Nighttime in the forest was treacherous.
Ursaring were nocturnal hunters, so Silas and Jason needed to remain cautious.
Silas had originally intended to return and confront the Ursaring tribe once his team grew stronger, but direct confrontation wasn't the only way to weaken them.
If they could isolate and defeat some of the tribe's advanced-class members 1 by 1, then launching a raid against the entire group would become far more feasible.
Ursaring typically hunted alone or in pairs, so Silas and Jason only needed to wait for the right opportunity.
Silas caught several wild rabbits and began roasting them over an open fire near their camp.
After approximately 10 minutes, he sensed 2 powerful presences approaching and couldn't help but smirk.
This tried-and-true method of attracting training partners never failed to amaze him.
It was as though the moment Pokémon smelled food, their sense of danger completely disappeared.
Silas prepared his own Ursaring by having him use Dragon Dance twice.
After all the recent battles, Ursaring had only been missing a powerful source of energy to break through.
Now that he had access to the new Pokéblocks and Normal-type crystals, he had comfortably reached Level 45.
With 2 boosts from Dragon Dance, Ursaring could contend with a Pokémon at the peak of the pseudo-advanced class.
Vibrava would provide timely support during the battle, while Monferno dealt with the stronger opponent.
Once Monferno defeated his target, they would work together to finish the remaining Ursaring.
Unfortunately for the wild Ursaring, both Pokémon that discovered Silas' camp were only Level 47.
Monferno made short work of the 1st, while Vibrava and Ursaring took their time using the other as a training partner.
Silas immediately captured the defeated Ursaring.
Meanwhile, Vibrava repeatedly clashed with the remaining wild Ursaring.
Each time he attacked, the Ursaring repelled him with Slash.
Vibrava's Iron Tail simply wasn't powerful enough to overpower it.
Silas was pleased to see this happen.
Dragon-type Pokémon were naturally prideful, and Vibrava was especially competitive.
Being suppressed in such a manner would only motivate him to train even harder.
"Ursaring, finish it. We can't allow this battle to continue for too long, or we risk being surrounded."
Silas' Ursaring flashed directly in front of the wild Pokémon and unleashed Close Combat.
The wild Ursaring was quickly overwhelmed by the relentless combination of attacks.
The result didn't surprise Silas.
He casually threw a Poké Ball at the unconscious bear lying at his feet.
Over the next 4 days, Silas and Jason repeatedly employed this targeted strategy to weaken the Ursaring tribe.
In total, they managed to capture 6 Ursaring, with 2 of them already belonging to the advanced class.
Their success was mainly due to Monferno.
With Flame Aura active, he could defeat an ordinary Level 50 Pokémon with some difficulty.
However, Monferno was currently stuck at Level 46.
The Flame Orb continued to work effectively, but advancing through the pseudo-advanced bottleneck required time, so Silas could only remain patient.
It was already impressive that Monferno had reached Level 46 so quickly.
Once a Pokémon crossed the Level 45 threshold, gaining even a single level could potentially take a long time.
This was one of the primary reasons Team Rocket organized the island trial.
The dangerous environment would allow many Rocket members to push their teams into the advanced class much faster than they could under ordinary circumstances.
Those who survived and participated in the trial would eventually become part of Team Rocket's backbone.
Little did they know that Silas was already planning his eventual departure.
He wanted to establish his own foundation of power so that he would never need to answer to anyone except the people he loved.
The idea had first occurred to him while considering how the Carbink tribe could contribute to his faction.
The diamond business in the Pokémon world wasn't as profitable as it had been on Earth, but it was still an incredibly lucrative industry.
The income generated from the business would be used to fund Silas' ambitions.
Slowly but surely, Spartan would accumulate enough wealth and power to stand proudly on its own.
Silas looked over his steadily growing team and scanned each Pokémon.
