Zangoose were fiercely loyal to their leaders and would never stand by while one was being defeated.
Fortunately, Silas had anticipated this.
"Monferno, use Protect. Ursaring, use Hyper Beam. Espeon, use Stored Power. Electabuzz, use Thunder."
These were the strongest special attacks available to the 3 Pokémon, and each of them had previously used Calm Mind to increase their firepower.
The combined force of the 3 attacks triggered a massive explosion that successfully repelled every approaching Zangoose, although none of them suffered serious injuries.
Jason's Pokémon immediately joined the battle.
Scyther launched Fury Cutter, Krokorok attacked with Slash, and Gabite charged forward using Dragon Claw.
"You guys jump in too. Leave only the leader alive. I won't be giving you any more orders from this point forward. Show me what you can do."
Monferno's aura suddenly surged, forming a thick layer of energy around his body.
The accumulated energy then shot into the sky, creating a brilliant pillar of blue flames that lasted for several seconds before finally stabilizing.
The blue Flame Aura soon returned to its familiar shape around Monferno's body.
"Hermes, what was that?"
"I would have needed to monitor Monferno's vitals beforehand to provide a definitive answer. However, judging by his current condition, his aura is denser than ever. I believe what you witnessed was a breakthrough—not in level, but in aura power."
"Interesting. Continue monitoring Monferno."
Monferno lunged toward the lead Zangoose with an aura-infused Fire Punch.
The previous attack had been effective, but the battle was far from over.
Zangoose expertly rotated its body in the same direction as the punch, minimizing the damage before retaliating with another powerful Crush Claw.
This time, Monferno successfully avoided the attack.
As Monferno pulled away, Zangoose began performing a peculiar dance while sparks flew from its claws.
Silas immediately recognized Swords Dance, but he chose not to warn Monferno.
Monferno needed to fight this battle himself.
Zangoose flashed forward using Quick Attack and arrived directly in front of Monferno almost instantly.
It covered its claws in dark energy before relentlessly slashing at him with Night Slash.
Monferno cleanly evaded every attempt.
Silas nodded in satisfaction.
This improvement in close-quarters combat was exactly what he wanted to see.
Monferno remained calm as he avoided each of Zangoose's attacks.
The longer the assault continued, the more erratic Zangoose's movements became, making its attacks increasingly easier to evade.
Suddenly, Monferno launched an aura-infused assault of his own.
His mastery of Close Combat had improved considerably.
Zangoose was unable to defend itself as Monferno unleashed a relentless barrage, finishing the combination with an aura-infused spinning kick.
Zangoose crashed heavily into the ground.
Monferno immediately leaped toward its position and formed a large sphere composed of flames and aura power.
He then slammed the sphere directly into Zangoose at close range.
The resulting explosion engulfed the surrounding area.
When the smoke cleared, Zangoose lay at the bottom of a deep crater with severe burns covering its body.
The battle between the 2 leaders was over.
However, the surrounding fights continued.
Nearly half of the Zangoose had already been killed, and the battle had become incredibly brutal.
Recent events had reminded Silas and his team of the cruelty of this world.
It was kill or be killed.
If they had been weaker, the Zangoose would have torn the entire group apart—literally.
Silas and Jason's Pokémon had numerous cuts covering their bodies, but they remained filled with fighting spirit.
Vibrava earned his 1st kill by beheading a Zangoose with Steel Wing.
Ursaring also managed to kill several of them.
The remaining casualties were caused by Jason's Pokémon, particularly Scyther.
Its blade-like arms were dyed crimson red, making it resemble its evolved form.
Only 8 Zangoose remained.
After witnessing their leader's defeat and seeing so many of their brethren killed, they finally lost the will to fight.
The surviving Zangoose lowered their claws and surrendered.
Silas and Jason ordered their Pokémon to cease their attacks.
Although this was a cruel world, there was no merit in slaughtering enemies who had completely lost the will to resist.
Silas established a Psychic connection with the strongest surviving Zangoose.
"We can allow all of you to leave, but you must answer every question I ask and provide compensation. Your tribe attacked us without provocation, so you deserve your current fate. Don't attempt to negotiate."
The Zangoose nodded frantically in acknowledgment.
They understood that their lives were now in someone else's hands.
"Are there any tribes nearby with strength comparable to or greater than yours?"
"The other half of this forest is controlled by a tribe of Ursaring. Beyond the forest, the grasslands are dominated by Tauros and Bouffalant. Both tribes are stronger than ours. They each have multiple members at our leader's level."
Pokémon were generally more straightforward than humans, so Silas believed there was only a small chance that the Zangoose was lying.
"Answer my next question honestly, and I will allow all of you to leave. What resources does your tribe possess?"
Pokémon tribes always maintained reserves of natural resources within their territories.
Those resources were an essential part of how they increased their strength.
Training and combat alone weren't enough.
Once a Pokémon surpassed a certain level, natural resources became necessary for continued advancement.
The Zangoose hesitated.
Silas drew his new blade and stabbed one of the other Zangoose through the shoulder.
