Chapter 6
Day 10, 8:23 PM – Team Rocket Base, Exchange Center
...
After Jayden's demonstration, no one managed to score higher than his 97. However, inspired by his strategic use of Dig, several other trainers applied similar momentum-based techniques to their own attacks.
A trainer with Ekans used Dig to burrow and strike from below, improving his score from 56 to 71. Another with Sandshrew managed to reach 68 using the same principle. The tactical innovation rippled through the remaining participants like wildfire.
Throughout the entire process, one person remained utterly disdainful—Number 99, Soren Kael. A tall, muscular youth with cold gray eyes and an arrogant smirk. He hadn't used any techniques or tricks.
His Ekans had simply struck with raw, overwhelming power, achieving a score of 98 through pure brute force and superior training.
In Soren's eyes, everyone present—including Jayden, who scored just one point below him—was nothing but trash. Jayden was merely a lucky fool who knew a few clever tricks. Tricks meant nothing against absolute strength.
Soren's Ekans was larger than average, its scales gleaming with a healthy purple sheen that spoke of excellent care and nutrition. Its eyes were sharp and focused, lacking the wildness common in recently captured Pokémon. This was a well-trained partner, not a hastily subdued creature.
...
The final rankings were announced by Viper's cold, authoritative voice echoing across the plaza:
First Place: Number 99 (Soren Kael) – Attack Value: 98
Second Place: Number 234 (Jayden Cross) – Attack Value: 97
Third Place: Number 67 (Marcus Reid) – Attack Value: 95
Fourth Place: Number 156 (Elena Voss) – Attack Value: 93
Fifth Place: Number 279 (Thomas Gray) – Attack Value: 90
Sixth Place: Number 142 – Attack Value: 87
Seventh Place: Number 203 – Attack Value: 84
Eighth Place: Number 88 – Attack Value: 81
Ninth Place: Number 315 – Attack Value: 79
Tenth Place: Number 127 – Attack Value: 77
...
According to Viper's explanation, the top ten would each receive 100 Rocket Points. There would be no additional rewards for placing first versus second—equality in reward, inequality in reputation. However, Jayden knew from his previous life that this "equality" was a lie.
The rankings determined social hierarchy within the trial group. First place gained respect, followers, and opportunities. Second place gained… nothing but a target on their back.
After the rankings were finalized, each participant received a black leather belt with the iconic red "R" symbol of Team Rocket emblazoned prominently on the buckle.
Attached to each belt was a metallic ID card displaying their assigned number. The points they'd earned were electronically stored within the card's encrypted chip. But the belt's most valuable feature wasn't the ID system—it was the built-in dimensional storage space.
Each belt contained exactly one cubic meter of pocket dimension storage, accessible through a biometric scanner keyed to the wearer's DNA.
This technology was worth a fortune on the black market, yet Team Rocket distributed it freely to trial participants. It spoke volumes about the organization's resources and reach.
Jayden fastened the belt around his waist, feeling the slight weight of the ID card against his hip. Nincada watched curiously from the ground, its antennae twitching as it sensed the faint dimensional energy emanating from the storage device.
...
Several recruits immediately approached Jayden, their expressions a mixture of admiration and calculation.
"Hey, Number 234! That was incredible! Want to team up for the next phase?" A lanky youth with a Zubat perched on his shoulder extended his hand eagerly.
"Second place is impressive. You should join our group. We've got six members already—safety in numbers," offered a scarred girl with a Koffing floating beside her.
"I could use someone smart like you. I've got connections. Let's make a deal—" began another recruit, his words dripping with false camaraderie.
Jayden ignored them all. He turned without a word and walked straight toward the Point Exchange Office, Nincada scuttling faithfully at his feet. The rejected recruits muttered behind him, some annoyed, others resentful. Let them talk. Alliances formed in desperation were worth less than the dirt beneath his boots.
...
8:47 PM – Point Exchange Office, Interior
...
The Exchange Office was a surprisingly large building constructed from reinforced concrete and steel. The interior was lit by harsh fluorescent lights that hummed quietly overhead.
Shelves lined the walls, displaying holographic projections of available items—Pokémon, items, TMs, evolution stones, and countless other resources.
Behind a bulletproof glass partition sat a middle-aged woman with dead eyes and a permanent scowl, clearly unimpressed by her assignment.
