If Silas's eyesight hadn't failed him just now, then the man in black who had slipped into his blind spot and vanished should have been a Team Rocket grunt.
As for how he could tell it was Team Rocket
Honestly, he could never understand why every member of a dark organization like Team Rocket insisted on wearing clothes emblazoned with a bright red "R."
Some of them were ridiculously large, too.
Wasn't that just begging people to recognize them?
But from another perspective, it was precisely because of this behavior that Team Rocket's notoriety spread so widely.
One shouldn't think that dark organizations don't need fame.
Otherwise, why would there have been the concept of "claiming responsibility" in his previous life?
Dark organizations also need fresh blood.
The greater your notoriety, the more people are drawn to join you, only then can the organization maintain a positive cycle.
Although talking about a "positive cycle" for a criminal organization sounded strange, that was simply how things worked.
Major dark organizations across different regions all operated this way.
Of course, aside from Team Rocket, most large-scale criminal organizations only wore their distinctive uniforms while on missions.
For example, Team Magma's uniforms were deep red, emblazoned with their emblem.
The symbol roughly resembled a stylized "M," with thicker sides or perhaps a mountain range, representing their pursuit of Groudon, the creator of the land.
Then there was Team Aqua, also known as the Aqua Gang. Team Magma's sworn enemy.
Their uniforms resembled sailor outfits, with blue-and-white stripes.
Every member wore a cap marked with Team Aqua's emblem.
The symbol looked like an oval with a small triangular protrusion on top and two bone-like legs extending downward.
As sworn rivals, Team Aqua's target was naturally Kyogre, the creator of the seas.
Among all known criminal organizations, only Team Rocket treated their uniform as everyday wear.
Silas suspected this had something to do with Giovanni's internal policies after taking control of the organization.
Whenever a Team Rocket member was arrested, the organization always found a way—whether through force or bail to get them out of prison.
With little fear of long-term consequences, it became entirely normal for Team Rocket members to wear their uniforms openly.
In fact, in the Kanto region, people had grown so accustomed to seeing Team Rocket members in uniform that they barely reacted anymore.
As some put it.
"You haven't done anything yet. Let's talk after you do."
It sounded a bit passive, but that was the reality of how lenient Pokémon world laws could be.
Moreover, Team Rocket generally adhered to a rule of avoiding harm to innocent civilians.
Naturally, the Pokémon League was unhappy with this situation.
The "boy who cried wolf" effect from Silas's previous life applied perfectly here.
If this continued, when Team Rocket finally made a major move, the League might not be able to respond in time.
As a result, the League introduced a series of countermeasures targeting Team Rocket.
These included but were not limited to—rewarded reporting.
That was why Giovanni was so formidable.
Under his leadership, Team Rocket had climbed an astonishing number of tiers.
Silas rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
That said, why would Team Rocket appear here?
Although Azalea Town's Gym was officially recognized as one of Johto's eight Gyms, that wasn't because the town was ancient or prosperous.
It was purely because Bugsy, the Gym Leader, was exceptionally strong.
To put it bluntly, Azalea Town had very few defining features.
The only truly noteworthy thing was that Kurt lived here year-round.
Beyond that, there was Slowpoke Well, where Slowpoke lived in groups, and the Charcoal Workshop, which had developed thanks to the extinct volcano behind the town.
Yes—Charcoal, the item that boosts the power of Fire-type moves.
That workshop's recipe was unique.
If it weren't for that, Azalea Town's economy would likely rank near the bottom of Johto.
So…Was Team Rocket targeting the Charcoal Workshop?
Silas pondered for a moment.
It wasn't impossible.
Pokémon items—especially something as widely applicable as Charcoal, were extremely tempting.
Every year, Azalea Town's Officer Jennys arrested countless individuals with ill intentions toward the workshop.
It wasn't hard to imagine Team Rocket plotting something similar.
And then
Silas decisively chose to report it.
