Chapter 7
Day 10, 10:37 PM – Team Rocket Base, Chief Instructor's Office
...
Viper nodded solemnly, his weathered face carved with deep lines of concern. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows across the obsidian desk between him and the mysterious black-robed figure known only as Shadow.
The revelation that the Pokémon League Alliance had dispatched two Elite Four-level trainers—not just any Elite Four, but shadow operatives who didn't exist on any official roster—sent a chill through even Viper's battle-hardened nerves.
One of them was an Advanced-tier Poison specialist—an extremely rare classification that indicated mastery beyond the typical Elite Four level. The other was an Intermediate-tier Psychic specialist, equally dangerous in their own right.
The Alliance wouldn't have deployed such overwhelming force unless they had significant intelligence about Shadow's mission. This wasn't a coincidental encounter; this was a calculated ambush.
Viper's slightly furrowed brows tightened further as he processed the implications. Even though he only knew fragments of Shadow's classified operations, he could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him. The problem was far more complex and dangerous than a simple failed mission. This represented an escalation in the silent war between Team Rocket and the League Alliance—a war fought in shadows, with ghost operatives and deniable assets.
"Then what about the leader?" Viper asked carefully, referring to Team Rocket's regional commander. "Does Giovanni know about this development?"
...
Shadow's hoarse voice emerged from beneath the hood, calm and emotionless despite the severity of the situation. "The leader already knows. I reported directly to him immediately after my escape. He's... displeased, but he understands the situation."
The robed figure slowly retracted the mutilated left hand back beneath the cloak, hiding the cauterized stumps where three fingers had once been.
"I don't need to worry about investigating who leaked the operational intelligence to the Alliance—that's being handled at a higher level. What I need from you is simple: a few capable people to help me with some small tasks.
After all, I lost considerable strength during the escape, and I need time to recover both physically and strategically."
Viper's brows relaxed slightly, though his expression remained cautious. If Shadow only needed a few recruits rather than an entire operational team, that was manageable. He had over 150 surviving trial participants, and picking out five or six promising ones wouldn't be difficult.
"Do you want to select them now, or wait until the trial is over?" Viper asked. Then, unable to help himself, a slight mocking smile crossed his face.
"Though I have to ask—what use could these kids possibly be? Most of them don't even have the strength of a basic Team Rocket foot soldier. They're barely surviving against wild Pokémon."
...
Shadow's response was measured and deliberate. "I'll select them after the trial concludes—specifically, I'll choose from the top performers in the final rankings.
For now, arrange a private room for me within the base facilities and ensure I'm not disturbed. I need time to treat my injuries and adjust my Pokémon team."
The black-robed figure didn't elaborate further, but Viper understood the unspoken reasoning. There were several strategic advantages to recruiting from the trial participants rather than from Team Rocket's established forces:
First, there was the internal security problem. After being ambushed by Elite Four-level Alliance operatives, Shadow couldn't be certain who within Team Rocket's regular troops might be a mole or double agent working for the Alliance. The leak had come from somewhere, and until the traitor was identified, Shadow couldn't trust anyone with existing connections to the organization's intelligence networks.
Second, there was the matter of loyalty and conditioning. Fresh recruits who survived the brutal Crimson Reef Island trial would be blank slates—traumatized, desperate, and completely dependent on Team Rocket for their continued survival.
They could be molded, trained, and indoctrinated without the complications of pre-existing loyalties or moral hesitations. Paper without preconceptions was the best material for creating ruthless operatives, wasn't it?
Third, recruiting from trial survivors would give Shadow deniability. If one of these new recruits failed or was captured during a black operation, they couldn't reveal sensitive information about Team Rocket's established infrastructure because they'd never been integrated into it. They were expendable assets—valuable precisely because they were disposable.
...
After signaling to his subordinates to escort the black-robed man to secure accommodations deep within the base complex, Viper remained alone in his office. He stared at the candle flame dancing on the desk, fingers crossed beneath his chin, and fell into deep contemplation.
