Chapter 185: "Mealtime Battle God" Salamence
Whoosh!
A strong gust of wind swept through the area as Salamence descended from the sky. Two figures jumped off its back.
"Thanks, Salamence."
No sooner had Asahi spoken than Salamence bolted off — charging straight for the cafeteria without a second thought.
Asahi checked his phone — it was 6:40 PM. Just twenty minutes until dinner.
"..."
No wonder Salamence had flown so fast on the way back — it was racing against mealtime.
Suddenly, Asahi had a thought:
[If I time Salamence's battles right before meals, I bet it'd fight at 200% power.]
Maybe he could even earn Salamence a flashy new title — something like Mealtime Battle God.
Shaking off the ridiculous thought, Asahi turned to Silver. "Let's head inside."
---
Green immediately noticed Salamence's arrival — a sure sign that Asahi and Silver had returned.
Seeing Silver, Green beamed.
"Silver, you've grown taller!" She gestured at his height for emphasis.
Silver's eye twitched. "I'm not a kid anymore, sis."
Though he was happy to see Green — his only family — he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at how she still treated him like a child.
Green, however, dramatically covered her face. "Silver… you've grown up…"
Silver panicked. "Wait — that's not what I meant—"
Green suddenly dropped the act and grinned. "Just messing with you."
Silver: "..."
Asahi flopped onto the couch with Eevee in his arms, watching the sibling dynamic unfold.
"Green, could you act a little more mature?"
"Vee!" Eevee nodded in agreement.
Sticking her tongue out at them both, Green clearly wasn't taking their scolding seriously.
Then, as if remembering something important, Green shifted her tone. "By the way, Asahi — did you tell Silver about his family?"
Silver blinked. "My… family?"
To him, Green had always been the only family he knew.
Green's expression softened, but when she glanced at Asahi, she noticed he wasn't planning to say much.
With a sigh, Asahi shrugged. "He probably wouldn't believe me, so I figured you should tell him."
Green rolled her eyes — clearly recalling Asahi's tendency to mess with Silver.
[Maybe Silver wouldn't doubt the truth so much if Asahi hadn't trolled him so often.]
Turning back to Silver, Green's expression grew serious. "Listen carefully, Silver — what I'm about to tell you might be hard to hear, but please stay calm."
"...?"
Confused, Silver waited silently.
Green gathered her thoughts. "We found your father."
Silver's eyes widened in shock — then lit up with joy.
Finding their lost families had always been a shared dream for both him and Green.
But the happiness didn't last — a flicker of worry crossed his face. "My father… is he okay? Did something happen to him?"
Had something gone wrong? Was that why Green warned him to stay calm?
Seeing his anxious expression, Green quickly added, "Don't worry — he's fine… well, at least he's alive."
She hesitated slightly, recalling the time Mewtwo had blasted Giovanni with Shadow Ball.
Silver: "..."
What does "at least he's alive" mean?
A creeping sense of unease crept into Silver's heart.
Green continued, "The reason I told you to stay calm isn't because of his condition… but because of his identity."
"...His identity?"
Not understanding, Silver furrowed his brow.
Taking a steady breath, Green finally said, "After thorough investigation, we confirmed that your father is Giovanni — the leader of Team Rocket."
BOOM.
It was as if lightning had struck Silver's mind.
"My father is… Giovanni?!"
Of all the possibilities, he never expected that.
He vividly remembered the news about Giovanni being severely injured and fleeing — he had even cursed the man at the time, thinking the leader of such a vile organization deserved it.
And now… that same man was his father?
Silver's world spun.
"Green… give me a minute…"
He clutched his head, staring blankly at the floor.
Today was supposed to be a good day — he had joined the International Police, met new comrades, reunited with Green, and learned about his family…
But why…
Why did his father have to be Giovanni?!
He had longed to find his parents — to live the life he'd dreamed of, surrounded by family and happiness.
Now, that dream felt like an illusion — shattered into pieces.
Team Rocket.
Giovanni.
Silver had witnessed the havoc Team Rocket wreaked in Johto.
The thought of being connected to them by blood made him feel sick.
"So that's why the Masked Man captured me… because Giovanni's wicked blood flows through my veins?"
Staring at his own hands, Silver looked hollow — like his spirit had left him.
Joining the International Police had felt like stepping into the light after escaping the Masked Army…
But reality had dragged him right back into the darkness.
Seeing Silver in this state, Green's heart ached.
She had expected the news to hurt him — but watching him unravel was still painful.
Helpless, she glanced at Asahi, hoping he would step in.
Asahi understood the unspoken plea.
Sitting beside Silver, he spoke firmly. "Bloodline doesn't mean anything."
Silver slowly lifted his head, dazed.
"Your father is Giovanni. So what?" Asahi's tone was calm but unwavering.
"But…"
"No buts." Asahi cut him off. "Crime is about actions — not DNA. Giovanni being the leader of Team Rocket doesn't mean you're destined to be like him."
Asahi knew exactly how to handle this.
Letting Silver spiral into self-doubt wouldn't help.
Instead, Asahi drove his point home — directly and without room for argument — pushing his own beliefs onto Silver.
Sure enough, Silver's expression softened.
The dead look in his eyes began to fade.
Seeing the shift, Asahi pressed on — pointing at the newest arrival.
"And even if someone did something wrong, it doesn't mean they can't change. Look at Sabrina — she used to be a Team Rocket Executive. Now she's with us, fighting for justice."
Sabrina, who had just walked in from the gym: "???"
What did I just walk into? Why am I suddenly part of this conversation?!