.
It shot forward instantly.
Sandile showed no fear.
With a powerful flick of its tail, it leapt into the air.
"CRUNCH!"
Its Bite attack shattered the ice shard.
Thanks to the boost from Focus Energy, the power of the attack was terrifying.
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(End of chapter)