Returning once more to Shalour City, nestled along the western coast of Kalos, gave Silas an entirely different feeling than before.
As a world-famous tourist city, Shalour's nightlife was exceptionally vibrant.
Across the golden sands of the beach, long tables were lined up one after another. People faced the sea breeze, gathering in small groups of three or five friends, chatting and laughing freely.
Nearby, Pokémon took advantage of moments when their Trainers weren't paying attention to snatch up grilled squid, slurping it down with looks of pure excitement on their faces.
Shalour City's beachside seafood barbecue had earned praise from every region around the world.
"It really is lively," Silas couldn't help but remark as he carried his ice bucket and asked around for directions, finally taking in the bustling scene before him.
Scenes this lively were truly rare.
Even from far away, waves of rich aromas drifted over, instantly stirring the hunger in his stomach.
Gurgle~
Following the sound, Silas turned his head and saw Minccino awkwardly pressing a hand against its little belly.
"Are you hungry?"
"Min!" Minccino let out a shy chirp.
She nodded, then shook her head. Smart as she was, she knew her Trainer had something to sell and didn't want to delay him because of herself.
Seeing Minccino act this way, Silas smiled in quiet satisfaction. He patted her fluffy ear and said gently, "Good girl. It won't interfere at all."
Walking straight into a seafood barbecue restaurant, the first thing to greet him was a towering Crabominable.
"Crabo~ Crabo~"
Despite its ferocious appearance, the Crabominable spread its claws, flashed a pleasing smile, and handed over a menu.
"Thank you!"
Silas took the menu and passed it directly to Minccino. "Take a look and see what you want to eat, little one."
"Min…"
"Oh, right—Crabominable, is your head chef around? I have some top-tier seafood to sell. Nurse Joy recommended I come here."
Just as Silas was speaking with the Crabominable, a handsome young man approached from nearby.
"Excuse me, sir. Is there something I can help you with?"
"And you are?"
The young man smiled politely. "My name is Siebold. I'm one of the partners of this seafood restaurant."
"Siebold?"
Repeating the unfamiliar name, Silas felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
It was as if he had heard it somewhere before, yet he couldn't recall where.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Siebold." Silas set down the ice bucket and brushed aside the top layer of ice. "This is half a slab of fish meat I obtained after battling a Veluza."
Halfway through his sentence, Silas paused, noticing Siebold's frown, and quickly explained, "Veluza is a kind of Pokémon. They very rarely discard their own flesh voluntarily. The meat is light in texture yet extremely delicious—it's a top-tier ingredient."
This explanation wasn't unnecessary.
After all, in the Pokémon world, there were already thousands of known Pokémon species.
Recognizing and understanding all known Pokémon was one of the assessment requirements for Elite Trainers.
And Elite Trainers made up only about 1% of all Trainers.
Not to mention—
There was no way to know when the League might discover yet another new Pokémon.
One could say the number of Pokémon was increasing every moment.
"I apologize for my earlier discourtesy," Siebold said, bowing apologetically. "I didn't expect Veluza to appear in the seas near Kalos. I've only ever seen them in the waters around Paldea."
Siebold had always believed himself to be extremely familiar with the seas of Kalos, so the half slab of Veluza before him was a huge surprise.
At the same time, another thought surfaced in his mind.
What kind of flavor would this Veluza meat, having crossed the sea all the way to Kalos—possess?
As a chef, Siebold could hardly wait to turn it into a dish and hear diners sing its praises.
Since he recognized the Pokémon, things became much simpler.
"Sir, I'm willing to purchase this fish meat at 3,000 League Coins per kilo. What do you think?"
The flesh was preserved perfectly, in prime condition for consumption.
Siebold was more than willing to offer a high price.
Three thousand League Coins per kilo was comparable to the price of tuna in his previous life—it was by no means cheap.
"Deal!" Silas agreed without hesitation.
The two of them moved into the restaurant's back kitchen, where Silas learned that the young man before him was, in fact, the owner of the seafood restaurant.
"The total weight is fourteen kilos. That comes to a final price of 42,000 League Coins. Cash or transfer?"
"Wait a moment, Mr. Siebold."
Under Siebold's puzzled gaze, Silas scratched his head a little awkwardly. "Um… could I sell only ten kilo? My Pokémon and I would really like to try the Veluza meat ourselves."
"Of course, no problem at all," Siebold replied casually. "But may I ask—do you know how to cook it? This kind of top-tier ingredient mustn't be wasted."
"I may not look like much, but I'm not only a ranch owner—I'm also a chef."
Well… a half-baked chef, relying entirely on a golden finger.
"You're a chef as well?"
Siebold looked Silas up and down uncertainly, then suddenly understood.
Anyone who could recognize Veluza and understand its value was surely a chef.
In an instant, a desire to compete in culinary skills arose within Siebold—
Along with a faint urge to conquer.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot," Siebold said, smacking his forehead. "May I ask your name?"
"My name is Silas. I currently live on Route 12, outside Shalour City."
"Very well, Silas. Please, follow me."
The two passed through the back kitchen and entered a smaller side kitchen.
The room was spotless, with every kind of cooking utensil neatly arranged and fully equipped.
"This is my private kitchen. You're welcome to use any of the tools here."
"And this is my partner, Blastoise."
"Blas~ Toise~"
Its build was powerful, its shell smooth and gleaming, and the two protruding cannons shone with a cold metallic luster.
This was a Blastoise that had been trained to near perfection.
The only Pokémon that could rival it was Lucario, partner of Korrina, the current Gym Leader of Shalour City.
"That is… a Mega Evolution Stone."
Silas's gaze immediately fixed on the gem set into Blastoise's forehead.
The gem emitted a mysterious glow, within which a tri-colored spiral pattern seemed to flow.
A partner Blastoise, appearing in Kalos, belonging to a chef—
All these connections came together, stirring Silas's vague memories back to life.
It couldn't be helped; in his previous life, the games had provided very little description of the Kalos Elite Four, almost glossing over them entirely.
It would've been a miracle if he remembered clearly.
Seeing a member of the Elite Four in person for the first time, he should have been excited and thrilled like any other Trainer.
Yet aside from a brief moment of surprise, Silas felt mostly calm—along with a confidence that refused to be inferior.
He, Silas, was not weaker than any member of the Elite Four.
And if he remembered correctly—
Siebold hadn't yet become an Elite Four member.
"Silas, I'll help you cut the fish meat," Siebold said. The moment he stepped into the kitchen, his demeanor underwent a complete transformation, becoming extraordinarily serious.
"Alright."
The fish meat, still exuding a chill, felt icy in his hands, the cold quickly reddening Silas's palms.
Noticing Siebold move closer, Silas asked curiously, "Siebold, aren't you going to process the other portion of the fish first?"
"No rush, no rush!" Siebold waved his hand. "Let me observe your culinary skills first."
Though that was what he said, Siebold was actually taking precautions.
In case Silas mishandled the fish meat, he could step in to salvage it—top-quality ingredients couldn't afford even the slightest waste.
"Alright then."
Silas didn't dwell on it further. From the dazzling array of kitchen tools, he selected a sharp knife.
(End of Chapter)