Silas recalled Krokorok into its Poké Ball before attaching the shrunken capsule to the back of his Pokédex.
Beep–beep–
_______________________________
Krokorok. The Desert Croc Pokémon. The evolved form of Sandile. Krokorok live in groups, and the membrane covering their eyes protects them from sandstorms.
Type: Ground/Dark.
Gender: Male.
Level: 30.
Height: 1.3 meters.
Weight: 45 kilograms.
Ability: Moxie.
Evaluation: Exceptional physical strength. Outstanding energy control.
Known moves: Sand Attack, Leer, Swagger, Bite, Rage, Torment, Sand Tomb, Pursuit, Crunch, Dig, Mud-Slap, Embargo, Taunt, Sandstorm, Hone Claws, Rock Tomb, Protect, Stomping Tantrum, Rock Slide, Hidden Power — Dragon.
Inherited moves: Mean Look, Focus Energy, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang.
_______________________________
Silas nodded slightly.
The changes were perfectly reasonable.
Krokorok's height and weight had increased dramatically after evolution, far surpassing ordinary members of its species.
In terms of sheer size, it was already approaching some smaller Krookodile But the biggest surprise was something else entirely–Sandstorm.
A weather move automatically learned after evolution. Weather techniques were incredibly important in professional Pokémon battles.
• Rain Dance.
• Sunny Day.
• Hail.
• Sandstorm.
These four weather systems were considered the foundation of countless advanced battle strategies.
Once activated, Sandstorm filled the battlefield with raging yellow winds that continuously damaged every Pokémon except Rock-, Ground-, and Steel-types.
Rock-types would even receive a significant Special Defense boost under the storm. Sandstorm teams were currently one of the hottest topics on trainer forums across the Hoenn region.
Of course Weather moves were notoriously difficult to master. They demanded extremely precise energy control.
Fortunately, Krokorok had consumed the Earth Vein Elixir long ago, giving it unusually high compatibility with Ground-type energy manipulation.
Combined with the massive boost brought by evolution itself ,The result was natural. Every Pokémon evolution was essentially a leap in life itself.
A transformation approaching biological perfection. The stronger a Pokémon became, the more refined and powerful its energy naturally turned.
Silas released Krokorok once more and looked at the newly evolved Pokémon with satisfaction.
"Krokorok, don't rush into training yet."
"Rok?"
"You've only just switched from walking on four legs to two. Spend the next few days adapting to your body first."
Silas carefully observed Krokorok's somewhat awkward movements. Pokémon whose body structures changed dramatically after evolution often needed time to adapt.
The most famous example was probably the Snivy evolutionary line. Servine still walked upright but Serperior lost its limbs entirely and needed to relearn movement from scratch.
Compared to that, Krokorok's changes weren't too extreme. Still, adapting to bipedal movement required adjustment.
....
Another day passed.
Soon, the orange glow of sunset covered the outskirts of Slateport City once more.
A dusty young trainer wearing Alliance exploration gear walked along the roadside while Umbreon followed quietly beside him.
This road had been opened and maintained by the Pokémon League. Every few kilometers, guard stations monitored travelers entering and leaving the wilderness.
Many trainers similar to Silas traveled this route daily. Most pedestrians instinctively looked at him with respect.
After all Any trainer capable of surviving for days alone in the wild was usually quite powerful.
At the checkpoint, several officers performed routine identity verification. Silas remained expressionless beneath their curious gazes.
After returning to Slateport City, the first thing he did was head straight for the Pokémon Center.
....
A hot shower later.
Silas finally felt human again. As for his dirty exploration clothes soaked with sweat and mud?
He directly handed them to the Pokémon Center laundry service. It cost a few Pokédollars, sure. But Silas valued time far more than such a tiny expense.
Lying on the bed afterward, he rubbed his temples tiredly.
"As expected… There's no way finding Absol would be that easy using information bought from an intelligence broker."
Even now, he still wanted to curse that shady black-market merchant again.
Still Silas opened the second intelligence file. The true reason he had come to Slateport City.Every detail regarding Captain Stern had already been memorized by heart.
In the end, his attention once again settled on the final piece of information.
[Captain Stern once posted a bounty through the League network, recruiting experienced sea trainers to explore a mysterious ocean location.]
A faint smile appeared on Silas's lips.
Perfect. As a former pirate, sailing and ocean survival were practically second nature to him.
Not to mention two of his three elite-level core Pokémon were Water-types. Using this bounty mission as his entry point was ideal.
Silas immediately got up and headed downstairs toward the Pokémon Center lobby.There, he approached the League's self-service mission terminal and accepted the bounty mission issued by Captain Stern.
Beep!
[Please report to the Oceanic Museum office before 9:00 AM tomorrow morning for further discussion.]
Silas narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
His plan for tomorrow had already begun forming in his mind.
Hopefully…Everything would proceed smoothly.
....
The next morning.
Silas stood in front of the magnificent Oceanic Museum of Slateport City.
"The vast ocean nurtures all life…"
He unconsciously read the famous slogan displayed outside the building.Inside the museum were countless marine exhibits.
•Ocean water samples.
•Sand and mineral displays.
•Ship models.
•Educational exhibits regarding marine Pokémon ecology.
Unfortunately Silas had absolutely no interest in any of it. After presenting proof of mission acceptance, he was quickly guided upstairs by a museum receptionist.
Soon, he finally met the target of this investigation.
Captain Stern.
The man appeared middle-aged, with tanned skin, brown hair, and a neatly pressed formal suit.
Silas's first impression was simple:
Strict.
Professional.
"Hello. You must be the trainer who accepted the mission?"
Captain Stern immediately stood to greet him politely.
However The moment he realized Silas was still quite young, suspicion naturally appeared in his eyes.
Silas calmly replied,
"My name is Silas."
"I'm an Elite-class trainer."
Only after Silas demonstrated enough confidence and composure did Stern's doubts ease slightly. The two finally sat down and began discussing the mission properly.
"My goal is to search a dangerous sea region for something important."
Captain Stern's expression gradually turned serious.
"But the ocean is vast and unpredictable."
"That's why I need several powerful trainers who specialize in naval and water combat."
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(End of chapter)