As a former member of Team Rocket in his previous life, Jayden knew exactly how many things could be exchanged here—and more importantly, what couldn't be found anywhere else. He had many items he desperately needed, things that could only be obtained with points.
However, he didn't have nearly enough points yet, and the things he needed most urgently weren't the rarest or most expensive items on the list. Jayden had already planned his purchases with surgical precision.
He approached the holographic terminal and began scrolling through the catalog. His fingers moved swiftly across the touch-screen interface, navigating through categories with practiced ease.
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[Pokémon Category – Legendary Tier]
Dratini (Pseudo-Legendary) – 10,000,000 points
Larvitar (Pseudo-Legendary) – 10,000,000 points
Beldum (Pseudo-Legendary) – 10,000,000 points
Bagon (Pseudo-Legendary) – 10,000,000 points
...
Even though he knew the prices, Jayden couldn't help but feel a pang of bitter irony. Ten million points. In his previous life, even at his peak as a Quasi-Elite Four trainer, he'd never accumulated anywhere close to that amount. The pseudo-legendary Pokémon were theoretically available—but in practice, they were reserved for Team Rocket's elite, the executives and favored commanders. Common soldiers like him could only dream.
He swiped past the high-tier categories without hesitation. No point torturing himself with impossible desires.
...
[Items Category – Consumables]
This was what he needed. Jayden scrolled down to the Berry Section and began systematically selecting items. The clerk behind the glass watched him with barely concealed disdain as he filled his virtual cart with common berries—Oran Berries (2 points each), Sitrus Berries (3 points each), Rawst Berries (2 points each), Cheri Berries (2 points each), Pecha Berries (2 points each), Aspear Berries (2 points each), Leppa Berries (4 points each). Most trainers ignored these "worthless" common berries in favor of flashy TMs or rare items. To them, berries were peasant food, easily foraged from the wild.
But to Jayden, these berries were liquid gold. With the right formulas stored in CIPHER's database, he could create intermediate and advanced energy cubes that would accelerate Nincada's growth exponentially. Not only would this save him countless hours searching the dangerous forests, but it would also ensure consistent, optimal nutrition—something wild foraging could never guarantee. Perfect growth required perfect nutrition. There was no room for error.
...
He selected ten of each berry type, carefully managing his point budget. Each selection appeared in his virtual cart with a soft chime.
Total: 75 points.
He then navigated to the Survival Supplies section and purchased a compact camping kit (waterproof tarp, rope, fire-starting tools, water purification tablets, basic medical supplies) for 10 points, and a portable cooking set (metal pot, utensils, collapsible stove) for 5 points.
Another 10 points went toward purchasing nutritional supplements specifically formulated for Bug-type Pokémon—protein powder derived from crushed insect remains, mineral compounds, and vitamin additives. These would complement the energy cubes perfectly during Nincada's recovery phase.
Total spent: 100 points exactly.
...
Jayden swiped his ID card across the payment scanner. The machine beeped, and a green light flashed confirmation. The items materialized in the storage chamber to his right—a secure compartment that opened with a pneumatic hiss. He quickly transferred everything into his belt's dimensional storage, feeling the weight remain constant despite the added mass. The technology never ceased to amaze him.
[CIPHER NOTIFICATION: All purchased items cataloged. Optimal energy cube production schedule calculated. Begin production within 24 hours for maximum effectiveness.]
...
As Jayden turned to leave, he froze mid-step.
Entering the Exchange Office was a young man roughly his age, perhaps sixteen or seventeen. He was tall and powerfully built, with cold gray eyes and an expression of absolute arrogance. His muscular frame suggested years of physical training—not the malnourishment common among trial recruits. This was someone who'd been well-fed, well-trained, and well-prepared for the trials long before arriving on Crimson Reef Island.
Number 99. Soren Kael. First place.
Beside him slithered a magnificent Ekans, its purple scales gleaming with unnatural luster. It was significantly larger than average—nearly two meters long—and moved with predatory grace. This Pokémon exuded confidence and danger in equal measure.
...
When Soren passed Jayden, their shoulders nearly brushed. Jayden silently activated CIPHER's scanning function without breaking stride.
[CIPHER SCAN INITIATED...]