Monferno (M) — Level 46
Ability: Flame Aura
Potential: B+
Moves: Rank B Scratch, Rank B Aura Sphere, Rank B Flame Wheel, Rank B Taunt, Rank B Shadow Claw, Rank B Close Combat, Rank B Fire Punch, Rank C Thunder Punch, Rank C Vacuum Wave, Rank C Mach Punch, Rank C Flamethrower, Rank C Acrobatics, Rank C Cut, Rank C Strength, Rank C Psych Up, Rank C Protect, Rank C Iron Tail, Rank C Fire Spin, Rank D Torment
Electabuzz (M) — Level 46
Ability: Static
Potential: B+
Moves: Rank B Brick Break, Rank B Thunder Punch, Rank B Thunder Bolt, Rank B Light Screen, Rank B Cross Chop, Rank B Thunder Wave, Rank C Ice Punch, Rank C Fire Punch, Rank C Psychic, Rank C Calm Mind, Rank C Strength, Rank C Protect, Rank C Iron Tail, Rank C Low Kick
Frogadier (M) — Level 42
Ability: Protean
Potential: B+
Moves: Rank B Pound, Rank B Water Gun, Rank B Shadow Sneak Rank B Toxic Spikes, Rank B Growl, Rank B Water Pulse, Rank B Quick Attack, Rank C Lick, Rank C Acrobatics, Rank C Aerial Ace, Rank C Protect, Rank C Cut, Rank C Ice Beam, Rank C Smackdown, Rank D Substitute
Ursaring (M) — Level 45
Ability: Guts
Potential: B
Moves: Rank B Slash, Rank B Fury Swipes, Rank B Sweet Scent, Rank B Close Combat, Rank B Belly Drum, Rank B Growl, Rank B Bite, Rank C Payback, Rank C Protect, Rank C Seed Bomb, Rank C Play Rough, Rank C Hammer Arm, Rank C Cut, Rank C Strength, Rank C Swift, Rank C Hyper Beam, Rank C Dragon Dance, Rank C Calm Mind
Tropius (F) — Level 42
Ability: Harvest
Potential: B-
Moves: Rank B Grassy Terrain, Rank B Leaf Storm, Rank B Gust, Rank B Growth, Rank B Sweet Scent, Rank C Synthesis, Rank C Whirlwind, Rank C Magical Leaf, Rank C Wide Guard, Rank C Stomp, Rank C Protect, Rank C Cut, Rank C Leaf Blade, Rank C Dragon Dance, Rank C Taillwind, Rank C Steel Wing
Excadrill (M) — Level 44
Ability: Sand Rush
Potential: B-
Moves: Rank B Hone Claws, Rank B Dig, Rank B Drill Run, Rank C Slash, Rank B Rapid Spin, Rank B Metal Claw, Rank C Crush Claw, Rank C Sandstorm, Rank C Rock Slide, Rank C Cut, Rank C Strength, Rank C Protect, Rank C Swords Dance
Espeon (F) — Level 44
Ability: Magic Bounce
Potential: A-
Moves: Rank B Calm Mind, Rank B Stored Power, Rank C Bite, Rank C Growl, Rank C Double Kick, Rank C Tail Whip, Rank C Quick Attack, Rank C Morning Sun, Rank C Psybeam, Rank C Wish, Rank C Psychic, Rank C Protect, Rank C Teleport, Rank C Iron Tail, Rank C Baton Pass, Rank C Future Sight, Rank D Copycat
Vibrava (M) — Level 45
Ability: Levitate
Potential: B+
Moves: Rank B Sand Attack, Rank B Bite, Rank B Bulldoze, Rank B Sand Tomb, Rank B Screech, Rank B Supersonic, Rank B Quick Attack, Rank C Mud Slap, Rank C Astonish, Rank C Sandstorm, Rank C Bug Buzz, Rank C Dragon Breath, Rank C Crunch, Rank C Superpower, Rank C Dragon Tail, Rank C Dig, Rank C Steel Wing, Rank C Iron Tail, Rank C Protect, Rank C Earthquake
Hippopotas (M) — Level 29
Ability: Sand Stream
Potential: B
Moves: Rank C Sand Attack, Rank C Tackle, Rank C Crunch, Rank C Yawn, Rank C Take Down, Rank C Sand Tomb, Rank C Sand Storm, Rank C Fire Fang, Rank C Earthquake, Rank C Rock Slide
Carbink — Level 48
Ability: Sturdy
Potential: B
Moves: Rank B Tackle, Rank B Reflect, Rank B Light Screen, Rank B Stealth Rock, Rank B Guard Split, Rank B Flail, Rank B Skill Swap, Rank B Protect, Rank B Iron Defense, Rank C Moonblast, Rank C Rock Throw, Rank C Ancient Power, Rank C Power Gem, Rank C Stone Edge, Rank C Smack Down
Silas was now actively raising 10 Pokémon.
Technically, he possessed many more, but these were the genuine members of his team.
Every Pokémon except Hippopotas had reached the pseudo-advanced tier.
Even Hippopotas was developing at a reasonable pace.
Its mother was instrumental in its training, so Silas didn't need to supervise every aspect of its growth.
However, he still made a point of personally participating so that he could form a proper bond with the young Pokémon.
A close bond between Pokémon and trainer could lead to greater strength and significantly better coordination during battle.
Once Hippopotas matured, the Sandstorm combination between it, Excadrill, and Flygon—after Vibrava evolved—would be extremely difficult for any opponent to handle.
It would also provide Silas with an effective counter against weather-based strategies.
The team had been working exceptionally hard lately, so Silas decided to give everyone a full day of rest.
He prepared each Pokémon's favorite food and allowed them to relax however they pleased.
Silas also spent time with every individual Pokémon, providing them with massages infused with aura.
The technique promoted healing and helped prevent long-term injuries from accumulating.
Silas had only recently begun using this method, but the results were immediate.
His Pokémon recovered noticeably faster with the assistance of his aura massages.
Silas and Jason took the opportunity to relax alongside their Pokémon.
They returned to the pond where Frogadier had previously played with the wild Pokémon.
Everyone entered the water, including Monferno.
Because of Frogadier's earlier visit, the Pokémon living around the pond were friendly toward the group, especially after tasting some of Silas' Pokéblocks.
Silas and Jason were truly enjoying their rare moment of peace. Since coming to the first continent, every Pokemon they encountered had been hostile.
This was a nice change of pace so Silas and Jason met the wild pokemons' sincerity with their own.
They played games and laughed together.
Frogadier was having an especially good time, it nearly brought a tear to his eyes. He felt like a proud father seeing his son making some friends on the playground.
Suddenly, the water became turbulent as 3 Pokémon rose from beneath the surface.
Silas immediately noticed 2 Pokémon that resembled far more muscular versions of Poliwhirl.
They were a pair of Poliwrath. Standing beside them was a green, frog Pokémon that emitted a distinctly regal aura.
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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 300k 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!