Under the current circumstances, it would be best to consult a few Ghost-type experts.
Aoki had the perfect candidates in mind, but he couldn't reach them immediately. He could only explore and experiment on his own for the time being, hoping to find an effective method.
He temporarily treated this Trial Island as a training ground for his Pokémon... One week later.
Inside the Team Rocket base on Trial Island, a new batch of participants, after familiarizing themselves with their Pokémon and the surrounding environment, began exploring the resource-rich forest.
Although this batch of trial participants hadn't gone through as many experiences and missions as Aoki's group, the Trial Island was ultimately a considerably dangerous place, where the wild Pokémon were much more aggressive than those outside.
"Jessie, it's our turn to go out, but all we have is Meowth. I feel like we're going out there never to return," James, with his bluish-purple hair, said as he and Jessie hid at the very back of the group.
"What is there to fear? Even though Meowth isn't strong in battle, it's still a Pokémon and can play some role. As long as we each manage to capture one more Pokémon, this will be our fresh start on Trial Island. Once we leave, promotions to Squad Leader, Battalion Commander, and even Executive won't be far away!" Jessie said, her face full of hope, as if a wonderful future was waving at them.
Hearing Jessie's words, James miraculously let go of his worries, also believing that the future looked promising.
Meowth, the only one with a shred of sense, was instantly scared out of his wits upon hearing that he had to fight. "I don't want to battle! I can't battle! Meow!"
Just as the trio was discussing how they were going to fight, two people slowly walked up to them, their faces full of disdain. "Tsk, isn't this Jessie and James? And your useless Meowth. Are you ready to leave the base? Better make sure you can return by the time of the evening assembly."
Hearing the sharp, grating mockery, Jessie and James looked over simultaneously, instantly becoming furious.
Jessie's red hair seemed to stand on end. "Yamato! Kosaburo! Why are you two always around?!"
"Exactly! Little Thrice!" James chimed in from the side.
Kosaburo, who had seemed calm moments before, immediately jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "My name is Kosaburo! Remember it, dammit! My! Name! Is! Ko! Sa! Bu! Ro!"
James nodded thoughtfully from the side. "Alright, Little Thrice. No problem, Little Thrice!"
Kosaburo was about to leap up again but was stopped by Yamato. She said coldly, "Wasting breath on insults is pointless. This outing means the entire Trial Island is open to us. From this moment on, the instructors won't interfere anymore. Do you know what that means?
It means that starting now, even if I killed both of you here, I wouldn't face any punishment. Understand? You two failures and your useless Meowth!"
Kosaburo also watched them, arms crossed, with a cold sneer, as if they were tasty prey.
Hearing Yamato's words, Jessie and James froze.
Although they had prepared themselves when choosing to participate in this mission, facing the stark reality laid bare before them was not easy to accept.
Seeing Jessie and James remain silent, Yamato and Kosaburo haughtily walked away.
Those two were considered top-tier among the current trial participants, while Jessie and James were undoubtedly at the very bottom.
"Jessie, what... what they said, is it true?" James' voice trembled slightly.
As a pampered young master of a noble family, he had never been threatened with death before.
Jessie, however, nodded with a solemn expression, watching the retreating figures of Yamato and Kosaburo, lost in thought.
A seed named 'Thirst for Strength' was taking root in her heart... Three more days passed.
Relying on Meowth's silver tongue, Jessie and James barely managed to survive in the Trial Island forest.
"I'm so tired and hungry!" James wailed, clutching his stomach while leaning against a tree.
"Keep it down!" Jessie clamped a hand over his mouth. "This is the third day. The three days of wilderness survival will soon be over. After that, as long as we stay inside the base, we won't have to worry about food. Once the three days are up, the instructors won't care whether we are in the base or the jungle."
Hearing this, James and Meowth simultaneously showed longing for a better life.
But just as they were basking in their momentary happiness, a voice reached their ears.
"We finally found you. I didn't think you two would actually manage to survive until now. But it looks like your luck is about to run out," a female voice said.
Hearing that voice, Jessie and James instantly froze in place.
They stared blankly at the two figures emerging from the woods directly opposite them—Yamato and Kosaburo, who had sworn to leave them in the forest, accompanied by their Pokémon.
"Ya... Yamato, Ko... Little Thrice..." Kojiro stammered when he saw the two.
Hearing Jams mispronounce his name again, veins bulged on Kosaburo's forehead. But instead of attacking immediately, he gritted his teeth and said, "I'll say this one last time! My name is Little Thrice... Wait, no! My name is Kosaburo!
Forget it. It doesn't matter, since we won't be seeing either of you after today."
Yamato and Little Thrice—*ahem*, Kosaburo—slowly walked up to the two, looking down at them, as well as the trembling but steadfast Meowth standing in front of them.
A victorious smirk played on Yamato's lips. "You annoying pests, now we send you on your way!"
As she spoke, her Arbok and Kosaburo's Golbat simultaneously launched an attack on them.
"Meow!!!"
Meowth charged forward recklessly, but not being skilled in battle, he was no match for Arbok and Golbat and was instantly blasted away.
"Meowth!!" James' cry held a hint of distress.
Jessie's expression, conversely, remained steady. She gritted her teeth and stood up from the ground, the wooden stick clutched in her hand being her only weapon at the moment.
"James, run! Run as fast as you can! I was the one who dragged you into Team Rocket, and I must make sure you leave here alive!" Jessie, whose hair was not yet very long, stood in front of James, making him feel something different for the very first time.
Wiping tears from his eyes with one hand, he grabbed a stone from the ground with the other, clutching it tightly. Shedding his previous weak demeanor, he declared, "I'm not leaving! We fight together until the end!"
Although his voice still trembled slightly, standing beside Jessie, he displayed immense courage.
On the other side, Meowth slowly crawled back from a distance and stood in front of the two of them.