After finishing his preparations, Silas carefully cleaned up the battlefield.
He erased every trace.
Even Kiera's corpse was thoroughly corroded with poison.
He could not afford to leave behind even the slightest evidence.
Even if no one ever discovered this abandoned power plant ,He would not take that risk.
As for the body…There was no need to do anything further.
Within a day or two, carnivorous Pokémon would be drawn by the scent and devour everything.
Not even bones would remain.
....
After restoring his stamina, Silas headed toward the third floor.
He hadn't explored it during the battle.
So this time, he moved with extreme caution.
He wasn't about to trip at the very end But when he slowly pushed open the door ,He realized he had overthought things.
There were no traps.
The third floor was the smallest level of the power plant.
Even so, it still spanned a few hundred square meters.
The entire space was empty.
At a glance, it resembled a silent morgue.
Cold.
Still. Without a trace of sunlight.
It felt eerie.
Silas immediately noticed something else.
The air felt… heavy.
Almost difficult to breathe.
This wasn't suffocation ,It was overly concentrated energy.
However, his Pokémon clearly disliked it.
Most of his team were Water- and Flying-types. Naturally, they were uncomfortable in such dense Electric-type energy.
Silas stepped forward slowly.
The closer he got to the central pillar ,The richer the energy became.
Faint arcs of electricity crackled along its surface.
As he approached ,Suddenly–
Clink!
The dagger in his hand slipped free and was pulled forward.
It flew straight toward the pillar.
Silas's eyes narrowed.
"So there really is a magnetic force…"
"Even metal is being attracted."
"This really is a special magnetic field."
He looked around the room.
"A true treasure land."
"For Electric-type Pokémon… this is the perfect training ground."
He carefully inspected the entire third floor.
Inside and out But aside from the magnetic field ,There was nothing unusual.
Silas fell into thought.
What should he do with this place?
Report it to the Pokémon League?
Impossible.
He had killed a Gym apprentice here.
Even if the League chose to overlook it due to his authority ,Mauville Gym would not.
And Silas had no intention of creating unnecessary trouble.
He still needed to climb higher within the League.
If he wanted to walk the legitimate path, his record had to remain clean.
Keep it hidden for himself?
That was possible But it wouldn't bring any immediate benefit.
And he didn't plan to focus on Electric-type Pokémon in the near future.
Tell Roxanne?
Roxanne specialized in Rock-types like Nosepass and Probopass.
This place would definitely interest her But after thinking it through ,Silas shook his head.
Roxanne was a principled person.
If she noticed anything suspicious…
He couldn't guarantee she would stand on his side.
After weighing all options ,Silas finally made his decision.
"I'll keep this place hidden… for now."
"Let it remain abandoned."
"I'll use it when the time is right."
...
By the time Silas left the power plant ,Night had already fallen.
He had spent an entire day inside.
Most of that time hadn't even been fighting But exploring.
Cleaning up.
Surviving.
The faint scent of blood and killing intent still lingered around him and his Pokémon.
It had been a dangerous journey But They had all grown stronger because of it.
Silas glanced upward.
"Honchkrow."
"…No–" He corrected himself with a faint smile.
"Still getting used to it."
"Honchkrow, as always ,night is your domain."
A shadow streaked across the sky.
Honchkrow moved like a phantom in the darkness.
Its flight was flawless.
Sharp turns.
Sudden dives.
Blinding speed.
It had no weaknesses.
In tight spaces, its control was unmatched.
In complex terrain, it was even more terrifying.
At this point ,Honchkrow was a true master of the skies.
If there were a flying competition ,It would undoubtedly take first place.
Silas muttered to himself as he walked.
"Still… I'll need to adjust its diet after evolution."
"Maybe add some Liechi Berries…"
"To improve reaction speed…"
He moved cautiously through the forest.
At night, Pokémon were far more aggressive.
Most were predators and Danger could come from anywhere.
Beside him Crawdaunt and Umbreon stayed alert.
Especially Umbreon.
Her cold gaze swept through the darkness like frozen steel.
After evolving, Umbreon's personality had clearly changed.
She was colder.
Sharper But when she was with Silas,she still relaxed completely.
Just like when she had been an Eevee.
Sometimes, Silas could still see that same little Pokémon in her.
.....
Step by step They moved out of the forest But suddenly Silas stopped.
Something felt wrong.
It was subtle But unmistakable.
He could feel it Eyes.
Watching him from the darkness.
A flash of gold flickered in the bushes.
Silas's expression changed instantly.
"Crawdaunt!"
"Use Scald over there!"
A stream of boiling water shot forward.
"MEOW—!!!"
Angry cries erupted from the bushes.
Several cat-like Pokémon leapt out.
Each had a gold coin embedded in there forehead.
Silas narrowed his eyes.
"Meowth…?"
"And…"
"…a Persian leader."
Silas recognized them immediately.
Among the first Pokémon he had learned about after coming to this world,Meowth had left a deep impression on him.
After all That talking Meowth from Team Rocket was unforgettable.
_____________________________
Beep!
"Meowth…"
"A nocturnal Pokémon."
"They become more active at night."
"They like round, shiny objects."
"And they often move in groups…"
"…robbing trainers."
_______________________________
Silas glanced at them.
Then at his left hand.
At the spatial ring gleaming faintly in the dark.
He immediately understood.
"…So that's it."
"They've set their sights on my ring."
The night grew tense.
Another battle Was about to begin.
<><><><><><>
(End of chapter)