"Monferno, combine Aura Sphere and Flamethrower and release it at the last second."
Frank's eyes widened as he realized something was wrong.
Monferno didn't attempt to dodge or retreat. Instead, the fire pokemon stood his ground.
Staraptor descended like a blue meteor.
The Reckless ability amplified the power of Brave Bird even further. The attack carried enough force to seriously injure or incapacitate most pokemon of the same level.
The spectators instinctively leaned forward in anticipation of the collision.
Boom!
For a moment, it appeared as though Staraptor had completely overwhelmed Monferno but everyone noticed something strange. He was still standing tall.
His feet had dug into the ground while his hands held Staraptor by its wings.
The bird pokemon struggled furiously. Monferno slid backward several feet from the impact, but he never let go.
At the same time, blue energy gathered inside his mouth.
Frank realized the gravity of the situation far too late.
Monferno opened his mouth as the aura infused Flamethrower erupted. Unlike a normal Flamethrower, the attack possessed far greater density and force.
Blue flames engulfed Staraptor at point blank range. It had no way to avoid the attack. The explosion launched Staraptor across the battlefield.
It crashed violently into the ground several dozen feet away. Even after the impact, blue flames continued dancing across Staraptor's feathers.
The spectators gasped. They had never seen a fire attack like that before.
One older trainer quickly reacted.
"Poliwhirl, Water Gun."
A stream of water extinguished the remaining flames before permanent damage could occur.
Frank stared at the unconscious Staraptor and for several seconds he remained silent.
Then Silas spoke.
"You thought my Monferno was defenseless because he was in pain."
Frank's expression darkened.
"So you charged recklessly."
Monferno breathed heavily, those last few exchanges had cost him. What nobody realized was that Monferno had secretly used Aura to reinforce himself before the collision.
His aura training had finally produced results. He no longer required intense emotions to access his Aura.
By combining Aura Sphere with his Fire-type attacks, he could dramatically increase their power.
Likewise, he could channel Aura through his body to temporarily increase his durability.
Monferno had used nearly half his Aura reserves to survive Brave Bird and hold Staraptor in place.
The trade-off was worthwhile.
To everyone else, it simply appeared that Monferno was absurdly tough.
Frank recalled Staraptor.
His irritation was becoming increasingly difficult to conceal.
"Nidorina, use Poison Tail."
The poison type immediately lunged forward.
"Electabuzz, Psychic."
Purple energy appeared around Nidorina.
Compared to Gyarados, lifting Nidorina was easy.
The pokemon froze in midair as her legs kicked frantically, finding nothing to push off of.
"Monferno, Flamethrower."
A stream of fire crossed the battlefield. Without the ability to dodge, Nidorina took the attack directly and the flames exploded across her body.
When the attack ended, she attempted to stand. For a brief moment, it looked like she might continue fighting but she ultimately collapsed.
The battle was over.
Silas immediately tossed several Pecha Berries toward Monferno.
The poison from Poison Fang was no joke. This wasn't ordinary poison. The toxin would continue strengthening over time. Without treatment, it could become genuinely dangerous.
This wasn't the video games, allowing poison to spread would do more than cause your Pokémon to faint.
Monferno eagerly devoured the berries. Color slowly returned to his face.
Frank recalled Nidorina in silence.
The spectators erupted into applause.
The battle had been entertaining from start to finish.
Silas stretched lazily.
"The battle was fun."
Then he smiled.
"But I'd love to have my prizes now."
Several people laughed.
Frank, however, looked like he wanted to murder someone. Reluctantly, he reached into a case beneath the bridge. He handed over a giant nugget and the TM for Psych Up.
Silas happily accepted both.
The murderous aura radiating from Frank became even stronger.
Rather than easing tensions, Silas decided to make things worse.
"Please challenge me again sometime."
Frank's eye twitched.
"I have a need for many TMs and rare items."
Silas pocketed the rewards.
"Your donations to my success will always be remembered, friend."
Several nearby trainers burst out laughing.
Frank took a step forward with his fists clenched. For a moment, it genuinely looked like he might attack.
His Nidorina surprisingly intervened.
The weakened pokemon placed herself between Frank and Silas.
She stared directly into her trainer's eyes and after several seconds, Frank finally calmed down. Their bond was clearly strong.