The Alliance was making aggressive moves. Two shadow-tier Elite Four operatives deployed for a single target meant they were taking Team Rocket's covert operations seriously—too seriously. If they were willing to commit that level of force now, what would they deploy during a full-scale conflict?
More concerning was the implication that the Alliance had successfully infiltrated Team Rocket's intelligence network. Someone, somewhere within the organization, had leaked operational details that led directly to Shadow's ambush. That meant no one could be fully trusted. Not until the leak was identified and eliminated.
Viper made a mental note to increase security protocols for the trial and to personally vet anyone Shadow selected for recruitment. If these kids were going to become operational assets, they needed to be watched carefully—both for their potential value and their potential to become liabilities.
...
Day 10, 11:03 PM – Crimson Reef Island, Forest Perimeter
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Jayden Cross and Nincada had already entered the forest's outer boundary. Unlike his cautious exploration a week ago, this time Jayden didn't plan to remain in the relatively safe outer perimeter for long. There were several strategic reasons for pushing deeper into more dangerous territory.
First, the wild Pokémon in the forest's outer regions were too weak to provide meaningful combat experience for Nincada. Most were level 5-8 specimens with poor aptitude—fighting them would waste time without contributing to real growth. Nincada needed stronger opponents to develop its combat instincts and push its physical limits.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, Jayden needed to find a secluded, defensible location where he could set up a long-term camp and work on creating energy cubes without interruption. The outer forest was too heavily trafficked by other trial participants. He'd already identified at least three other recruits establishing camps within a kilometer radius of the forest edge. That proximity invited conflict, theft, and unwanted attention.
What Jayden needed was isolation—a hidden sanctuary deep enough in the forest that casual explorers wouldn't stumble upon it, but positioned near resources like fresh water and edible plants. With CIPHER's topographical mapping and his previous life's knowledge of Crimson Reef Island's geography, he had several candidate locations in mind.
...
The deeper he walked into the forest, the more the clearly defined path began to disappear. Thick underbrush and thorny vines crisscrossed the increasingly narrow trail.
Massive tree roots erupted from the ground like the fingers of buried giants, forcing Jayden to carefully navigate around them. The canopy overhead grew denser, blocking out most of the moonlight and plunging the forest floor into near-total darkness.
Jayden paused to make preparations.
He retrieved the Sitrus Blend Energy Cubes he'd created earlier—carefully wrapped in waxed cloth to preserve freshness—and stored them in his Team Rocket belt's dimensional storage compartment.
The belt's biometric scanner glowed faintly blue as it registered the items, then the light faded. Nincada watched curiously, its antennae twitching as it sensed the subtle dimensional fluctuations.
Next, Jayden tore strips from his already ragged shirt and wrapped them around his head and face, creating a makeshift protective covering against the thorns, branches, and biting insects that swarmed in the deeper forest. The cloth smelled of sweat and smoke from earlier campfires, but it would serve its purpose.
...
Nincada skittered alongside Jayden's feet as they pressed forward, its six legs moving with increasing confidence across the uneven terrain.
"Nincada, use Harden on your claws and help me clear a path through these vines," Jayden instructed, pointing at a particularly dense tangle of thorny creepers blocking the way forward.
Nincada responded immediately. A faint metallic sheen spread across its foreclaws as the Harden technique reinforced them to blade-like hardness. With precise, efficient movements, Nincada sliced through the vines, creating an opening just wide enough for Jayden to squeeze through without getting torn up by thorns.
"Good. Remember this—Harden isn't just for defense. You can selectively harden specific parts of your body to enhance offensive capabilities. Your claws, your carapace edges, even your legs for more powerful jumps." Jayden spoke as he walked, using every moment as a teaching opportunity.
"This kind of adaptive application of basic moves is what separates mediocre Pokémon from exceptional ones."
...
"Nin... nincada!" The Bug/Ground-type chirped in understanding, its compound eyes gleaming with focused intelligence. In its heart, Nincada was a Pokémon that yearned to become stronger. The desire to improve, to fight, to prove itself ,these instincts burned fiercely within its small frame.
