At dawn, the first rays of sunlight painted the horizon in soft gold as a sleek black car pulled up near the edge of Tongluo Town.
"Brother Yu, over here! This way!"
Cao Ruifeng waved energetically at the approaching vehicle, his voice cutting through the quiet morning air.
Zhang Tianyu had promised to pick him up, and sure enough, here he was—right on time. As the car came to a gentle stop, Ruifeng jogged over and climbed in.
Inside, Logan was already seated in the passenger seat, giving Ruifeng a casual wave.
"Morning, Boss," Logan greeted with a grin.
"Morning, Lao Luo," Ruifeng replied cheerfully. Then, turning his attention to Zhang Tianyu, he couldn't help but tease, "Brother Yu, what were you riding at home? A bull? You took forever."
Zhang Tianyu shot him a look from the driver's seat, his tone flat but amused.
"Don't ask. Just sit back and be quiet."
Sensing the tension in the air, Ruifeng decided not to press further. He settled into his seat and shifted the conversation.
"By the way, Lao Luo, what do you think? Is this Team Rocket thing really legit?"
Logan shrugged, his hands open in a gesture of indifference.
"Seems legit to me. I mean, I got paid, didn't I?"
Unlike Zhang Tianyu and Cao Ruifeng, who came from wealthier families and sought strength, Logan's reasons were simple. The paycheck was enough.
"Reliable or not… we'll know by the end of today," Zhang Tianyu said, his eyes focused on the road ahead.
For him, strength was everything. If Team Rocket could help him grow, he'd stay. If not? No salary in the world would make him waste his time.
The car rumbled along the narrow country roads, heading toward their destination—Warehouse District 8.
By the time they reached Tongluo Town, Zhang Xuewei had already been waiting for hours. He'd set out the night before to prepare for the gathering.
As the minutes ticked by, the group assembled, but not without hiccups.
"Who's missing? Who isn't here yet?" Zhang Xuewei paced anxiously, wiping sweat from his brow. This was his first time coordinating such a large group, and it showed.
One of the members did a quick headcount.
"We're just waiting on Fatty Luo."
"Damn it, what's Fatty Luo doing? Why isn't he here yet?" Zhang Xuewei snapped. "Call him! Now!"
"I tried. His phone's off."
Zhang Xuewei clenched his fists in frustration.
"That bastard… Took the money and ran, didn't he? When I get my hands on him, he's finished."
With no other choice, Zhang Xuewei gathered the 19 present members.
"We're going ahead without him. Let's move."
After nearly an hour of trekking through uneven terrain, they finally arrived at Warehouse District 8.
"So this is it…" one of the members murmured, surveying the wild expanse.
The district was a shadow of its former self—a wilderness of overgrown weeds, crumbling structures, and abandoned machinery. Fearows and Spearows occasionally took to the skies, their cries echoing through the emptiness. An Ekans slithered past their feet, disappearing into the grass.
"This place is crawling with wild Pokémon," another muttered, eyes wide.
"Come out, Dodrio!" Zhang Xuewei called, releasing his Pokémon.
They would need protection to cross this untamed land.
"Let's go, Pidgeotto!"
"Go, Teddiursa!"
One by one, the members summoned their Pokémon, forming a makeshift perimeter.
Above them, unnoticed, a Honchkrow soared through the air, wings spread wide as it flew toward a decrepit building deeper in the district.
"Gah! Gah!" the Honchkrow cawed as it landed on Renjiro's shoulder.
Renjiro stirred from his seat inside Warehouse 9, where he'd been resting. He opened his eyes slowly, stifling a yawn.
"So they're finally here, huh? Took them long enough."
He rose to his feet and stepped outside, surveying the group's slow progress.
"These guys have no formal training. Just a bunch of amateurs. If we don't whip them into shape, this organization will never amount to anything."
Renjiro reached for a Poké Ball at his belt.
"Come out, Nidoking."
The ball burst open with a flash of red light, revealing the massive purple form of Nidoking.
"Roar!" Nidoking's growl rumbled through the air.
"Go give them a proper welcome. And Nidoking—don't kill anyone."
"Nido!" Nidoking nodded, then burrowed into the earth using Dig, vanishing from sight.
Honchkrow took to the skies once more, circling overhead to keep watch.
"Let's see what you're all made of," Renjiro muttered, watching the group from afar.
Meanwhile, Zhang Xuewei kept the group moving.
"Stay sharp. Don't provoke any wild Pokémon. We're late enough as it is—we can't afford distractions."
"Don't worry, Wei Ge. We know what we're doing," one of the members reassured him.
"Yeah, we're not like Fatty Luo," another added with a grin.
If they'd wanted to run off with the money, they'd have done it already.
Suddenly, Dodrio let out a warning cry.
"Dolly Dolly!"
"Stop!" Zhang Xuewei ordered, raising his hand.
The Pokémon all tensed, senses alert.
"What is it? What's happening?"
Before anyone could answer, the ground began to tremble beneath their feet.
Boom… boom… boom…
The rhythmic thudding grew louder, closer.
A massive purple figure emerged from the distance—Nidoking, its eyes locked onto the intruders.
"W-what the hell is that?!" someone gasped.
"Nidoking… and a big one at that," Zhang Xuewei said, voice low. "Everyone, prepare for battle! Stay together!"
Panic rippled through the group as Nidoking advanced, each footfall shaking the earth.
"Dodrio, use Drill Peck!"
"Pidgeotto, Gust!"
"Teddiursa, Scratch!"
Their Pokémon leapt into action, but it was clear they were outmatched. Nidoking's sheer size and power dwarfed them.
The battle had begun—and so had Team Rocket's true training.
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