Percy smiled the moment Silas entered the office.
"I was waiting for that look on your face."
Silas stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. Of all the people he expected to see working the exchange counter on Trial Island, Percy had not been high on the list.
Percy leaned back in his chair with obvious satisfaction.
"You thought I would let an opportunity to train for a year in a month's time pass me by? Mr. Archer gave me this opportunity and I jumped at it."
Silas understood immediately.
"You lucky bastard. You don't have to face the wild if you don't want to. You actually have a pretty sweet deal."
The more he thought about it, the more obvious the advantages became. The staff members on Trial Continent had access to the same accelerated time environment without being forced into the dangerous wilderness.
They received safety, a weekly allowance, free access to facilities, and the ability to train for almost an entire year while only losing a month in the outside world.
It really was an ideal arrangement.
Percy gave him a pleased grin.
"Yeah, it's a dream come true, but anyway, let's get to business. There are other people waiting behind you."
Silas nodded and placed several pokeballs on the counter.
"I have 1 Rhyperior, 2 Rhydon, 3 Rhyhorn, 3 Sandslash, and 5 Sandshrew."
Percy whistled softly.
"Okay, you are doing pretty well for yourself. Let me scan them 1 by 1."
He took the pokeballs and began placing them into the scanning machine built into the desk. Each scan took around 30 seconds, during which the machine evaluated the pokemon's level, talent, health, combat value, and whether Team Rocket considered it worth acquiring. Silas watched silently as the results appeared one after another.
Eventually Percy finished and turned back toward him.
"For the Rhyperior, we can offer you 13,000 Trial Points. For 1 of the Rhydon, we can offer you 5,000. For 1 of the Sandslash, we can offer you 8,000, and for 1 of the Sandshrew, we can offer you 5,000. The rest of the pokemon don't fit our standards."
Percy tapped the side of the screen.
"This brings the total to 31,000. Do you accept?"
Silas was a little annoyed that only a portion of the pokemon qualified, but it made sense. Team Rocket was a powerful organization. They wouldn't waste time and resources on weaker pokemon that lacked long-term value.
"I accept."
The transaction completed quickly.
Silas checked his updated balance and saw that he now had 35,250 Trial Points.
That was a respectable amount.
He opened the purchase menu and immediately searched through the available TMs. After a brief review, he bought Rain Dance, Sunny Day, and 2 Protect TMs. The weather moves cost 10,000 points each while the Protect TMs cost 5,000 each, leaving him with 5,250 points.
The expense was heavy, but worthwhile.
Rain Dance and Sunny Day could alter the battlefield in powerful ways. Protect was useful for almost every pokemon. Silas had learned repeatedly that survival often came down to a single move at the right moment.
After concluding his business, Silas exchanged a few more words with Percy.
Before he left, Percy gave him one useful piece of free information.
The stronger and more talented pokemon lived in and around the mountainous areas.
Silas quietly committed the information to memory.
Outside the exchange office, Jessie and James were waiting. They had nothing they needed to purchase, so collectively the squad still had a little over 15,000 Trial Points.
There were only a few days left before the first official trial challenge, and Silas intended to use that time properly.
After encountering Rex again, he had been reminded how wide the gap between Elite Officers could be.
He needed to close that gap as quickly as possible.
Silas dismissed his squad for the time being.
Jessie, James, and Meowth could do whatever they wanted as long as they checked in with him before going anywhere dangerous.
He wanted them training independently rather than relying on his constant direction. If they were going to remain useful in the future, they had to continue growing as trainers in their own right.
After reserving a private training room, Silas entered alone.
The room was spacious, reinforced, and built to withstand repeated attacks from powerful pokemon. The walls were thick, the floor was durable, and the air carried the faint scent of metal and cleaning agents. It was exactly what he needed.
Silas released all of his pokemon.
Monferno, Electabuzz, Ursaring, Tropius, Frogadier, Excadrill, Scyther, Trapinch, Eevee, and the rest of his team appeared throughout the room.
Silas released the queen Beedrill and the remaining unsold pokemon.
He had made sure to keep the queen alive and healthy for a day like this.
The moment Beedrill appeared, she flung into a rage. She had been waiting, biding her time for the right opportunity.
Now she finally had a chance at revenge. Her first target was naturally Silas.
If she could kill the human, perhaps everything else could collapse afterward. It was a simple strategy, but against many trainers it might have worked.
Silas was different.
His aura flared through his body as Beedrill shot toward him with a sudden Poison Jab. The stinger flashed with venomous energy, aiming directly for his chest.
Silas narrowly dodged.
The attack passed close enough for him to feel the air shift beside him. As he avoided the strike, Electabuzz moved in immediately.
Thunder Punch landed against Beedrill before she could correct her momentum. Electricity crackled across her body, forcing her back.
The remaining Sandslash, Sandshrew, and Rhyhorn quickly understood the situation. If they didn't work with Beedrill, they would remain completely at the mercy of the human and his pokemon. Their only chance was cooperation.