However Frank's hostile gaze never disappeared.
Silas sighed internally.
"This guy makes a fortune from this bridge challenge and reacts like this over a mild loss."
He shook his head.
"So be it."
Silas had long accepted a simple philosophy. He avoided trouble whenever possible but he would never fear it. If Frank became a problem later, he would deal with him.
The giant nugget and TM disappeared into his backpack. Or at least that's what everyone thought. In reality, both went directly into system storage.
Silas checked his gains.
His BP reached 505.
"Hermes."
"Yes, host."
"Keep active counts of my money, Team Rocket points, and BP from now on."
"This function has been implemented."
A moment later Hermes responded.
"Host currently possesses 4 million Pokédollars, 505 BP, and 2.03 million Team Rocket Points."
Silas couldn't help smiling.
Those numbers would have been unimaginable a month ago but now they were merely the beginning.
Leaving Nugget Bridge behind, Silas continued toward Cerulean Cape. The route became quieter the farther he traveled. Wild pokemon occasionally appeared but they were mostly too weak to pose a threat.
None exceeded level 25. The system didn't even award BP for most of the battles since the level difference was simply too large.
Silas quickly realized the rule. Defeating sufficiently weak opponents yielded zero points. The system encouraged challenging stronger enemies, not bullying the weak.
A small flash of movement caught his attention. A Yanma darted through the tall grass.
Silas quickly scanned it.
It was at level 17 with the Speed Boost ability and a solid potential of B-.
His eyes immediately lit up.
That was a pokemon worth catching. After a brief battle, the capture succeeded.
Silas examined the Pokeball thoughtfully.
Yanmega were terrifying aerial predators. With Speed Boost, they were hard to deal with in the sky.
The trip continued peacefully afterward. Several trainers recognized him from Nugget Bridge leading to no challenges. Instead, they whispered among themselves.
Silas overheard snippets of conversation.
"I still think Odin is stronger."
"No way. This guy beat the entire bridge challenge."
"I heard Odin has a Froakie."
"I heard this guy has a Monferno."
Silas nearly laughed.
If they only knew. Silas understood that both himself and the persona of Odin had gained a reputation at the nugget bridge.
Eventually the road emptied and other trainers remained nearby. Silas switched identities while no one was around.
Now Odin walked along the path with Teddiursa and Frogadier accompanying him.
Frogadier spent the journey practicing Shadow Sneak. The frog pokemon repeatedly slipped into Silas' shadow, only to emerge moments later.
The move was becoming increasingly stable.
Before, Frogadier could only remain hidden for a few minutes. Now he managed six minutes comfortably. The improvement pleased Silas greatly.
Versatile moves like Shadow Sneak had countless uses.
Half an hour later, Cerulean Cape finally came into view.
Silas paused.
Even after seeing countless beautiful locations in this world, the view remained breathtaking.
The grassy meadow stretched toward towering cliffs. Below, waves crashed endlessly against the rocks.
The sea extended toward the horizon without end. Wildflowers swayed in the coastal wind.
Small pokemon darted through the grass. At the edge of the cape sat Bill's cottage.
It was simple and peaceful, perfect for someone like Bill.
Silas understood immediately why Bill lived here. Even someone who enjoyed cities would eventually grow attached to this view.
Approaching the cottage, he knocked. Immediately chaos erupted inside.
Silas could hear objects crashing on the ground. Someone ran into what sounded like a wall. Then came a familiar voice.
"Be right there!"
A few moments later the door opened. Bill looked pleasantly surprised.
"Odin!"
"Good to see you again."
Bill stepped aside enthusiastically.
"I wasn't expecting company, but come on in."
"Welcome to my humble abode."
Silas entered alongside his pokemon. The interior looked exactly as expected.
Computers occupied nearly every available surface. Wires were all over the floor. Various prototypes of random machines sat partially assembled in corners. Despite the clutter, the cottage felt strangely comfortable.
Large windows overlooked the ocean allowing natural sunlight to fill the room.
"Hermes."
"Ready."
"Prepare to hack any accessible data."
The AI silently began working. Meanwhile Silas focused on Bill.
The easiest way to gain information was through genuine conversation.
Fortunately, he actually enjoyed talking about pokemon.
"I've always been fascinated by Eevee."
