The man Old Hu left behind was round and plump, sporting a handlebar mustache and small, squinting eyes that glittered with shrewdness.
"My name is Hanada, Assistant to Lord Alakazam. How can I help you today?" he asked with a beaming smile. "Lord Alakazam informed me that you are our most esteemed VIP. I can share insider information for free, and any exchange you make today will be at a 50% discount—the best price in Team Rocket."
Old Hu really has his fingers in every pie, Feng Che thought. "I have two questions: first, the current exchange rate between Rocket Points and League Dollars; second, the status of Team Rocket's Pokémon Ranches—specifically the 'Starter' nurseries."
"I wouldn't recommend trading points for Dollars," Hanada chirped. "Rocket Points are far more valuable. You can buy items here that don't even exist in the League's database. In the Kanto underground, Rocket Points are the true currency."
He continued, "As for the ranches, we have eight major facilities. The Starters—Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle—are descendants of Pokémon captured by our elites. Through generations of selective breeding, they are at least Green (Outstanding) potential. Boss Giovanni is very protective of them; normally, only high-ranking Executives get them as rewards. But word is, the Rank 1 winner of this trial gets a Cyan (Epic) potential starter. I wish I hadn't become a formal member so early; a Cyan starter could revitalize an entire family clan!"
Hanada leaned in. "We have a few 'private' starters here. Want to see? But be warned: the minimum price for a starter in Team Rocket is 20,000 points."
Hanada brought out a velvet tray with three Luxury Balls. Feng Che used his system to scan them.
Oshawott: Level 8. Potential: Yellow (Excellent). Evaluation: Too old for its level. Low value unless you're a collector.
Turtwig: Level 16. Potential: Yellow (Excellent). Evaluation: A lazy 'salted fish' that just wants to sunbathe.
Ivysaur: Level 10. Potential: Yellow (Excellent). Evaluation: Potential exhausted due to premature evolution.
"I'll pass," Feng Che said flatly. "They don't match my... aesthetic."
"Understood," Hanada smiled, undeterred. "Then perhaps a Technical Machine?"
He produced three TMs: Double Team, Shock Wave, and Magnitude.
"Finally... Double Team!" Feng Che's eyes lit up. This move was a staple for tactical play. In this world, a Master-tier Pokémon could use Double Team to create dozens of clones, eventually evolving the skill into Substitute.
The price was 1,500 points, but with his 50% VIP discount, Feng Che snagged it for 750 points.
"Do you have the 'Elemental Punches'? Fire, Ice, or Thunder?" Feng Che asked.
Hanada looked embarrassed. "Those are 'marketless' items—we haven't seen a disk for those in months."
Feng Che then headed to the Logistics Department to officially register.
"As a formal member," a beautiful Rocket officer read from a tablet, "you receive 50 points a month. Your duty is to complete one mission per month—guarding territory, capturing specific species, or raids. The only exception is if you are assigned as a 'Mole' in the League."
"Feng Che!" A telepathic voice reached him. He turned to see Alice, carrying a small, fiery fox.
"A Fennekin? Perfect for a Fire/Psychic path," Feng Che noted.
"My father got her for me from a private ranch as a reward for awakening," Alice beamed. "Anyway, the tournament bracket is out. Be careful—some of us, like me, are just here for the title and won't fight seriously. But the ones left in the bracket are the wolves."
Feng Che checked his communicator. 32 people remained for the final tournament. The big names were all there: Manxiong, Serpent Pillar, Nakata, and Starhunt.
Feng Che was in Group A... alongside Serpent Pillar, the leader of the Ninja Squad.
"This won't be boring," Feng Che smiled, his eyes flashing with a mix of excitement and cold calculation.
Rocket Headquarters: Executive Office.
Giovanni sat across from Instructor Viper. "What is the status of the tournament?"
"32 members have registered, sir," Viper said, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Wait... weren't there 54 survivors from the island?" Giovanni's aura flared, the air in the room turning heavy.
"Some were only interested in the formal membership. They heard the Rank 1 winner gets sent to the League as a spy and they... 'withdrew' from the competition," Viper stammered.
"Fools," Giovanni chuckled darkly. "Let them regret it. I'm raising the stakes. I will personally double the rewards for the winner. If they don't want to fight for me, they don't deserve the treasures of Team Rocket."
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