A chaotic battle erupted.
Silas deliberately avoided giving too many commands.
This was a test.
He wanted to see how well his pokemon could respond under pressure without constant instruction and the results pleased him.
Monferno naturally positioned himself near Silas, intercepting Beedrill whenever she tried to rush the trainer again.
Frogadier moved through shadows and blind spots, using quick strikes to disrupt enemies before vanishing. Scyther and Excadrill handled the faster threats, while Ursaring simply overwhelmed anything foolish enough to face him directly.
Tropius focused on support, maintaining the condition of the battlefield and creating openings for her teammates when necessary.
Electabuzz monitored Beedrill carefully, stepping in whenever she became too dangerous. Eevee remained alert near the rear, charging Calm Mind and looking for safe chances to contribute.
Silas watched closely.
His pokemon had grown well. Without much prompting, they won the battle.
Still, victory wasn't clean. The captured pokemon were desperate, and the queen Beedrill was especially vicious. By the end, many of Silas' pokemon were injured, though none seriously.
Silas treated everyone with Hyper Potions and Berry Juice before beginning again.
The training continued for several hours.
Each battle was slightly different. Sometimes Beedrill attempted to target Silas immediately. Other times she waited for an opening.
The Ground types grew more coordinated with each round, understanding that they needed to create space for one another rather than charge mindlessly.
This was precisely what Silas wanted.
Live combat training. Controlled danger, it was real pressure without excessive risk.
His pokemon learned faster this way. They had to react to unpredictable enemies, deal with chaotic movement, and protect their trainer while still pursuing victory. It was exhausting, but the benefits were obvious.
During 1 of the battles, a Rhyhorn suddenly lowered its head and charged directly at Silas.
It had found a gap. For a brief moment, the massive pokemon had a clear path.
Silas prepared to dodge, but Eevee moved first.
She darted forward with Quick Attack, striking Rhyhorn from the side to shift its momentum.
The impact alone wasn't enough to stop it, so she quickly followed with Double Kick. The Fighting type attack landed cleanly, disrupting Rhyhorn's trajectory and forcing it to stumble.
Eevee didn't stop there. Psychic energy gathered around her body. She had already built up Calm Mind earlier in the fight.
Stored Power erupted. Orbs of Psychic energy gathered around Eevee before shooting forwards Rhyhorn. The attack struck him head on, blasting back until he collapsed.
Silas smiled in satisfaction.
Eevee had handled the situation perfectly.
Suddenly, a bright light began glowing from her body.
Silas' eyes sharpened.
This was what he had been waiting for.
He quickly produced the potential potion Hermes had prepared.
Hermes had been working in the background to improve the evolution result, and this was the first proper iteration. Since it was designed for a future psychic pokemon, the base ingredient had been the Cerulean psychic crystals.
Unfortunately, creating the concoction had used up all of the remaining crystals.
At least he still had a solid reserve of Phoenix Lake water.
Silas moved quickly.
"Eevee, drink this."
Eevee trusted her trainer completely so she consumed the liquid without hesitation. The glow surrounding her body immediately grew stronger.
Dense psychic energy began gathering around her. You could feel it in the air.
Beedrill saw the opportunity.
Even after hours of battling, her hatred hadn't diminished. She surged forward in another desperate attack, ignoring everyone else in an attempt to strike either Silas or the evolving Eevee.
Monferno and Ursaring blocked her path.
Silas gave a direct order.
"Monferno, switch to support. Defend Eevee."
Monferno immediately shifted roles. His entire focus became protection.
Whenever the queen Beedrill tried to attack from the front, Flamethrower forced her back. When she attempted to circle around, Aura Sphere intercepted her.
If one of the Ground-l types tried to take advantage of the distraction, Ursaring, Scyther, or Frogadierwould cut them off.
No matter how they tried, nobody could get past Monferno.
The evolving Eevee remained protected at the center of the room.
Silas allowed the rest of the battle to continue until the captured pokemon were defeated again. Once it concluded, he didn't restore them fully this time.
He only healed them enough to prevent lasting damage before returning them to their pokeballs.
The room finally settled.
Everyone turned toward Eevee.
The light surrounding her body pulsed steadily. Dense waves of psychic energy began leaking from the evolution glow.
At first it was only a faint pressure.m but then it grew stronger.
The energy spread across the training room until every corner was covered in it. The air shimmered faintly, and Silas could feel the psychic power brushing against his mind like a tide.
Electabuzz suddenly looked toward him.
"Boss, I believe this will be beneficial to us as psychics if we absorb this."
Silas' eyes narrowed with interest.
He could feel it too. This wasn't ordinary energy. This was the excess psychic power being released during Eevee's transformation.
A rare opportunity had appeared. Silas glanced toward the glowing figure at the center of the room.
Eevee's evolution had begun to change everything around her.
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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 100k views and chapter 100.
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!