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Pokémon: Ekans (Green)
Gender: Male
Level: 14
Type: Poison
Ability: Intimidate (Lowers opponent's Attack stat upon entry)
Held Item: None
Inherited Skills:
Pursuit (Power = 40, Dark, Physical, Double power if target switches)
Poison Fang (Power = 50, Poison, Physical, 50% chance to badly poison)
Scary Face (Power = 0, Normal, Status, Harshly lowers Speed)
Basic Skills:
Wrap (Power = 15, Normal, Physical, Binds opponent)
Leer (Power = 0, Normal, Status, Lowers Defense)
Poison Sting (Power = 15, Poison, Physical, 30% chance to poison)
Bite (Power = 60, Dark, Physical, 30% chance to flinch)
Glare (Power = 0, Normal, Status, Inflicts Paralysis)
Taught Skills:
Snatch (Power = 0, Dark, Status, Steals opponent's stat boosts)
TM Skills: None
...
Jayden's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. Green aptitude. Level 14. Intimidate ability.
No wonder Soren had secured first place in his previous life's timeline. During the ranking test, Jayden had used CIPHER to perform quick scans on as many Pokémon as possible. There were no more than five green aptitude Pokémon among all three hundred recruits—and none with aptitude higher than green. The other green-tier specimens were Zubat and Oddish, common species with less battle potential. Soren was the only recruit with a green-aptitude Ekans.
Ekans were notoriously difficult to tame. They were aggressive, territorial, and prone to attacking their trainers if not properly dominated. Add the Intimidate ability on top of that, and you had a Pokémon that actively resisted control. The fact that Soren had not only captured but completely tamed a green-aptitude Intimidate Ekans spoke volumes about his skill, resources, and ruthlessness.
This wasn't some lucky catch. This was calculated preparation.
...
"Hey. You're second place, right?"
Soren's voice cut through the ambient noise like a blade. He'd stopped walking and turned back, his cold gray eyes fixed on Jayden's back with predatory interest.
Jayden didn't respond. He continued walking toward the exit, Nincada following silently at his feet. In his previous life, Soren might have been an overwhelming opponent, someone who could suppress him utterly. But now? Now Soren was just a child playing at being dangerous.
...
Seeing Jayden ignore him so completely, Soren's face darkened. A vein pulsed visibly at his temple. His jaw clenched. Fury ignited in his eyes.
"Ekans. Poison Sting."
The command was delivered with icy calm—the tone of someone accustomed to absolute obedience.
Ekans didn't hesitate. Its mouth opened wide, revealing gleaming fangs, and a volley of fine purple needles shot forth with terrifying speed. Each needle glowed with toxic energy, aimed directly at Jayden's unprotected back. At this range, with Jayden's malnourished frame and lack of defensive gear, even a glancing hit could be crippling. A direct hit could be fatal.
...
But Jayden had been paying attention the entire time.
His body language hadn't changed. He hadn't flinched. But his awareness had never left Soren and Ekans—CIPHER had been monitoring their biometric signatures since the moment they entered the building. Elevated heart rate. Muscle tension in Soren's right arm (the command arm). Shift in Ekans' body posture (pre-attack stance).
[CIPHER ALERT: Hostile intent detected. Attack incoming. Recommended response: Defensive counter. Estimated attack trajectory displayed.]
...
"Nincada. Mud-Slap. Intercept."
The command came a fraction of a second before the needles reached striking distance. Nincada, who'd been moving casually at Jayden's feet, suddenly burst into motion. Its legs churned the ground beneath it, kicking up a massive spray of wet mud and dirt that formed a defensive wall in mid-air. The toxic needles struck the mud barrier and embedded themselves harmlessly, their poison neutralized by the earth.
But Nincada didn't stop there. With Jayden's unspoken permission, it redirected the mud spray, flinging the entire mass directly at Ekans' face. The Poison-type recoiled, hissing furiously as mud caked its eyes and filled its nostrils.
...
Jayden turned slowly, his expression utterly devoid of emotion. His eyes locked onto Soren's—and for a brief, chilling moment, Soren saw something ancient and dangerous lurking behind that malnourished face. Something that didn't belong in a fifteen-year-old boy's eyes.
"You're courting death."
The words were spoken quietly, conversationally, as if commenting on the weather. But the weight behind them was suffocating. Nincada shifted its stance, claws extended, compound eyes gleaming with barely restrained aggression. It was ready to strike, - ready to kill if given the order.
The temperature in the Exchange Office seemed to drop several degrees. Even the clerk behind the glass looked up nervously, her hand hovering over the panic button.
...
