"Kid, normally the corpses of Pokémon that die in the Arena are considered Team Rocket property. Strictly speaking, devouring them is not permitted."
"However, given that this Raticate was already ancient and held little remaining value, I will overlook your disrespect—on one condition. You must answer a question for me."
Augustus spoke suddenly, his voice cutting through the post-battle murmurs.
"Please, ask whatever you wish, sir," Feng Che replied respectfully. When facing someone many times stronger than oneself, humility and tact are virtues.
"How exactly did that Arbok determine precisely where the Raticate would burst from the ground?" Augustus pointed at the jagged hole where the rodent had emerged.
"I can explain that, sir," Feng Che said, clearing his throat. "It's a well-known fact that an Ekans' tail is hollow, used to produce a rattling sound to lure small prey. However, that hollow structure has a secondary function: seismic sensing."
"Just as Trapinch's body or a Raticate's whiskers can detect ground vibrations, an Ekans uses its tail to sense movement from nearby threats or prey to set up an ambush. Even though the tail's shape changes when it evolves into Arbok, that sensory intuition remains. I simply directed the Arbok to focus on those vibrations to pinpoint the Raticate's location."
Feng Che kept his explanation concise and grounded in biological facts.
"So that's it. Do you see now?" Augustus turned to address the gathered crowd of Rocket members. "This is the benefit of understanding Pokémon anatomy. Knowledge is a treasure far more valuable than raw power."
"Augustus still loves teaching the next generation," Instructor Viper remarked with a sigh. "If it weren't for his disability, he'd be the one standing in the Head Instructor's spot today. Fate can be a cruel thing."
"I don't accept this! It's a setup! That isn't his Pokémon!" Hongsheng suddenly roared.
The first rule of the Arena of Death was that one must use their own Pokémon. If Hongsheng could prove the Arbok didn't belong to Feng Che, the match would be voided, he would be spared, and Feng Che would be executed on the spot by Augustus.
"Its level must be astronomical for my Pokémon to lose so badly!" Hongsheng argued desperately. "This is a blatant act of cheating directed at me! Lord Referee, I beg you to uphold justice!"
Hongsheng dropped to his knees, kowtowing thrice with loud, desperate thuds.
"Kid, what do you have to say for yourself?" Augustus asked, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
Augustus might have had his eyes closed for most of the match, but he wasn't blind. He could see the bond; a Pokémon wouldn't execute a Trainer's commands with such precision if it weren't theirs. Furthermore, despite the Arbok's size, Augustus could judge its actual strength through pure aura alone—its level was clearly not very high.
He knew the answer, but he wanted to see how Feng Che would defend himself. Before the youth could speak, however, Instructor Viper's booming voice intervened.
"I can testify to the truth. That Pokémon was distributed by my own hand, and this boy was the very first in this batch to successfully tame his partner!" Viper stepped forward, having learned the full story from the crowd. He now knew that Seita had shamelessly claimed the title of "No. 1 Rookie" for himself.
"Listen well, all of you," Viper threatened, his gaze sweeping over the recruits. "If I find out anyone has tried to extort him or steal the credits he earned for his rank, I will deal with them personally. Think carefully before you throw your lives away for a few points."
Hearing this, Seita turned pale and took a trembling step back. His legs felt like jelly.
"Add me to that list," Augustus chimed in. "Kid, if anyone bothers you, come find me. I'll see that justice is done." He had taken a liking to this knowledgeable young man; he respected intelligence.
"But... how? How could an Ekans evolve into an Arbok so quickly? It's impossible!" Hongsheng stammered.
"Evolution is a matter of opportunity and destiny. When the time is right, it happens," Viper replied dismissively. He had no intention of explaining the nuances of growth to a fool.
With Viper's testimony, the verdict on Hongsheng was sealed. The man collapsed onto the stage, staring blankly at the overhead lights. He had intended to use Feng Che as a "chicken" to scare the "monkeys," but in trying to trap the bird, he had only managed to pluck his own eyes out. He had driven himself into a dead end.
"Since you are the victor, kid, there are two ways to deal with this member," Augustus said. "First: immediate execution. Second: demotion to menial labor, stripped of the right to ever become a formal Rocket member again."
"I choose the second option," Feng Che replied without hesitation. "Execution is too quick. I'd rather he live with the eternal torment of his failure."
Feng Che was no saint. He knew that "kindness" in Team Rocket was a death sentence. His philosophy was simple: do not provoke me, and I will not touch you. But if you strike me, I will repay it tenfold.
"Be careful for the next couple of days, kid," Viper advised. "Now that the word is out about your rank, plenty of eyes will be on you."
Gee, thanks a lot for that, Feng Che grumbled internally. Viper had basically painted a giant target on his back. Going back to the dorms was out of the question now—it would be nothing but trouble.
He hopped off the stage and headed straight for the private training room he had rented, vowing not to come out until the next trial.
"Come out, Ditto."
The Arbok rippled and shrank back into the pink blob. However, the Ditto was currently massive, looking as though it were stuffed to the bursting point.
"Alright, Ditto, finish devouring the Raticate. I need to know if you can carry over the 'Swords Dance' skill to your other transformations. We're lucky that Raticate was too old to use it effectively today; if it had managed a Swords Dance, things might have ended very differently."
Swords Dance required a significant burst of stamina. Had the dying Raticate attempted the move, it likely would have expired on the spot.
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