Jayden noticed the determination radiating from his partner and felt genuine satisfaction. For a trainer, even if the Pokémon they possessed had incredible talent and potential, if that Pokémon had no desire to fight and no ambition to improve, then all that talent was wasted potential. A highly gifted but unmotivated Pokémon was worth less than a passionate, driven Pokémon with mediocre aptitude.
But Nincada had both —green aptitude representing exceptional natural talent, and an increasingly strong desire for growth and combat. The bond and mutual understanding between Jayden and Nincada was growing deeper with each passing day. If this continued, the achievements they could reach together would be extraordinary.
...
Day 11, 12:47 AM – Deep Forest, Uncharted Territory
...
After walking for approximately thirty minutes through increasingly wild and dangerous terrain, Jayden's cautious progress was suddenly interrupted.
A fierce Spearow dove straight down from the dense canopy above, its sharp eyes gleaming with predatory intent and unmistakable killing desire. Its beak was extended like a spear, aimed directly at Jayden's head, and its talons were spread wide to rip and tear.
It was immediately clear that the wild Pokémon on Crimson Reef Island harbored absolutely no kindness toward humans.
When they saw a seemingly weak, malnourished target like Jayden wandering alone through their territory, their first instinct was to attack—often viewing humans as prey rather than threats.
Spearow in particular were notoriously aggressive and territorial, attacking anything that entered their claimed airspace.
However, this kind of sudden ambush attack barely registered as a threat in Jayden's experienced perception. He'd faced this exact scenario countless times in his previous life.
His body moved on pure muscle memory and battlefield instinct—tilting slightly to the left, shifting his weight to his back foot, and allowing the Spearow's diving strike to miss his skull by mere centimeters.
He felt the wind from its passage ruffle his makeshift headwrap.
...
This was a realistic world, not a sanitized game or cartoon. Pokémon directly attacking humans was not only possible but common, especially in wilderness environments where human presence was rare.
The damage that powerful Pokémon could inflict on unprotected humans was catastrophic—sudden, brutal, and often fatal.
Moreover, there were plenty of people in this world—both within criminal organizations like Team Rocket and even within the supposedly righteous Alliance—who had no qualms about ordering their Pokémon to attack humans directly.
Team Rocket, in particular, actively encouraged such tactics. As long as the mission was completed, questions of fairness, honor, or mercy were irrelevant.
Jayden had climbed from the bottom ranks of Team Rocket to become a city-level operative and eventually reached Quasi-Elite Four combat strength in his previous life.
That journey had involved facing countless situations where Pokémon attacked him directly, where enemy trainers ordered executions without hesitation, and where survival meant being faster, smarter, and more ruthless than everyone else.
So when this Spearow launched its surprise attack, Jayden's response was reflexive and immediate. After dodging, he called out calmly:
"Nincada, use Harden, then counter with Scratch!"
...
Nincada reacted with impressive speed. The metallic sheen of Harden spread across its entire carapace in less than a second, dramatically increasing its defensive capabilities. Then, using its reinforced body as a platform for explosive movement, Nincada launched itself upward with a powerful jump—its six legs providing tremendous spring force from the ground.
The Spearow, having missed Jayden and still recovering from its dive, had no time to evade. Nincada's hardened claws, glowing with faint white energy, struck the Flying-type directly across its chest and wing joint.
"Kee-aarr!" The Spearow screeched in pain and fury, tumbling through the air before managing to stabilize itself several meters away. Its eyes burned with rage—this was supposed to be easy prey, not a threat.
Jayden took the brief moment of respite to activate CIPHER's scanning function.
[CIPHER SCAN INITIATED...]
...
Pokémon: Spearow (Orange)
Gender: Male
Level: 12
Type: Normal/Flying
Ability: Keen Eye (Prevents accuracy reduction)
Held Item: None
Inherited Skills: None
Basic Skills:
Peck (Power = 35, Flying, Physical)
Growl (Power = 0, Normal, Status, Lowers Attack)
Leer (Power = 0, Normal, Status, Lowers Defense)
Pursuit (Power = 40, Dark, Physical, Double power if target switches)
Fury Attack (Power = 15, Normal, Physical, Multi-hit 2-5 times)
Taught Skills: None
TM Skills: None
...
