After the new Team Rocket recruits had familiarized themselves with their starter Pokémon, the NPC leading them spoke up:
"Alright, return your Pokémon to their Poké Balls. It's time to head to the base."
As he led the way, he continued, "Remember your mission. Once you arrive, work hard for the organization, and the organization will absolutely not let you down!"
"Yes, sir!" The man who had received a Zubat enthusiastically played along.
The group followed the concrete path out of the Team Rocket trainee facility.
The eight of them split into two groups, boarding different vehicles bound for their respective destinations.
Caleb's group consisted of the chubby man, Victor 'Bull' Moretti... the thin young man, Lucien Fairchild.... and the short-haired girl who had gotten a Squirtle, Gwen Carter...
Victor clicked his tongue in admiration when he heard about Gwen Carter's Squirtle, "Damn, nice pull! Beginner's luck, huh?"
Lucien smiled at the two newcomers, "Let's introduce ourselves properly. We're teammates now, after all. I'm Lucien Fairchild, and this is Victor Moretti. We've both cleared three Missions already."
The short-haired girl responded politely, "I'm Gwen Carter."
Caleb simply said, "Caleb Chase."
Lucien's eyes gleamed as he asked, "Those are good names. Would you mind sharing what your missions are?"
In some scenarios, the players' objectives could directly conflict, meaning they might end up as enemies.
Failing a mission resulted in heavy point deductions. If a player's points dropped into the negatives, they would lose their status as an 'Infinite Player' and be sent back to the moment of their death...
Therefore, figuring out other players' main missions was crucial, especially when dealing with newcomers, who were usually less cautious than veterans...
'My first priority is to make sure these two don't pose a threat to my mission,' Lucien thought.
Aloud, he added smoothly, "No ulterior motives here. I just thought I could offer advice based on your Mission objectives."
Caleb saw right through him. After all, he'd read hundreds of web novels in his past life. But to fish for more information about this scenario from the veterans, he played dumb, "Our missions are different?"
Lucien chuckled, "Naturally. Everyone receives unique missions."
Caleb feigned confusion, "Then what happens if two players' missions clash?"
Victor (nicknamed 'Bull') gave him a look like he was an idiot, "What do you think happens? One of them fails, obviously. If you fail a mission, you lose points, go negative, then boom, you're kicked out of the Infinite World."
"Oh." Having gotten what he wanted, Caleb shut his mouth.
Lucien belatedly realized he'd been played. Annoyed but hiding it, he forced a chuckle, "Newbie missions are always simple, anyway."
The bus rolled into a gleaming metropolis, the atmosphere inside the bus thick with unspoken tension.
Eventually, it stopped in the parking lot of a luxurious high-rise.
The four followed the NPC inside.
At the entrance, Caleb spotted a sign:
«WELCOME TO THE RAINBOW GAME CORNER!»
'Oh-ho!' He knew exactly where they were, 'We're in Celadon City, Kanto...'
One of Team Rocket's bases was hidden directly beneath this game center.
The NPC smiled at a female attendant at the counter, who, without hesitation, opened a hidden door in full view of everyone.
Victor muttered under his breath, "Damn, this 'evil organization' doesn't even try to hide, huh?"
Caleb glanced at the employees and noticed all of them ignored the blatant secret entrance, "I'm pretty sure everyone working here is Team Rocket."
On the side, Lucien who was busy taking in the surroundings suddenly said, "You know, watching the anime always made me wonder... are the grunts brainwashed? Why such loyalty to a criminal syndicate?"
No one answered. But soon, they got their explanation...
A massive bulletin board displayed employee benefits and top-performer awards.
Now Caleb understood what the NPC meant by "the organization won't let you down."
Team Rocket wasn't just a criminal group, it was a corporation with benefits...
The base salary for grunts was 10 000 Pokédollars per month...
Bonuses for capturing rare Pokémon? Up to 30 000 Pokédollars per month.
Full health insurance and retirement plans were guaranteed... heck, if you got arrested by Officer Jenny, Giovanni himself would pull strings to bail you out.
Victor stared slack-jawed, "What the hell? These guys live better than I ever did!"
Lucien looked equally bitter, "Back in my world, I worked overtime till 10 PM every day and still didn't make half this much. Then I dropped dead from exhaustion..."
...
Before officially joining, new recruits underwent a three-day training program...
Topics included:
- How to Train Your Pokémon...
- Type Matchups and Move Effectiveness...
- Identifying Rare Pokémon...
- 108 Quick Methods for Pokémon Theft...
Caleb, who'd once worked a summer job at an electronics factory, felt a strange sense of déjà vu... 'Seriously? Even evil teams do corporate onboarding?'
The four waited in the underground base's meeting room. Minutes ticked by with no sign of their instructor.
Victor kept checking the clock, growing increasingly agitated, "This is bullshit! Even my old boss wasn't this unprofessional!"
The second the words left his mouth, the door swung open.
A stunning woman with flaming red hair and a crisp white uniform strode in. Her voice was honey-sweet but icy, "Oh? Then your boss and I must have a lot in common."
Victor 'Bull' froze like a startled Miltank.
The woman's gaze swept over them and lingered on Caleb's face...
Finally, her lips curled into a smirk, "Hmm. At least one of this batch is easy on the eyes."
'Easy on the eyes? As in, good-looking?'
Caleb knew he was handsome... he'd had girls chasing him since middle school. But he'd always been more interested in games and Pokémon.
'Women only slow down your draw speed...'
His eyes flicked to the mirrored wall behind her.
The reflection showed a young man with sharp features, a defined jawline, and the kind of roguish charm that made hearts flutter.
Caleb raised an eyebrow. So did the reflection.
The woman noticed and sighed, "Pity. The pretty ones are never bright."
Caleb: "…"
'That hurt. I'm not stupid...' he lamented inwardly.
But saying so would be like a madman insisting he's sane, no one would believe him. So outwardly, Caleb maintained his neutral expression.
Lucien muttered enviously, "This NPC is a total cougar."
Victor grumbled, "So what if he's good-looking? Big deal."
Overhearing, Gwen couldn't help but stiffle a laugh.
The woman, Ariana, watched their reactions before speaking again, her tone now all business:
"Let's make this official. I'm Ariana. For the next three days, your lives belong to me..."
...
Ariana (Athena in the Japanese version)...