As more and more Meowth leapt out from the bushes, their numbers quickly swelled.
Ten… fifteen… twenty…
Soon, over twenty had gathered.
A small tribe.
At their head stood a Persian.
From the aura it emitted, its strength was roughly on par with the newly evolved Honchkrow.
Individually, they weren't a major threat But their numbers made things dangerous.
Even ants could bring down an elephant.
"Honchkrow ,use Gust!"
"KRRAA!"
Honchkrow's wings spread wide.
Two powerful gusts spiraled outward, forming a miniature whirlwind that tore toward the swarm below But under Persian's command ,All the Meowth reacted instantly.
They plucked the coins from their foreheads and brought them together.
A shimmering barrier formed.
Pay Day coordination–used as defense.
.....
From the back, Silas watched carefully.
Then His eyes sharpened.
Persian's tail suddenly stood upright.
A signal.
An attack was coming.
"Crawdaunt!"
"Aqua Jet—rush in! Use Razor Shell!"
"SHAA!"
Crawdaunt burst forward, its body wrapped in a surge of water.
Its powerful legs kicked off the ground,Launching it like a cannonball.
At the same time, its massive claw gathered water, shaping it into a sharp, blade-like edge.
It slammed straight into Persian.
With Crawdaunt holding the front ,Honchkrow descended into slaughter.
Silas showed no mercy.
These Pokémon had ambushed him.
There would be no hesitation.
In the dark forest ,Honchkrow became a shadow.
Its black feathers merged with the night.
"KRRAAA!!"
Sharp cries echoed.
One Meowth after another fell.
Its Ability Moxie (Overconfidence) activated again and again.
Each victory Made it stronger.
Faster.
Deadlier.
Silas watched with satisfaction.
"Good…"
"This is perfect training."
Moxie wasn't just power ,It required mindset.
Confidence.
The belief that you were unstoppable And Honchkrow Was learning fast.
"Crawdaunt—finish it!"
"Use Brick Break!"
Crawdaunt leapt high.
Its massive claw came crashing down.
"MEOW—!!"
The blow twisted Persian's body mid-air.
A Fighting-type move.
Against a Normal-type Pokémon.
Devastating.
The result was decided in seconds.
Persian collapsed.
Defeated.
The remaining Meowth froze Then scattered instantly.
They fled in all directions.
Clever.
Cunning.
They knew when to run.
Silas didn't chase.
There was no point.
High-potential wild Pokémon were extremely rare.
Winning one was already like hitting the jackpot.
He tossed a Poké Ball.
Click.
Persian was captured.
A quick scan with the Pokédex ,Average aptitude.
No special traits.
No inherited moves.
Though It had learned Water Pulse on its own.
Still Silas wasn't done.
He released the unconscious Persian again.
"Crawdaunt."
"Use Knock Off."
Crawdaunt struck lightly.
A ripple of dark energy surged And suddenly ,A large silver-white pearl dropped out.
Silas raised an eyebrow.
"…That's it?"
He sighed.
"I thought there'd be something valuable."
It was still worth money.
Around 100,000 Pokédollars But compared to what he expected ,Disappointing.
Persian loved collecting shiny things.
So naturally Silas had assumed it would have something rare.
After all Even held items like Black Glasses carried a faint gleam.
....
Morning came.
Sunlight filtered through the trees.
The forest slowly came back to life.
Wild Pokémon stirred.
Shadows moved through the grass.
Silas had spent the entire night outside the city forest.
He avoided making noise.
Only now ,At dawn . Did he begin to leave.
Night had been dangerous But also Productive.
His Pokémon had battled repeatedly.
They had grown stronger.
"Crawdaunt, use Crunch!"
Silas's voice rang out.
Ahead A massive Ursaring roared.
"GRAAAH!!"
The battle was fierce.
Brutal.
Both sides were covered in wounds.
Then Crawdaunt struck.
Its claw clamped down
"CRAAASH!"
Crunch landed clean.
Ursaring collapsed.
Silence.
Then Something changed.
A blue-black aura began to rise from Crawdaunt's body.
Energy surged.
Gathered.
Compressed.
And then It exploded outward.
Silas's eyes widened.
"…Finally."
A smile spread across his face.
"Crawdaunt…"
"You've reached it."
Elite Level.
Before this Crawdaunt had already been Level 39.
Just one step away.
Now It had crossed the threshold.
Elite-level strength Was not common.
This wasn't something ordinary trainers could achieve.
At this level One could become a core member of the Pokémon League.
A leader.
A pillar.
Even in organizations like Team Rocket This level meant authority.
Power.
Command.
For ordinary people This was a complete reversal of fate And for Silas This was only the beginning.
Crawdaunt suddenly stiffened.
A new instinct surged within it.
Its body moved on its own It began to dance.
A fierce, rising battle rhythm.
Its aura sharpened.
Intensified.
Silas recognized it instantly.
"…That's…"
"Swords Dance."
A powerful move.
One that sharply increased Attack.
Many Pokémon could learn it But usually only at very high levels.
Level 50.
Even 60 But Crawdaunt Learned it the moment it reached Elite.
A rare advantage.
A deadly one.
Silas let out a quiet breath.
Then smiled.
"Good…"
"Very good."
The stronger his Pokémon became ,The closer he moved toward the top And he had no intention Of stopping now.
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(End of chapter)