"The next strike will go through its head. You know how to prevent that."
Seeing its injured brethren, the Zangoose immediately stopped hesitating.
"We have crystals inside our caves. We absorb their energy over time, and they help us grow stronger. The Ursaring possess a similar resource."
A look of surprise appeared on Silas' face.
This Zangoose was rather cunning.
It was attempting to kill 2 birds with 1 stone by directing Silas toward its rivals.
If Silas eliminated the Ursaring, the Zangoose tribe would lose its greatest competition while also escaping destruction itself.
"Take me to your home."
Silas threw a Great Ball at the fallen Zangoose leader.
Due to its terrible condition, the capture succeeded easily.
The surviving Zangoose became visibly agitated, but none attempted to interfere.
They understood the situation.
This was the law of the wild.
Silas followed the Zangoose back to their den.
The underground structure was surprisingly spacious and consisted of several interconnected caves.
The tribe had been meticulous when designing its home.
Glowing crystals lined the walls and illuminated the tunnels.
Silas had encountered these crystals before.
They glowed naturally in darkness but held little value beyond providing light.
Using his Psychic Aura Sense, Silas surveyed the entire den.
He detected several hidden Pokémon Eggs, but he had no interest in taking them.
When they finally reached the chamber containing the energy crystals, Silas was pleasantly surprised.
A large pile of gray crystals occupied the center of the cavern.
Silas estimated that there were approximately 150 crystals in total.
He immediately collected 100 of them and stored them inside his system space.
"We will leave the remaining crystals so your tribe can rebuild. In the future, consider your own strength before recklessly attacking people who are merely passing through your territory."
After delivering those parting words, Silas had Espeon use Teleport to return them to the site of the recent battle, where everyone else was still waiting.
"You may all leave."
The surviving Zangoose fled the moment Silas gave them permission.
"So, are you going to tell me what you found? I assume it was worthwhile if we're allowing them to leave."
Silas produced one of the crystals and tossed it toward Jason.
"These crystals contain Normal-type energy. Any Pokémon can absorb them, but naturally, Normal-types will benefit the most."
Jason trembled with excitement.
Choosing to follow Odin had been the best decision he had ever made.
The man seemed to attract valuable resources wherever he went.
As long as Jason remained by his side, his Pokémon would grow far faster than those belonging to other Rocket members.
"Excellent. I suppose we were fortunate that they attacked us."
"Yeah, and I obtained some other useful information. There is a tribe of Ursaring nearby that possesses similar resources. Before we return to the base, I think we should test our luck. Supposedly, they are significantly stronger than the Zangoose."
Jason nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. For now, we already have enough resources. Our priority should be increasing our strength."
He looked over the blood-covered battlefield.
"First, we need to heal our Pokémon. That battle was ridiculously brutal."
"Agreed, but they performed admirably, especially Monferno and Scyther."
Monferno had demonstrated significant growth in both destructive power and control, while Scyther had revealed his potential to fight and defeat Pokémon several levels above him.
Silas released Tropius and instructed her to use Grassy Terrain while he and Jason applied Hyper Potion spray to the injured Pokémon.
Afterward, they distributed Oran and Sitrus Berry juice to each of them.
They even tended to the captured Zangoose leader, carefully treating its severe burns by spreading Rawst Berry jelly across its body.
Zangoose was far too weak to resist.
Once it realized they were treating its injuries, its agitation gradually diminished.
The healing session continued for a full hour before every Pokémon was returned to its Poké Ball.
Silas checked the system shop and discovered that he now possessed 1,650 BP.
He immediately purchased 3 additional Vitamin Pills, leaving him with only 150 BP.
This time, he gave 2 pills to Electabuzz and the remaining 1 to Monferno.
According to Zangoose, the grasslands separating the forest from their mountainous destination were controlled by tribes of Bouffalant and Tauros.
Both Pokémon were fiercely aggressive.
If Silas and Jason weren't careful, they could easily be wiped out by a stampede.
Silas decided to remain within the forest for a little longer, allowing the Pokémon time to absorb the energy from their resources and assimilate it into their bodies.
Meditation was also an important part of a Pokémon's growth.
Absorbing and assimilating energy through meditation could occasionally trigger an increase in level.
However, most of the time, a catalyst such as a fierce battle was necessary to push a Pokémon through the barrier separating it from the next level.
They had already spent several months on the trial island, but Silas had yet to experience a true qualitative leap in strength.
His rival and friend Rex had already possessed a powerful Level 48 Nidoking before Silas came here, and the Pokémon was likely even stronger now.
Silas had to assume that his other friends within Team Rocket were also steadily progressing.
He refused to be left behind.
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Thanks for the continued support on my first fanfic!!
Moving forward, every 50 Power Stones, I will release a bonus chapter.
I will also be releasing bonus chapters for milestones. The next ones are 200k views and chapter 200.
Finally, I will be releasing 3 extra chapters once we reach 10 reviews. 5 star reviews are appreciated but not required, I want honest feedback so I can improve.
Once again, thanks for all the support and feedback!