At the same time, most of the newcomers from the 15th training camp had arrived at the pokémon holding facility.
Through the glass walls, Jiang Han could clearly see the situation inside the other containment rooms.
It was obvious that those newcomers had already chosen their future posts and their initial pokémon, and they had made their choices much faster than Jiang Han.
After all, most newcomers only had a few dozen points, leaving them with very little room for choice.
However, a selection standard of roughly several hundred thousand league coins was already very high; at the very least, it was something these boys and girls's original families could never have afforded.
These children who had been abducted by Team Rocket, including Jiang Han, were all poor kids with no background. Under the Alliance's resource monopoly, both the path to advancement and obtaining high-quality pokémon were extremely difficult.
It was hard for children from ordinary families to become outstanding Trainers. Most either died in the mouths of wild pokémon or settled into mediocrity, returning to a comfortable but ordinary life.
So, in a way, Team Rocket gave these people a way out—a bloody, but potentially successful, path.
Although Jiang Han himself held no particular feelings for Team Rocket, he did approve of some of their methods.
Houndour, Nidoran, and Zubat were the most chosen Pokémon.
Jiang Han glanced around and shook his head.
These Pokémon were quite good in terms of attributes and the skills they could learn later, but there was one problem!
These three types of Pokémon were all on the fiercer side. After four years of interaction, Jiang Han knew very well what level these newcomers were at.
For most people, on their first exchange, they couldn't possibly tame this kind of Pokémon.
Sure enough, screams soon rang out.
Since the Pokémon containment rooms were close together and the walls were made of glass, one could clearly see the 'friendly interactions' between these new Trainers and their initial pokémon here.
Some newcomers got along well with their pokémon and wisely chose gentler, grass-type pokémon, carefully offering them pokéblocks.
Some newcomers had their arms bitten off by their pokémon, blood splattering on the glass walls—a shocking sight!
In the containment room on the left, a boy was pinned down by a Houndour, his throat bitten; he struggled a few times and then lay still.
In the containment room on the right, a girl was facing off against a Nidoran, holding a crowbar, sweat beading on her forehead.
Further away, a stubborn newcomer had chosen a Beedrill. Just moments after meeting, he died from the Beedrill's poison sting, his body convulsing as he fell to the ground, his face turning blue.
Listening to the screams around him, Jiang Han couldn't help but reflect that this world was no utopia, and Pokémon weren't all docile.
Some ferocious Pokémon, if not tamed properly, could easily turn on and kill their would-be captors.
And this was precisely Team Rocket's final test for these boys and girls they had raised from a young age.
After such a long period of training, if they couldn't even tame their very first pokémon, it meant they simply had no talent for becoming Trainers, let alone achieving any great accomplishments in the future.
Jiang Han withdrew his gaze and looked at the Sandile in his own containment room.
This Sandile was crouched in the corner of the room, its eyes fierce, staring at Jiang Han, its tail twitching restlessly.
Its body was a size larger than an ordinary Sandile, the patterns on its back a deep black, its teeth gleaming coldly under the light.
Jiang Han looked at the crowbar, the pile of pokéblocks, and the three Poké Balls placed in the containment room, and understood.
Different Pokémon required different methods of capture. And for this fierce-looking Sandile in front of him, which had bitten many of its own kind to death right after birth, the method of capture was obvious.
That was to beat it into complete submission!
Jiang Han picked up the crowbar beside him.
The Sandile sensed the danger, slightly shrinking back, a low Growl rumbling in its throat.
"Come on," Jiang Han said softly, his expression calm.
The Sandile attacked first, opening its jaws wide and lunging at Jiang Han!
Jiang Han sidestepped, the crowbar smashing hard onto the Sandile's head. The Sandile yelped in pain, its tail sweeping towards him. Jiang Han kicked it aside and struck its back with another blow.
The Sandile roared and used Sand Attack, kicking up dust that obscured Jiang Han's vision.
Jiang Han closed his eyes, judging its position by sound, and swung the crowbar again, hitting the Sandile squarely on its side.
And so, the human and the Pokémon clashed fiercely in the containment room... After 30 minutes of 'intimate education,' the Sandile was finally beaten into submission.
It lay on the ground, breathing heavily, the ferocity in its eyes having faded considerably, replaced by wariness.
Jiang Han put down the crowbar, catching his breath, then casually picked up a nearby pokéblock and tossed it in front of the Sandile.
The Sandile hesitated for a moment, then finally lowered its head and began eating, somewhat fearfully.
Its willingness to eat the food Jiang Han offered also proved that the Sandile acknowledged Jiang Han's strength. Otherwise, in the Sandile's eyes, Jiang Han would have been the food.
Seeing the Sandile finally show a submissive expression, Jiang Han nodded.
He picked up a Poké Ball, pressed the button, and a red light shot out, drawing the Sandile inside.
The Poké Ball wobbled on the ground a few times and finally emitted a 'ding' sound, signaling a successful capture.
Jiang Han let out a deep breath, picked up the Poké Ball, and a slight smile touched the corner of his mouth.
Compared to the humans from the Blue Planet of his previous life, the physical constitution of humans in this world was far superior.
Having lived two lives, Jiang Han could appreciate the gap even more.
In his previous life, this kind of Sandile could have easily killed him.
But now, after four years of special training with Team Rocket and ranking first in overall ability, Jiang Han could handle this Sandile.
But only just.
Looking at the Poké Ball in his hand, Jiang Han knew clearly that he could only handle initial-form pokémon below level 10.
Once the Sandile grew stronger, Jiang Han would definitely be no match for it.
The upper limit for humans was fixed. The power of pokémon was the true law of this world.
Therefore, he needed to become stronger, and he needed to make the Sandile stronger too.
Only then could he survive in this world and achieve his goals.
Jiang Han pushed open the door of the containment room and walked out.
The Instructor was standing outside, looking at Jiang Han with approval in his eyes.
"Not bad. A 300-point Sandile, and you tamed it."
Jiang Han nodded, saying nothing.
The Instructor continued, "Next, you will be sent to the Hoenn region. Someone will be there to receive you. Remember, Team Rocket has trained you for four years. Don't let us down."
"I won't," Jiang Han replied.
The Instructor turned and left. Jiang Han watched his retreating back, the determination in his eyes gradually fading into calm indifference.
Team Rocket?
To him, this was not a lifelong home to cling to.
It was a springboard to increase his strength, a tool to elevate his status!