Unlike the subtle atmosphere between Silas and Joy, the entire banquet hall was now filled with excitement for the upcoming Pokémon competition.
Almost everyone showed interest.
After all, simply participating guaranteed a consolation reward of 5,000 Pokédollars, win or lose.
Even the cheapest ticket aboard the Blissey cruise cost over ten thousand Pokédollars. For many less wealthy passengers, this was practically earning half their fare back.
Naturally, Silas was interested as well.
Partly because he wanted to leave a good impression on Elder Joy Shizuka…But mostly because of the prizes.
Earthquake. Stone Edge. Stealth Rock.
Each one was an extremely rare TM worth well over a million Pokédollars. They were the kind of items rarely seen on the open market, treasures that money alone often couldn't buy.
Combined, the three TMs were worth close to five million Pokédollars.
At auction, the price could climb even higher And the rewards didn't stop there.
Fourth to tenth place would also receive valuable prizes.
Less than half an hour later, the banquet hall became noisy once again as several beautiful attendants posted the tournament rules and rewards throughout the ship.
Every screen aboard the cruise liner began replaying the announcement.
Despite being organized on short notice, the scale of the competition was astonishing. Judging from the rewards alone, it rivaled many official mid-level League tournaments.
The prizes were announced as follows:
1st–3rd Place
• TM Stone Edge
• TM Earthquake
• TM Stealth Rock
First place would choose first, second place next, while third place received the remaining TM.
4th Place
• TM Ice Beam
5th Place
• TM Psybeam
6th–10th Place
• 100,000 to 300,000 Pokédollars
Altogether, the rewards alone were worth nearly seven million Pokédollars.
Adding the participation rewards and additional expenses, this temporary competition would likely cost well over ten million.
There were even free medical services provided by the Joy family.
Any injured Pokémon could receive treatment aboard the cruise ship at no cost.
"...What a rich family."
Silas couldn't help muttering in amazement.
He casually rejected yet another young noble attempting to befriend him before turning back toward the competition rules.
Because the participants varied greatly in strength, the tournament had been divided into preliminaries and finals.
After all, although the Blissey mainly served Trainers and wealthy guests, many passengers had brought family members along for leisure travel.
For fairness and entertainment value:
• Only one Pokémon could be used throughout the entire tournament.
• Elite-level Pokémon were prohibited from participating.
Silas narrowed his eyes slightly.
That rule... Felt oddly specific.
....
Meanwhile, inside a luxurious private room aboard the ship.
Elder Joy Shizuka looked at her granddaughter with helpless amusement.
"My dear granddaughter… do you really have to favor your little sweetheart this much?"
"You even insisted on banning Elite-level Pokémon from entering."
It turned out that rule had indeed been added because of Joy's request.
The reason was obvious.
Compared to older Trainers with years of experience, Silas was still extremely young.
Joy hugged her grandmother's arm and smiled innocently.
"Hehe~ I'm just helping you save money, Grandma."
"If Elite-level Pokémon start fighting seriously, repairing the battlefield would cost a fortune."
Shizuka shook her head helplessly. What else could she do? This was her granddaughter, after all.
Still, she pulled out a file and placed it on the table.
"You actually didn't need to go this far."
"That boy truly is talented as a Trainer."
"His talent might not even be inferior to his skill as a Breeder."
Joy blinked curiously and picked up the document. Large families investigating backgrounds was completely normal to her.
She had grown up around such things.
What truly surprised her was the content inside.
Her eyes widened instantly.
"T-This..."
"Elite-level?!"
The report clearly stated:
• Crawdaunt had already broken through to Elite level.
• Sharpedo was suspected to have reached Elite level as well.
Although the information was slightly outdated, it still demonstrated the terrifying intelligence network of the Joy family.
There were also records regarding Umbreon, Honchkrow, and Sandile.
Joy stared silently at the report for several seconds before clenching her fists.
"He improved this much already...I can't fall behind either."
"I have to work harder too."
At that moment, she silently made up her mind to improve her Breeder rank as quickly as possible.
Then, after hesitating briefly, she looked toward her grandmother.
"Grandmother... then about us..."
The blush on her face already said everything.
Shizuka sighed as she looked at her granddaughter, who was practically giving herself away willingly.
"After the tournament ends..."
"Bring him to meet me in the conference room."
Joy's eyes instantly lit up.
"Really?! Grandma, I love you!"
She immediately hugged her tightly.
In truth, Joy Shizuka had already acknowledged Silas's potential. A seventeen-year-old Elite-level Trainer–In smaller families, that alone would be enough to become the future hope of the entire clan.
Even among major families with Elite Four-level experts, someone like him would still qualify as a core member worth heavily investing in.
Within the Joy family's investment records, Silas's potential ranked near the top.
True, he still couldn't compare to those monsters who reached near-Elite Four level before the age of twenty.
But:
• He was only seventeen.
• He was also a certified Pokémon Breeder.
Both talented in battle and academically gifted. Whether he specialized as a Trainer or a Breeder… His future was incredibly promising.
What he lacked wasn't talent.
Only time.
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(End of chapter)