After all, he was a law-abiding League citizen.
When in doubt, call the police that was an essential survival skill.
"You're saying you spotted signs of Team Rocket in Azalea Town?"
Officer Jenny listened to Silas's report with a stern expression.
"Yes."
Silas nodded.
"A man, roughly 175 centimeters tall, slim build. There was a small 'R' emblem on the upper left side of his chest. Most likely a standard grunt."
He added details about the Team Rocket member he had seen.
Although it was only a brief glimpse, Silas possessed near-eidetic memory.
If he didn't even have that much going for him, he felt he might as well go home.
"So Team Rocket has their eyes on Charcoal now too…"
Just like Silas, Azalea Town's Officer Jenny reached the same conclusion.
After all, there really wasn't much else here worth targeting.
It was a somewhat sad reality.
That said, for an Officer Jenny eager to catch Team Rocket, this was good news.
She immediately picked up her communicator.
"This is Unit Eight. We have a report of Team Rocket activity in town. Patrol Point Two, increase alert level.
Repeating: Team Rocket activity confirmed. Patrol Point Two, increase alert level."
She acted decisively, notifying her extended network.
"Thank you very much for your report, Trainer Silas. We will implement defensive measures immediately."
Officer Jenny stood and saluted him.
"You're welcome. It's my duty."
Silas nodded in return.
As he turned and left the police station, the Officer Jenny who had taken the report sat back down.
"Unit Eight, confirm the reliability of the report."
A voice came through the communicator.
"Confirmed. The reporting party is Silas Alaric, from Viridian City, Kanto."
Officer Jenny replied calmly.
"Understood."
The communicator quickly fell silent.
That name alone was enough to guarantee a high degree of credibility.
Even if the report turned out to be incorrect, the police station wouldn't suffer any real losses.
After all, it was currently a peak period for attacks on the Charcoal Workshop.
No one knew whether it was because summer had arrived and many people wanted to capture Fire-type Pokémon, causing the demand for Charcoal to skyrocket.
Where there was demand, there was a market and where there was a market, there were always people willing to risk their lives for money.
Strengthening defenses was indeed urgent.
The only difference was that the timing had been moved forward, which naturally meant more resources would be used.
It wasn't that the Jenny family treated people differently based on status.
The reality was simply that police manpower was limited—Officer Jenny couldn't mobilize massive defensive forces just because of any random report.
At times like this, Silas's reputation and identity naturally carried far more weight than an ordinary person's.
Especially since Officer Jenny didn't believe Silas would fabricate something like this just to toy with her.
Meanwhile, Silas, who had just left the police station, never imagined that his first stop in Azalea Town would be the local police office.
If outsiders heard about it, they might even think he had committed a crime.
"Hmm… I should visit Kurt's house first."
At a fork in the road, Silas glanced at the map, hesitating between visiting the Gym or going to Kurt's place.
He made his decision quickly.
The Gym could be challenged anytime but Kurt might not be available.
From what Silas understood, handcrafting Poké Balls was not something that could be finished in a few hours.
It was a process measured in days.
Combined with the number of Apricorns he had on hand, Silas was already prepared to stay in Azalea Town for quite some time.
Walking northwest along one of the town's few main roads, Silas soon arrived at the home of Kurt, the master craftsman of handmade Poké Balls.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary wooden cabin.
What stood out was the thin black smoke constantly rising from behind it.
Kurt was probably working on Poké Balls.
Silas hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should knock.
"Big brother, are you here to see Grandpa?"
A soft, childlike voice suddenly came from a window on the side of the house.
Silas turned his head and saw a very cute little girl.
Her hair was tied on both sides with bow-like knots that seemed far too big for her small head.
"Yes," Silas replied with a smile.
He didn't expect a child who looked only three or four years old to give him much of a response but since she had called him big brother, being polite was only natural.
"Grandpa is busy right now. If you're a guest, please come back in the afternoon."
