Couriway Town, located in the southeastern corner of the Kalos region, was a town half surrounded by mountains, rivers, and waterfalls.
To get there, one either had to take a train or rely on the power of Pokémon.
Since Silas had Cyclizar, he naturally chose the latter.
The town itself was extremely lively, filled with tourists from all over the world who had come just to admire the massive waterfalls.
Because of this, one could encounter characteristics from various regions throughout Couriway Town.
For example, the extremely famous group of Magikarp vendors from Kanto stood by the roadside, loudly advertising and selling their Magikarp.
It was said that someone once bought a Magikarp from them that knew moves other than Splash.
However, most people believed that this was nothing more than a fabricated story meant to raise prices.
After all, it was common knowledge that Magikarp could not use any moves other than Splash.
"Sir, can these Magikarp really evolve into Gyarados?"
"Of course."
The Magikarp salesman patted his chest and enthusiastically introduced them.
"Look at how healthy these Magikarp are. And see this unique golden scale. It is the symbol of royalty among Magikarp. These are special individuals that have mastered moves beyond Splash."
Seeing Silas showing interest, the man began spinning his lies effortlessly.
"Right now, not 9999, not 8888, you can take home a royal Magikarp for just 999."
"But sir, the golden scale on this Magikarp looks like the color is fading."
At that moment, the salesman realized he was being teased. He waved his hand dismissively.
"Go, go. If you are not buying, do not waste my time. Go somewhere else."
After teasing the Magikarp vendor, Silas felt quite pleased and continued strolling around while humming a tune.
There was no way he would actually buy one. These Magikarp were probably just casually caught from nearby rivers.
Instead of buying a useless fish, he would rather try something delicious, like the Lava Cookies from Lavaridge Town in the Hoenn region.
Lava Cookies were famous worldwide, beloved for their flavor.
After buying a large bag, Silas found an empty bench by the roadside and sat down.
He took out a piece and handed it to Cyclizar and the two Charcadet beside him. At the same time, he released the six little ones who would participate in the competition, letting everyone enjoy together.
As the name suggested, Lava Cookies were a type of ready to eat rice cracker, usually on the sweeter side.
Of course, there were exceptions. The ones the Charcadet were eating leaned more toward a spicy flavor.
Crunching sounds filled the air as the normal Charcadet quickly finished one in just a few bites.
"You really like this kind of cookie?"
"Charca!"
Charcadet nodded vigorously. It thought the cookies were extremely delicious.
The only downside was that they were not spicy enough. If they were just a little bit spicier, they would be perfect.
"And what about you? Do you like them too?"
"Ch… Charca!"
Shiny Charcadet shyly expressed that it liked them as well.
Since his two Charcadet liked rice crackers, Silas naturally wanted to satisfy them.
After finishing the entire bag of Lava Cookies, he returned to the shop.
This time, he revealed his identity as a cooking master and came to learn.
After casually demonstrating his skills, he immediately impressed the chef.
The shop owner then taught Silas how to make Lava Cookies, and Silas, in return, taught him how to make honey pancakes.
By exchanging one recipe each, neither side lost anything.
This way, once he returned home, he could make the Lava Cookies his Charcadet loved.
For their sake, Silas had even gone out of his way to learn the method and exchange recipes.
This thoughtful gesture warmed the Charcadet's hearts. If affection levels could be seen, there would definitely be a series of +1s floating above their heads.
Sometimes, the bond and intimacy between a trainer and their Pokémon were hidden within such small details.
When a trainer treated their Pokémon with sincerity, the Pokémon would respond with sincerity in return.
Couriway Town was not large, consisting mainly of two main streets.
After taking his Pokémon around for a full tour, Silas saw guardian deity wooden carvings from the Alola region and a bun shop selling Rage Candy Bars.
Having seen everything, he returned to the Pokémon Center.
The concert would begin tomorrow, and Cinccino and the others still needed to do their final rehearsals.
Strictly speaking, this would be their first true performance.
"Cin, cin."
Cinccino came up to him, rubbing its head against his palm, a hint of nervousness in its eyes.
"Do not worry. I asked Nurse Joy earlier. You are one of the strongest contestants in this concert. The champion will likely be decided between your group and Jigglypuff and Toxtricity."
Silas encouraged Cinccino. It was rare for the little one to train so seriously, even pulling Brionne and Diancie along.
After confirming that the three were in good condition, Silas moved to the other side.
The mix of metallic noise and electronic sound, combined with flashing sparks, created a strong rock atmosphere. A surprisingly contrasting electric style Jigglypuff would surely bring a completely new experience.
Their coordination was excellent, completely unlike a newly formed band.
Such results came from their daily hard practice, built on sweat and effort, with talent only playing a small role.
Moving back and forth between the two groups, Silas occasionally glanced at the time.
Diancie's debut performance. That stone obsessed young master would definitely not miss it. Otherwise, would he not wake up in the middle of the night and slap himself?
After another ten minutes, the transceiver suddenly vibrated. Looking down, it was indeed Steven.
As soon as he answered, Steven's voice came through.
"It is me, Steven. Silas, where are you?"
"I am at the Pokémon Center."
"Alright, I will be there shortly."
After hanging up, Steven turned around.
Behind him was a luxurious photography team carrying high definition cameras. He waved his hand.
"You all go ahead and get to work. Do not mess up the shooting tomorrow."
"Understood, young master."
The photographers responded loudly, carrying their equipment and heading to the concert venue along with their Pokémon.
The biggest sponsor of this performance was none other than the Devon Corporation. The photographers ran around with their cameras, searching for the best angles.
After all, they had to live up to the high salary Steven provided, including the top tier camera equipment he personally supplied.
All of it was for one purpose, to capture the most beautiful and adorable moments of Diancie.
As for Steven himself, he headed toward the Pokémon Center, handing a colorful stone to the Skarmory beside him.
Less than five minutes later, he arrived, where Silas was waiting at the entrance.
"Come inside first and warm up."
The two entered together, both instinctively breathing out warm air.
The temperature difference between outside and inside was nearly ten degrees.
They ordered a pot of hot tea and chatted while drinking, naturally bringing up the topic of the Champion challenge.
"I did not expect that after Cynthia, the second person to challenge a Champion would be you."
"I have had the idea for a long time. I just had not made up my mind before."
After taking a sip of tea, Silas continued,
"And I only plan to hold the position for a while, then pass it on to someone else and continue being a ranch owner."
Hearing this, Steven's thoughts became active.
If that was the case, he could do the same.
Compared to Silas, he already had a candidate in mind, his close friend and rival, Wallace.
Wallace needed the Champion title to promote Pokémon Contests, so Steven decided that once he returned, he would challenge the Hoenn Champion position.
"By the way, Silas, how about a Pokémon battle? Using Skarmory…"
Steven smiled as he extended the invitation, Skarmory's metallic body letting out a clear ringing sound.
(End of Chapter)