An orange-grade Spearow at level 12—actually a reasonably strong wild Pokémon specimen by Crimson Reef Island standards. Most wild Pokémon in the outer forest were red or low-orange grade with levels between 5-9.
This one had clearly survived longer than most, possibly even preyed on weaker humans who'd attempted the trial before.
"Don't stop—follow up with Mud-Slap and blind it!" Jayden commanded coldly, his voice carrying absolute authority.
...
Even without Jayden's explicit order, Nincada was already preparing its next attack. The desire to protect Jayden and punish the attacker burned fiercely in its heart. This Spearow had tried to hurt its trainer ,its partner -- and that was unforgivable.
Nincada's legs churned the soft forest floor, kicking up a massive spray of mud and wet earth directly into the Spearow's face. The Flying-type, already disoriented from the previous Scratch attack, had no chance to evade. Mud caked its eyes, filled its nostrils, and completely obscured its vision.
"Final strike >> Scratch at maximum power!"
With its vision completely compromised, the Spearow couldn't track Nincada's final assault. The Bug/Ground-type leaped again, claws extended and reinforced with Harden, and struck with devastating precision at the Spearow's exposed throat and chest.
The impact was brutal. The Spearow crashed into the ground, twitched once, and went still. Dead.
...
Jayden walked past the corpse without a second glance, his expression completely emotionless. Spearow were social Pokémon that often appeared in flocks of a dozen or more. If this one had been scouting for a larger group, staying in this area would invite a swarm attack that even Nincada couldn't handle.
More importantly, Jayden knew from CIPHER's topographical mapping that they were getting close to his intended destination. There was no point wasting energy on prolonged combat when a strategic retreat served better.
"Nincada, stay alert. We're in dangerous territory now. Stronger Pokémon will be common from here forward."
"Nincada!" The acknowledgment was sharp and focused.
...
Day 11, 1:34 AM – Hidden Lake, Western Cave System
...
Relying on his experience surviving in the wilderness during his previous life, Jayden successfully avoided several powerful territorial Pokémon over the next hour. His knowledge of beast trails, territorial markings, and behavioral patterns allowed him to identify dangerous areas and navigate around them.
When he detected the distinctive claw marks of a Primeape territory, he made a wide detour. When he heard the distant roars of what sounded like a Tauros herd, he changed direction entirely. When CIPHER detected unusual electromagnetic signatures suggesting Magnemite activity, he marked the location for future investigation but avoided direct contact.
After quickly dispatching a few weaker wild Pokémon that attacked opportunistically—a pair of Rattata, a lone Oddish, and another Spearow—he ensured he left the scenes of conflict immediately to avoid attracting scavengers or larger predators.
...
Finally, after approximately three hours of cautious navigation through increasingly treacherous terrain, Jayden and Nincada arrived at a location that met all his criteria.
It was a relatively small lake—perhaps fifty meters across—surrounded by a dense ring of ancient trees whose roots formed natural barriers.
The lake's surface was mirror-calm, reflecting the star-strewn sky above.
Fresh water gently lapped at smooth stones along the shore, and the air carried the clean scent of minerals and vegetation.
On the western side of the lake, there was a small hillside rising perhaps twenty meters above the water level. And carved into that hillside—clearly excavated by wild Pokémon at some point in the past—was a cave entrance large enough for a human to enter while crouching.
Jayden approached cautiously, activating CIPHER's environmental analysis.
[CIPHER ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN...]
[Cave depth: Approximately 12 meters]
[Current occupancy: None detected]
[Water quality: Potable after basic filtration]
[Edible vegetation within 100-meter radius: Multiple berry species identified]
[Threat assessment: MODERATE – Several territorial Pokémon within 500 meters, but none immediately hostile]
...
Jayden allowed himself a rare, genuine smile—the first in days.
"This is it. Our new base."
...
End of Chapter 7
"In the wilderness, the greatest advantage is not strength—it is knowledge. Know the terrain. Know your enemies. Know yourself. Only then can you truly survive."