Hearing the little girl recite this as if she had memorized it, Silas scratched his head.
Well… that couldn't be helped.
"Maizie, who are you talking to?"
A deep voice suddenly sounded.
"A very, very pretty big brother," the little girl replied as she turned her head.
"Oh?"
A man wearing work clothes, with bright silver hair, leaned toward the window.
It was Kurt.
"…You are?"
He frowned slightly.
"Hello, Mr. Kurt. My name is Silas Alaric. I came here because—"
Silas quickly began introducing himself, but before he could finish, Kurt interrupted him.
"I know. Professor Oak and Mr. Pokémon have both mentioned you."
Kurt's stern expression—caused by seeing his granddaughter talking to a stranger softened noticeably.
If two of his old friends had both brought up this Trainer, then Silas could be considered half an insider.
"Come in."
Kurt made a gesture.
He operated something on the wall, and the door opened with a click.
"Sorry for the intrusion."
Silas spoke politely.
"Maizie, how many times have I told you not to talk to strangers? Why won't you listen?"
As they entered, Kurt's lecturing voice echoed through the room.
"But Grandpa, that big brother is really pretty—he doesn't look like a bad person…"
Maizie timidly tried to argue back.
Well—kids were kids.
Even when describing a handsome guy, "pretty" was the only word that came to mind.
Silas just found it amusing.
"You can't judge whether someone is good or bad by their appearance alone."
Kurt continued instructing his granddaughter.
"But Grandpa, you let the big brother come in."
Maizie tilted her small head, clearly confused.
Kurt sighed.
Fine, kids would think what they wanted.
At least inside the house, there was no danger.
Unless this person wanted to face the combined wrath of both Kurt and his son.
And that was not something an ordinary person could withstand.
Kurt had no shortage of powerful friends—Professor Oak, Agatha, and other renowned Pokémon Professors and elite Trainers among them.
Not to mention that the son Kurt often referred to as "useless" was actually the chief scientist of Silph Co.
And Silph Co. would never hesitate to provide support for its chief scientist.
"So, you came here to have me make Poké Balls for you?"
Kurt turned his gaze toward Silas.
His tone was noticeably less gentle than when he spoke to his granddaughter.
That rigid, craftsman-like aura made him seem rather stern.
"Yes."
Silas nodded obediently.
He then took out the bag of Apricorns that Mr. Pokémon had given him.
Kurt took the bag from Silas and opened it.
His eyebrow twitched.
"That Mr. Pokémon…"
Kurt muttered irritably.
"Come with me to the back."
He turned and walked toward the back door.
"Maizie, don't talk to strangers anymore, okay?"
He reminded her once more.
"Okaaay—!"
Maizie dragged out her response in dissatisfaction.
Silas followed Kurt quickly.
When the back door opened, a somewhat cluttered backyard came into view.
A massive furnace stood in the center, operating continuously.
Beside it stood a neatly dressed young man.
To put it nicely, his outfit was refreshing—
in reality, he looked like an elegant version of a Bug Catcher.
Except this "young man" had a very different identity.
"Gym Leader Bugsy?"
Silas recognized him instantly.
Hearing the voice, Bugsy turned his gaze over.
"Oh, Mr. Kurt, you're back already. And this Trainer is…?"
He hesitated.
"…Are you Trainer Silas from Kanto?"
"Yes. Hello, Gym Leader Bugsy. I'm Silas Alaric from Viridian City."
Silas greeted him respectfully.
"Hello, hello."
Bugsy replied with a smile, his voice carrying that uniquely androgynous tone.
One should never underestimate this Bug-type Gym Leader.
As mentioned before, the reason Azalea Gym was recognized as one of Johto's eight official Gyms had nothing to do with the town itself, It was entirely because Bugsy's strength was terrifyingly high.
He was widely regarded as the Gym Leader most likely to become a future member of the Johto Elite Four.
...
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