WebNovels

Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Gratitude

The next morning came early.

Silas woke before the sun, preparing simple meals for his Pokémon before tending to himself. Standing before the mirror, he combed his messy black hair and studied the reflection that stared back.

At 175 centimeters, he was tall for his age-seventeen, with more growing left to do. His features weren't strikingly handsome, but they carried a clean, delicate charm. The boyishness of his face softened him, even as his eyes betrayed something far older.

When he smiled, he looked no different from any other trainer. But when his expression hardened, the sharp glint in his gaze could send a chill through anyone who met it. There was no reckless passion of youth in those eyes-only restraint and calculation.

"Eevee, let's go."

"Eevee~!"

The little fox leapt lightly onto his shoulder, curling close against his neck. Silas checked his belongings one last time and left his room.

Breakfast at the Pokémon Center passed quietly. As always, the meal was free for registered trainers. Silas offered Nurse Joy a polite smile on his way out. She returned it, but there was a shadow in her eyes, a faint melancholy. Silas chose to pretend he hadn't noticed, leaving without comment.

The streets were lively as he made his way toward Rustboro's Trainer Academy. Passersby recognized him, greeting him warmly. Silas returned their nods, his steps measured.

It wasn't the school's grandeur that unsettled him this time. It was the memory of the slums he had passed just half an hour earlier-muddy alleys, half-starved children, roofs patched with scraps of tin.

And now, here stood polished gates, flowerbeds blooming with rare herbs, and towers of black stone carved with League emblems.

One city, two worlds.

The contrast gnawed at him.

The Academy's students noticed him as he walked in, their curious eyes following. Girls whispered about him, giggling. He even overheard a few boys boast about getting rare Pokémon from their families' breeding bases, offering to "give away a couple" as if they were common Caterpie from the roadside.

Silas's lips tightened. In his eyes, this world was twisted.

At sixteen, every youth received their first Pokémon. But from there, paths split sharply. Some became Travelers-ordinary trainers who journeyed, fought, and scraped together strength badge by badge. The others became Academics-like the students here-whose families bought them places in schools like this. They didn't need badges; a graduation letter from the Academy was enough to enter the League Conference.

For most commoners, traveling was a death sentence. A few clawed their way to the top, but most were swallowed by the wilds, their lives ending in obscurity. The unlucky ones recognized reality too late. Others turned to the underground, smuggling Pokémon, joining syndicates, or becoming hunters.

In this world, raising a Pokémon wasn't about catching it. Even a Caterpie cost thousands of Pokedollars but the food, medicines, and training far outweighed its price. Buying a Pokémon wasn't the test. Raising one was.

Was this world fair? The answer was written in the League's own system.

Children of wealthy families had their paths carved in stone from the age of six. Pay two hundred thousand a year until sixteen, and they became "League direct descendants," gifted a starter and privileges. They would grow into the League's backbone, nails hammered into the structure of its unshakable power.

Silas looked at the students around him, smiling brightly as if the world belonged to them. His thoughts drifted back to the starved beggars in the slums.

No pity stirred in his chest. No envy. Only gratitude.

Gratitude for the memories of his past life, and the literacy they gave him in this world.

Gratitude for becoming a pirate instead of a cog crushed under the League's weight.

For meeting Madam Mira and inheriting the knowledge she had passed down.

For saving May, winning Norman's recognition, and breaking through the League's blockade with Petalburg's support.

For drawing the Joy family's attention and boarding their ship of investment. Rotten it may be, but sturdy enough to sail.

"Eevee~!"

The little fox's cheerful cry pulled him back to the present. Silas reached up and scratched her chin gently, earning a delighted flick of her tail.

By then, the Academy staff had guided him into the heart of the campus. Flowerbeds lined the path, rare medicinal plants blooming between them.

A grand fountain stood at the center, crowned by a statue of Ludicolo spouting streams of water. Luvdisc swam in the pool below, flashes of pink darting through the spray.

At last, they reached a tall, dark-styled teaching building, its design echoing Rustboro's stone-heavy architecture.

"Sir, your Eevee is truly well-bred," the guide remarked, breaking the long silence.

Silas blinked at the middle-aged man in faint surprise. Even a staffs here could speak like a breeder. Then again, this was Rustboro's Trainer Academy.

He gave a small nod. "You flatter me."

And with that, he stepped forward, ready for whatever came next.

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(End of chapter)

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