For five long seconds, the standoff held. Soren's Ekans coiled defensively, still wiping mud from its face. Nincada crouched low, every muscle tensed. Jayden and Soren stared at each other like apex predators deciding whether the fight was worth the cost.
Then, unexpectedly, Soren's expression shifted. The fury drained away, replaced by a cold, calculating smile.
"Not bad. Better than I expected."
He turned away dismissively, as if the assassination attempt had been nothing more than a casual test, and walked toward the exchange counter without another word. Ekans followed, casting one final venomous glare at Nincada before slithering after its trainer.
...
Jayden held his position for another moment, eyes tracking Soren's every movement through CIPHER's enhanced perception. His muscles remained coiled, ready to react to any sudden attacks. This wasn't over. Soren had tested him—and Jayden had passed. But that meant Soren now knew he was a threat, not just a lucky second-place finisher.
In Team Rocket, being recognized as a threat had two outcomes: respect or elimination. Sometimes both.
After confirming Soren had genuinely disengaged, Jayden turned and left the Exchange Office, Nincada following faithfully. They walked into the humid night air and headed directly toward the forest without looking back.
...
9:34 PM – Team Rocket Base, Instructor's Office
...
In the largest building at the center of the base, deep within the administrative complex, Viper sat behind a heavy wooden desk in his private office. The room was dimly lit by a single oil lamp, casting long shadows across the walls.
Across from him sat a mysterious figure wrapped in a tattered black robe, face hidden beneath a deep hood. Only a pair of weathered, calculating eyes were visible in the darkness.
Two cups of tea sat between them, steam rising lazily into the stale air before dissipating into nothing.
...
After a long, uncomfortable silence, Viper spoke first.
"What brings you back to my doorstep?" His tone carried a mixture of mockery and genuine curiosity. "I thought you'd sworn off asking favors after last time."
The figure adjusted slightly, revealing a glimpse of gnarled, scarred hands beneath the robe.
"The mission failed. I need manpower to replace my losses." The voice was hoarse, rasping—impossible to determine age or even gender from the distorted sound.
Viper's mouth twitched into a smirk. He slowly lifted his tea and took a deliberate sip before responding.
"Oh? You failed a mission?" The mockery was impossible to miss now. "I didn't expect the infamous Shadow to ever admit failure. And now you're reduced to begging me for expendable recruits? What happened—did Team Rocket's elite operatives suddenly become too valuable to waste on your suicide missions?"
...
Ignoring the sarcasm entirely, the hoarse voice continued with unsettling calm.
"I walked into an Alliance trap. Two Elite Four-level trainers were waiting. I barely escaped with my life."
Viper's expression shifted instantly. The mockery vanished, replaced by sharp, focused intensity. He sat up straight, tea forgotten.
"Two Elite Four? Were they official Alliance operatives, or off-the-books?" A rapid-fire series of questions followed. "How did you escape? What level were they? Did they identify you?"
An Elite Four-level trainer was already a terrifying force—someone capable of single-handedly dismantling entire criminal organizations. The fact that the Pokémon League had deployed two of them simultaneously suggested either a major operation against Team Rocket… or something far more sinister.
...
The robed figure slowly raised one hand, pulling back the sleeve to reveal withered, mummified flesh. The hand was covered in deep chemical burns and necrotic tissue—but more horrifying were the missing fingers. Only the thumb and index finger remained. The other three had been severed cleanly, leaving cauterized stumps.
Viper's eyes widened in genuine shock. He knew this person well enough to understand what that injury meant.
"Poison-type Elite Four?" It was phrased as a question, but spoken with absolute certainty.
...
The robed figure nodded almost imperceptibly.
"An advanced-tier Poison specialist and an intermediate-tier Psychic specialist. Neither of them are on the Alliance's public roster. These were ghost operatives—sanctioned assassins with no official records."
A shuddering breath escaped from beneath the hood.
"If I hadn't severed my own fingers immediately to stop the venom from spreading, I would've lost the entire arm. I sacrificed three Pokémon to buy time for my escape. Even so…" The voice trailed off, thick with suppressed rage. "The mission was a complete failure."
Viper leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, mind racing. The implications were staggering. The Alliance was escalating. And if they were deploying ghost operatives against Team Rocket's field agents…
]| War was coming |[
...
End of Chapter 6
"In the shadows, even the hunters can become the hunted. Trust no one. Question everything. Survive at any cost."