Roggenrola had finally passed its infancy stage, and just as Silas was about to start its training, his plans were suddenly interrupted.
"What? You want me to take your place on this year's S.S. Anne?" Silas stared at Brock, completely dumbfounded.
Brock scratched his head with an awkward smile. "Hehe, yeah, I've been a bit busy lately."
"The S.S. Anne invites Gym Leaders or their representatives every year for a luxury cruise it's sort of a social event. I was supposed to go, but I really don't have the time. You know my situation at home. Please, help me out here."
Brock clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture, looking at Silas with hope.
After nearly a month of getting to know each other, the two had become quite familiar. Beyond their roles, they were of similar age and shared common interests, making their interactions much more natural compared to when they first met.
"You're busy, and you think I'm not? I still have to train Roggenrola," Silas scoffed. "Besides, what's the point of me going?"
The last thing he wanted was to get involved in some social gathering filled with the offspring of the Pokémon League's elite. It was far too early for that.
"You really won't go?"
"Nope."
"Two million Pokédollars as a service fee."
"Deal."
As the saying goes, it's not about being too busy or unwilling it's just that the price wasn't high enough.
Silas immediately agreed to Brock's request. After all, it was a paying job, and the trip would only last a week.
Honestly, it was a good deal. The S.S. Anne was massive, and there was plenty of space for training. Plus, the accommodations were top-tier.
"I knew it! Do you really have to put a price on everything? It hurts our friendship, man." Brock sighed, clearly exasperated.
After a month, he had come to fully understand Silas's mindset this guy's soul was practically shaped like a giant money bag.
"This is fair compensation for labor. Talking about feelings hurts my wallet," Silas responded without shame. "You have no idea how hard it is to make money these days. Not all of us are rich like you, Mr. Gym Leader."
Brock waved him off and changed the subject. "By the way, there's going to be a tournament on the ship. The winner gets to choose any Evolution Stone and also gets a Charcoal with a 10% power boost."
"The sponsors are those rich guys from Slateport City. So unfair, man. They have way too much money."
Brock sounded casual, but he was clearly hinting at something.
Before he could take another step, Silas moved swiftly and tackled him to the ground.
"Hold on a second. So, this whole thing was just a setup to make me compete, huh?" Silas said, irritated.
"You wanna run? Go ahead. I'll even give you a head start, but I bet you won't escape."
"Ow, ow! If you win the tournament, you keep all the prizes! Plus, I'll raise the service fee to five million!" Brock yelped, immediately surrendering. He even used his trump card throwing money at the problem.
"Deal! Here, let me help you up. Be careful. My apologies." Silas's attitude did a complete 180, switching to full politeness in an instant.
Brock dusted himself off and snorted. "Tch, at least you know when to switch gears."
He pulled a ticket from his pocket and handed it to Silas. "Here, this is your ticket for the S.S. Anne. Don't lose it. There's only one."
"Don't worry." Silas knew exactly how valuable this ticket was.
Even without the competition prize or Brock's extra payment, just this one-week ticket alone was worth five million Pokédollars on the market.
And considering Brock's status, there was no way he got an ordinary ticket. It had to be a VIP suite pass, which easily went for over twelve million.
No wonder after all, the S.S. Anne was the most luxurious cruise ship in the world. It docked at Vermilion City's harbor only twice a year once to depart and once to return, with a week in between.
Everyone wanted a chance to board it. Kanto had no shortage of wealthy elites willing to spend a fortune just for the experience.
Silas suddenly had an idea. "What if I just sell this ticket?"
"If you dare sell it, I swear I'll beat you to death," Brock growled, his face immediately darkening.
Silas quickly raised his hands over his head in surrender, signaling that he understood and would never actually do something like that.
Brock could only sigh and shake his head. This was just part of Silas's personality calm and composed when it came to battles and training, but occasionally, his brain seemed to short-circuit.
"You better perform well in that tournament," Brock said. "At least bring some honor to Pewter Gym."
Silas raised an eyebrow. "Why does this matter to Pewter Gym?"
Brock explained briefly, "It's basically an annual gathering. Usually, Gym Leaders send their successors or, in cases like yours, someone they're investing in to represent them.
The trainers battle each other, and the older Gym Leaders and investors watch to see which young trainers have potential.
It's also a chance for the higher-ups to socialize.
Most of the competitors are around the same age. Anyone younger than 16 or older than 20 isn't allowed in the tournament. Based on your strength, you should be one of the top contenders."
Silas nodded, understanding the situation. Then a thought struck him. "Wait a minute—what's the tournament format?"
"Two-on-two battles for the early rounds. The semifinals and finals are three-on-three," Brock answered, looking a little awkward.
Silas gave him a deadpan stare. "Where am I supposed to find three Pokémon for the later rounds?"
"Roggenrola counts as one, doesn't it?" Brock argued. "And your Combusken and Pidgeotto are already strong no one can beat those two. You can let Roggenrola gain some experience along the way."
Brock knew he was making excuses, but he still tried to justify it.
Silas studied Brock for a moment before realization dawned on him. "Wait a second… you only have two Pokémon yourself, don't you? That's why you didn't want to go! You were afraid of losing and embarrassing yourself!"
"Shut up! I'm 16! Isn't it normal if I can't beat them?" Brock protested, his face turning red. "Besides, losing because of my age isn't something to be ashamed of.
And for your information, my Geodude has already reached the Standard-level tier, and my Onix just broke through to Advance-level!"
Brock launched into a passionate defense, but Silas wasn't listening anymore. Instead, he focused on the date printed on his ticket.
After confirming the details, he realized that the trip was still more than ten days away.
He calculated in his mind if he trained at Pewter Gym's facilities while following his planned schedule, Roggenrola should barely reach the Standard tier in time.
After all, leveling up was relatively easy in the early stages.Roggenrola mainly needed to absorb energy to prepare for evolution.
It should be fine for the tournament. With Pidgeotto and Combusken carrying the team, winning wasn't a priority. The important thing was showing loyalty to Brock.
"Besides, most of those guys aren't as strong as I am anyway," Brock continued.
"Hey, what's for lunch today?" Silas suddenly asked.
Brock was momentarily stunned but instinctively answered, "Braised potatoes with synthetic beef, stir-fried greens, and steamed Chansey eggs."
"Got it. I'm heading to training now—good luck with lunch."
"Alright."
Brock nodded and turned to go prepare the meal. The two of them had an agreement to take turns cooking lunch and dinner every day, and today was his turn.
But just as he took a step, something felt off. He quickly spun around, but by then, Silas was already gone no doubt deep into his training session.
Brock sighed and decided to let it go. He could always talk to Silas about it over lunch.
....
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