If Silas had known what the other party was thinking, he would've been speechless.
After all, he had assumed this so-called "family member" approached him because of Joy's matchmaking situation.
As for why he dressed so plainly, the reason was simple ,His other identity.
A Team Rocket squad captain.
Under those circumstances, keeping a low profile was always the smarter choice.
Most trainers wore League uniforms or adventure gear like his, so blending in made him completely unremarkable.
Whether due to his environment or his own nature, Silas had no interest in standing out.
Wasn't it better to quietly accumulate wealth from the shadows?
As for why Eric couldn't see any spatial backpack on him,That was simply ignorance.
Anyone with even a bit of status,whether in the League or the gray world knew that spatial equipment didn't only come in backpack form.
There were rarer variants.
For example, the spatial belt he had taken from Rose Or the spatial ring he currently wore.
Eric was already growing restless.
In his mind, how many resources could a mere civilian trainer possibly have? And the thought of the powerful Pokémon he had just acquired kept reinforcing one idea.
The advantage is mine.
In the end He decided to gamble.
A Grass Knot TM could easily be worth over 500,000 Pokédollars.
While it wasn't as universally useful as Protect, if sold to the right trainer, it could fetch an even higher price.
Its value was definitely comparable.
As for losing? That possibility had never even crossed his mind.
"Fine, I agree."
"Let's get a referee and make it official!"
Eric spoke impatiently, already imagining himself winning big and spending freely afterward.
This was the first time Silas had seen someone so eager to hand over money. He had been planning to buy TMs for Zorua anyway And Protect was essential.
Originally, he intended to purchase it in Slateport City.
Now?
A delivery had come straight to his door.
As for why Silas was so confident.
First: intuition.
People who lived in the gray world developed sharp instincts.
From this guy's behavior alone, it was hard to believe he was strong.
Second: observation.
Eric only had four Poké Balls at his waist.
While quantity didn't determine strength, it revealed certain things.
Most importantly ,From beneath the man's formal suit, Silas could tell he was wearing a beginner-level trainer outfit.
The League didn't strictly enforce clothing standards.But most trainers followed them anyway,especially those from established families.
Because clothing represented status. The stronger you were, the higher-level gear you wore And in turn, the more respect you received.
Very few people wore outfits that didn't match their strength.
If a beginner dressed like an intermediate trainer, they'd attract stronger opponents And get crushed.
Then mocked.
So in most cases:
Either you dressed casually like Silas Or your outfit reflected your actual level.
From all these details, Silas concluded ,This Eric was, at best, an intermediate-level trainer.
Most likely?
Didn't even have a Pokémon above level 30 And beyond that Even without level advantage, Silas's real combat experience far surpassed him.
Years spent operating in the gray world had sharpened him.
Against opponents of equal strength:
• Indoors » he could handle 3 to 5 at once
• Outdoors » against flashy amateurs like this?
He could crush dozens
Because most League trainers,especially below Elite level Had never truly experienced survival in the wild.
Compared to real danger… They weren't much better than Team Rocket grunts.
Soon, Eric returned with a printed agreement.
It bore the fingerprint seal of a League-certified referee.
Clearly, the cruise ship had all necessary personnel.
"I won't bully you," Eric said arrogantly.
"I'll send out my Pokémon first. Then you can choose how to respond."
"As for those so-called rules, we can skip them."
"One-on-one. Winner takes the bet."
Silas scoffed.
"In trainer battles, the challenger sends out their Pokémon first."
"Who are you trying to impress with that act?"
Eric froze. His face turned red, unable to respond.
He genuinely didn't know these unwritten rules.
In the past, civilian trainers always gave way to him because of his background.
"…Let's just go to the battlefield!"
That was all he could manage.
Laughter spread among the crowd But Eric ignored it.
All he could see now was the 500,000 Pokédollar TM.
Silas said nothing more and followed.
As they moved, spectators gathered.
More and more people joined along the way. After all,A high-stakes battle like this was hard to ignore.
The cruise ship's public battle arena had referees. Even if not the same certified one, they were more than sufficient.
After explaining the rules, both sides placed their stakes with the referee. Eric placed down several anonymous bank cards.
Naturally, no one carried a Protect TM around,So he offered the equivalent value in cash.
Silas calmly raised his hand.
A flash of light And a green TM disc appeared.
Grass Knot.
Eric's eyes widened.
He hadn't seen any spatial backpack.
"This kid has a spatial ring… he's not ordinary," an elderly woman in the crowd murmured.
Hearing the discussion around him, Eric finally noticed the ring on Silas's finger.
He had only seen something similar once,A bracelet stored in his family vault But rings like this?
Never.
"…Damn it."
"Is this guy actually someone important?"
Eric's expression darkened.
For the first time ,He felt like he had stepped into something he couldn't back out of.
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(End of chapter)