"Thanks." Silas gave Brock a simple thank you before turning to leave.
Brock didn't stop him, only narrowing his eyes as he watched Silas walk away.
Since Silas was still in Pewter City, Brock was sure he could find him again if needed.
But that wasn't his main concern right now. Checking the ti, Brock's expression suddenly changed.
"Uh-oh, it's almost dinner ti! I haven't even started cooking for my younger siblings!"
Without another word, Brock bolted off, dashing past Silas in a blur.
Hearing the sound of frantic footsteps, Silas turned just in ti to see Brock zoom past him.
He blinked in surprise. What's got him in such a rush?
Shrugging it off since it wasn't his business Silas continued toward the front desk.
Reaching the counter, he handed over his trainer ID.
The receptionist checked his information and then handed him both his ID and a small badge case.
"Congratulations, Trainer Silas. This is your official proof of victory."
Silas looked down at the Pewter Badge a rock-shaped emblem resembling a diamond. His excitent surged.
Even though he had expected this outco, actually holding his first badge in his hands was an entirely different feeling.
Flicking the badge into the air like a coin, he caught it smoothly before turning to leave.
The receptionist, watching his confident actions and handso face, found herself montarily dazed.
Stepping out of the Pewter Gym, Silas carefully placed the badge into his prepared badge case.
Even though all Gym victories were recorded in the League database, no serious trainer would ever risk losing their badges.
Because each one represented the hard work and growth of both trainer and Pokémon.
"I got the Pewter Badge!" Silas cheered internally as he walked through the streets of Pewter City.
If not for his sense of restraint especially considering he had technically lived for forty years across two lifetis he might have just shouted it out loud.
Suppressing his excitent, he quickened his pace toward the Pokémon Center.
Even though Combusken hadn't taken too much damage in the battle, the constant activation of Speed Boost had drained a lot of its stamina.
It needed Nurse Joy's care to fully recover.
Plus, after an entire day of traveling and battling, Silas himself was getting hungry.
After dropping Combusken off for treatnt using his priority trainer status, he retrieved his fully healed Pokémon and headed to the cafeteria.
Just as he was eating, a dark-skinned hand suddenly patted him on the shoulder from behind.
"Hm?" Silas turned around in confusion.
After all, he didn't really know anyone in Pewter City who would be greeting him?
"Hey there, Trainer Silas."
The person greeting him was none other than Brock, holding a tray of food.
"Oh, Brock. Hey."
Silas responded awkwardly. Social interactions weren't exactly his strong suit.
"Haha, mind if I join you?" Brock asked with a grin.
"Of course not. Please, have a seat." Silas gestured for him to sit.
Brock set his tray down and took a seat across from Silas.
"Let introduce myself properly. My na's Brock. I'm the son of the Pewter City Gym Leader. I'm 16, sa age as you."
"You can just call Brock. You don't mind if I call you Silas, right?"
Brock spoke casually while eating.
"Not at all," Silas replied stiffly between bites.
"You're not surprised? I an, that I'm the Gym Leader's son?" Brock asked curiously.
"Not really." Silas pulled out a Gym brochure and flipped to the middle section.
"Your na, photo, and introduction are all right here."
"Oh, haha… is that so?" Brock scratched his head, slightly embarrassed.
"So, Brock, was there sothing you wanted to talk about?"
Silas decided to get straight to the point. This kind of casual small talk was exhausting for him.
Having lived in this world for over a decade without making many friends, he was completely out of practice when it ca to conversation.
It felt like social anxiety in real-ti.
"Haha, well, nothing too serious." Brock chuckled at Silas's bluntness but continued naturally.
"I just wanted to get to know you better and exchange so insights on Pokémon training.
"Trainers as skilled as you aren't easy to co by, and your Combusken is exceptionally well-trained."
Brock took a bite of his food before pausing.
"I observed your Combusken carefully. Its feathers are thick, smooth, and have a healthy shine, which ans you take great care of it.
"From our battle, I roughly calculated its speed, muscle developnt, and Fire-type energy output it's far above the standard for its species.
"The most obvious indicator is the developnt of your Combusken's lower leg muscles. While I don't have scientific asurents, I'd estimate they're at least 1.4 tis stronger than a typical Blaziken of the sa age.
"Also, all of its moves are highly refined, and the way it chains attacks together is seamless.
"I'm really interested in your training thods. Your Combusken looks like it's only about three to four months old, yet it has already evolved into its second stage."
Brock continued speaking passionately, but Silas simply stared at him, montarily stunned.
Realizing he had been rambling, Brock quickly apologized.
"Sorry, sorry! My goal is to beco an outstanding Pokémon Breeder, so I can't help but get carried away when talking about this stuff."
Silas waved a hand dismissively. "No worries at all. Brock, your breeding skills are seriously impressive. You can see all that just with your eyes?"
"Ah, it's nothing special, really. It's just about paying close attention," Brock replied, scratching the back of his head, a little embarrassed.
"No, no, that's really amazing. Most people can't just eyeball that kind of data. You're way too modest," Silas insisted.
"N-no, really, it's just average… I…" Brock waved his hands frantically in denial.
The two went back and forth for a few rounds before finally laughing at each other.
"Hahaha, are we overdoing this a little?" Brock chuckled.
"Yeah, this is getting a bit ridiculous," Silas admitted with a laugh. "If you don't mind, we can share training strategies."
"Right now, my main focus for Combusken's developnt is on its Fighting-type abilities, with Fire-type as secondary. I'll probably train both types equally later on."
Before Brock could reply, Silas had already started explaining his Pokémon training experience.
"My initial training direction was speed enhancent. As you noticed, Blaziken has Speed Boost as its Hidden Ability. Combining that with Fighting-type moves, opponents quickly find themselves overwheld.
"So I prioritized enhancing its strengths while compensating for its relative weakness in mid-to-long-range combat.
"I use Shining Grass, combined with Mystic Powder and a mix of other ingredients, to improve Blaziken's speed.
"The main principle behind it is that Shining Grass…"
As Silas explained, Brock eagerly pulled out a notebook, jotting things down and occasionally interjecting with his own insights.
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