This battle was quite fruitful.
Jiang Han felt the power surging within his three pokémon; they had all leveled up by one. Sandile reached Level 23, Inkay Level 19, and Sneasel Level 18.
That wasn't all.
The Poké Balls obtained from the battle now lay quietly in his space ring; they were quite a fortune.
Jiang Han wasn't naive enough to think he could capture them directly.
These pokémon had witnessed their owner's death with their own eyes; he was their irreconcilable enemy. The moment they were released, it would likely be a fight to the death.
But they had another great use.
Within the Team Rockets system, these high-level, high-aptitude pokémon could be exchanged for a substantial amount of points.
And points meant more abundant resources and faster growth.
"The great cause of Team Rockets needs your contribution."
Jiang Han thought to himself, essentially determining the future of these pokémon.
Just as he was about to clean up the scene, a flashlight beam flickered from deep within the cave, approaching from afar.
Soon after, noisy voices could be heard, sounding like an expedition team.
Jiang Han frowned and paused in his tracks.
His current public identity was that of a pure-blooded Alliance Core Lineage Trainer.
If he were caught standing in this bloody slaughterhouse with three warm corpses lying nearby, no amount of explaining would clear his name.
He didn't want to cause such trouble, at least not now.
"Sandile, Stomping Tantrum!"
Receiving the command, Sandile didn't hesitate to stomp its thick hind legs onto the ground.
*Thud!*
A dull, heavy sound echoed through the cave.
The entire space began to vibrate violently; the rock walls overhead groaned under the strain, and gravel fell in showers.
Then, large boulders crashed down with a roar, accurately covering those two corpses and the surrounding battle marks.
Dust billowed, burying everything tightly, as if nothing had ever happened here.
Well done.
Jiang Han patted Sandile's tough skin and turned away without a second thought, heading back the way he came.
Not far away, a woman's scream faintly drifted from the direction of the cave—short and terrified—before being swallowed by the cave's echoes.
Jiang Han's pace didn't falter for a second.
Whether that expedition team lived or died, whether they found the buried bodies or encountered some other danger, had nothing to do with him.
He wasn't a savior, nor was he a saint.
People died every day in this world; he couldn't handle it all, nor did he want to.
He had more important things to do now, and clearer goals to achieve.
On the deserted island of Route 106, that Level 33 Druddigon occupying the precious resources that should have been his! That was his immediate major concern.
Thinking of that fellow, Jiang Han's gaze turned a few degrees colder.
"You're next!"
He quickened his pace, his figure quickly disappearing into the dark passage... The return to the Team Rockets secret base in Mauville City was as smooth as ever.
Entering the café, opening the hidden door, and walking through the long Underground Path, he smelled the familiar scent of disinfectant.
Jiang Han put on his mask and walked straight to the resource exchange counter.
This time, the person in charge of the exchange was a Middle-aged Man wearing gold-rimmed glasses; he had a refined temperament, but the sharp glint in his eyes was not to be underestimated.
Seeing Jiang Han, he simply adjusted his glasses and spoke formally: "Mission complete? Or exchanging resources?"
"Exchanging resources," Jiang Han said succinctly, placing the five Poké Balls he had just acquired on the counter.
Rummaging a bit more, he found three Shroomish he had caught while teaching the brats during his internship, and he exchanged those as well.
The Middle-aged Man picked up a professional instrument and scanned them one by one.
"Level 26 Scyther, advanced aptitude."
"Level 24 Donphan, intermediate aptitude."
"Level 25 Mightyena, intermediate aptitude."
"..."
As the data were read out one by one, the man's expression didn't change at all.
But behind his lenses, a faint, imperceptible glint of approval flashed. To be able to quietly obtain pokémon of this quality at this age, this newcomer was not simple.
"Total, 320 points," the man announced the final figure. "It has already been transferred to your account."
He opened the Pokémon item exchange interface.
Jiang Han's gaze swept quickly across the dazzling array of items in the exchange list, finally stopping at an inconspicuous corner.
sharp claw.
This was a battle item that made it easier for a pokémon to land critical hits in battle; more importantly, it was the key for Sneasel to evolve into Weavile.
The price was 200 points—not cheap, but within an acceptable range.
Jiang Han's finger hovered over the screen for a moment before he finally swiped away.
Evolution? It was still too early.
He knew very well that pokémon evolution in this world was far from as simple as in the games.
Evolving too early was no different from "pulling up seedlings to help them grow," which would greatly overdraw a pokémon's future potential.
Sneasel was only Level 18 now; its body and mind were far from mature. Forcing an evolution would only result in a mediocre Weavile.
Jiang Han's goal was to cultivate the top-tier partners.
So, he would at least wait until Sneasel reached Level 30 or higher before considering evolution.
One must know, this Sneasel's aptitude was Quasi-Elite Four Level! It was the highest-aptitude pokémon in his current team!
"What's more..." He looked at the four words in the item's notes—'Ordinary Quality'—and sneered. "Does such trash even deserve to be used on my Sneasel?"
Since he was going to use one, it had to be the best.
This was the foundation of these Pokémon's future strength and a responsibility to his own ambition.
Closing the exchange list, Jiang Han leaned against the cold wall. The isolated island and the Druddigon entrenched at its center surfaced in his mind.
Level 33—a quite troublesome level.
Going head-to-head was definitely the worst strategy.
His highest-level pokémon, Sandile, was only Level 23.
The level suppression was like a massive mountain; with the slightest mistake, both he and his Pokémon could be crushed to pieces.
The Team Rockets exchange counter did have a Pokémon rental function. With his current points, he could easily rent an advanced-level Pokémon to besiege the Druddigon.
But as soon as the thought appeared, he immediately snuffed it out.
Rented Pokémon would inevitably be fitted with trackers and monitoring devices.
He didn't want to expose the true secret of that deserted island just to deal with a Druddigon.
That mysterious white stone that could amplify Psychic powers.
That was his true trump card and his future reliance.
Jiang Han scratched his hair in frustration, momentarily stuck in a stalemate.
What to do?
He closed his eyes and mentally reviewed the island's terrain, the Druddigon's habits, and the skills and Abilities of his three pokémon.
Sandile, Level 23, Moxie Ability; attack power is its strength, but defense is its weakness.
Inkay, Level 19, Contrary Ability; a good hand at tactics, but unfortunately too frail.
Sneasel, Level 18, Inner Focus Ability; extremely fast, but its attack power is still a bit immature.
"Ability... Ability..." Jiang Han repeated the word to himself, and a flash of inspiration struck.
He snapped his eyes open, the corners of his mouth curling upward uncontrollably.
He recalled the explosion he had meticulously planned at the home of Alliance official Saki in Rustboro City.
The brilliant white light produced when the Voltorb with the Aftermath Ability exploded!
A dangerous curve formed at the corner of Jiang Han's mouth.
That's the one!
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn luffy1898