That immediately caught Bill's attention.
The scientist visibly brightened.
For the next several hours they discussed evolution.
Known Eeveelutions, evolution triggers, genetic potential, environmental mutations/adaptions, they discussed everything.
Bill enthusiastically explained his theories.
"Eevee adapts."
He gestured toward a chart.
"That's its defining trait."
Bill pointed toward several notes.
"My data suggests entirely new forms should exist."
Silas nodded.
He genuinely agreed.
The scientist continued.
"An Eevee raised in a desert environment should theoretically evolve into a Ground-type or Rock-type."
Bill sighed.
"I've attempted simulations."
"Unfortunately, something is missing."
Silas thought for a moment before answering honestly.
"There's nothing like the real thing."
Bill blinked.
"The Hoenn desert is enormous."
Silas shrugged.
"Why not spend some time there?"
"Even if the experiment fails, you'll learn something."
Bill froze.
Then suddenly stood up.
"You're right."
He stared at the notes.
"The real environment, of course."
A wide grin spread across his face.
"Thank you, Odin."
Silas smiled.
Sometimes the simplest answer really was the correct one.
The discussion shifted.
"What about Dragon types?"
Silas asked.
Bill immediately became interested.
"If an Eevee grows up in the Dragon's Den of Johto, could it become Dragon-type?"
The scientist's eyes widened.
Silas continued.
"What about Pokémon Tower? What if an Eevee spent its life surrounded by Ghost-types?"
Bill immediately began taking notes.
The conversation exploded from there.
Theory after theory.
At several points, Hermes quietly took over portions of the discussion but it was mostly Silas' insider knowledge as a transmigrator.
Silas realized he himself was a bit of a pokémaniac. First with Dr. Nery and now with Bill, he had lost himself in spirited debates about Pokémon.
The conversation eventually shifted toward technology. Bill explained the Pokémon Storage System he designed.
Finally, topic of the teleporter came up. This was Silas' true objective so he listened carefully, occasionally asking questions.
Bill happily obliged. At one point, Silas examined several prototypes directly.
Everything went as planned. Hermes quietly copied everything. Still, Silas never expected to get access so easily.
Data, blueprints, schematics, research notes, they were all now copied within Hermes.
By the end of the evening, roughly twenty percent of Bill's database had been copied.
More importantly, they obtained the teleporter blueprints. This trip was well worth it.
Mission accomplished with minimal risk. Silas almost felt like it was too easy and a trap but quickly shook off the idea. If Hermes wasn't a factor then it would be possible but his data theft was impossible to trace.
6 full hours passed before either of them noticed. Darkness covered the ocean outside.
Bill laughed.
"I didn't realize it was so late."
Neither had Silas. Or at least he pretended not to. Eventually Odin made an excuse to leave.
The two exchanged contact information with the possibility of future discussions and or collaboration. They parted on excellent terms.
Silas actually felt slightly guilty. Bill was a decent person. A genuine pokemaniac.
Unfortunately, opportunities like that couldn't be ignored.
The walk back to base felt considerably shorter. Silas was in an excellent mood. The mission had gone almost perfectly.
When he arrived, he immediately sought out Dr. Nery. The scientist looked up from his workstation. Silas handed over a USB drive.
"I completed the assignment."
Dr. Nery frowned.
"What assignment?"
"The teleporter."
Silas smiled.
"The blueprints."
The scientist stared.
Then laughed nervously.
"Please, Odin."
His expression turned serious.
"Don't joke about things like that."
"How did you get them?"
"Dr. Nery, we are friends but everyone has their own secrets. All I can say is that I am not lying to you."
"If you're serious, I need to run tests immediately."
Silas remained calm.
Dr. Nery looked unconvinced. Still, he accepted the drive. A moment later the data appeared on a large monitor.
The scientist froze then called out frantically.
"Everyone!"
Several researchers rushed into the room.
Within minutes the laboratory became crowded. The scientists examined the files and compared notes as they whispered among themselves. Then one of them suddenly spoke.
"Where did you get this?"
Another interrupted.
"These are teleporter blueprints."
A third scientist pushed forward.
"This is genius."
The room exploded into discussion. Nobody paid attention to Silas anymore. They were completely absorbed by the technology.
Silas simply stood quietly.
The mission had succeeded.