Team Rockets' underground battle arena was a stone-surfaced battlefield.
In the center of the field, crisscrossing scratches of varying depths were permanent scars left by countless intense battles.
It wasn't a very advanced battlefield, but it was more than enough for these Team Rockets recruits.
Jiang Han's points were at 0.
In Team Rockets, for battles where points were wagered, if the loser couldn't pay up, the points would not only be forcibly deducted from future mission rewards but they would also face additional punishment.
But Jiang Han didn't care.
Punished for losing?
Then he just had to win.
He lowered his eyes, looking at the Sandile by his feet, which was ready to strike.
Primitive fighting spirit burned in the little fellow's pupils; beneath its rough skin, muscles were tense, making it look like a desert beast ready to pounce on its prey at any moment.
With it by his side, Jiang Han didn't think he would lose.
Opposite him, the sturdy youth codenamed Number 7 was rubbing his hands together, his face unable to hide his excitement and conceit. He pulled a Poké Ball from his waist and threw it forward with force.
"Go, my partner, Nidoran!"
A flash of light appeared, and a purple Pokémon covered in spikes appeared on the field, letting out a spirited cry.
Seeing Number 7's smug expression as if he wanted to show off to the whole world, Jiang Han's lips twitched slightly, his voice flat and emotionless.
"Number 7, do you understand the difference between a normal spar and a battle wagering points in Team Rockets?"
Number 7 froze for a moment and scratched the back of his head, clearly not following Jiang Han's train of thought. "The difference? Isn't the difference just that the loser has to give points?"
Truly an idiot.
Jiang Han reached a conclusion in his mind. It was a miracle that someone so simple-minded and brawny could survive until graduation in the brutal 15th training camp.
In Team Rockets, sparring between members was tacitly permitted; everyone held back for the sake of mutual improvement.
But once points were involved, the nature of it changed completely.
Points were the lifeblood of Team Rockets—resources, status, and the capital to survive. Wagering points was equivalent to wagering one's life. In these kinds of battles, the two sides usually had long-standing grudges and fought until death.
Therefore, within the rules, any form of "attrition" was allowed.
Jiang Han's gaze swept past Number 7 and landed on the instructor standing to the side with arms crossed, acting as an expressionless referee.
In the instructor's eyes, this was a battle without suspense.
His eyes were cold, showing no intention of intervening.
That was enough.
An opportunity to both train Sandile's moves and stimulate the ferocity in its bones, while also replenishing his empty wallet, was exactly what Jiang Han wanted.
He wasted no more words, took the Poké Ball belonging to Sandile from his waist, and tossed it gently.
Red light flashed, and Sandile landed steadily, its eyes instantly used Lock-On on the Nidoran that was a size smaller than it, a low growl emitting from its throat.
"Go, Sandile."
Jiang Han's voice suddenly turned cold, devoid of any emotion. "Kill that Nidoran!"
"K-Kill it?!"
The smug smile on Number 7's face instantly froze, and he was so terrified by the sudden burst of killing intent from Jiang Han that he took half a step back. Looking at Jiang Han's calm face, he felt a chill from the bottom of his heart for the first time.
This guy is serious!
"Ni... Nidoran! Don't be afraid! U-Use Peck!"
Number 7's voice trembled slightly, but he still tried to remain calm while giving the command.
Both pokémon were level 8, but in terms of presence, the difference was clear.
Nidoran mustered its courage, aimed its sharp horn at Sandile, and charged forward.
However, Sandile just stood there, its huge mouth slightly agape, revealing the stark white, sharp teeth inside.
Just as Nidoran was about to collide with it, Sandile's bulky body lunged forward with an agility that belied its size!
"Bang!"
With a dull thud, Nidoran was sent flying as if it had hit a wall, rolling twice on the ground.
"Bite!" Jiang Han's command was concise and lethal.
Sandile pushed off with its limbs, its large frame turning into a black shadow that pounced in front of Nidoran instantly. Before the opponent could react, its massive maw filled with sharp teeth clamped down hard on Nidoran's shoulder!
"Crack!"
It sounded like the sound of bones being crushed.
"Nido—!"
Nidoran let out a shrill, agonizing scream, its purple body struggling violently as blood seeped from the gaps in Sandile's teeth and dripped onto the cold floor.
"Don't be afraid! Nidoran! Use Double Kick! Quick! Your move is super effective against it!"
Number 7's face had already turned pale with fear; he roared at the top of his lungs, trying to wake his pokémon.
"The Fighting-type Double Kick is indeed super effective against the Dark and Ground-type Sandile."
"So that's where this guy's confidence came from."
Jiang Han thought to himself.
But clearly, the situation was not as Number 7 imagined.
At this moment, Nidoran's fighting spirit had been completely crushed by Sandile's Bite, and the fear of death enveloped it. The only thought in its head was to escape; it could no longer hear its Trainer's commands.
It struggled desperately to break free from Sandile's mouth, ignoring the mangled wound on its shoulder, and fled around the battlefield like a headless fly.
Jiang Han watched this scene with a cold sneer in his heart.
"Sand Attack."
Sandile opened its mouth, and a burst of murky sand instantly gushed out, hitting Nidoran directly.
Having lost its vision, Nidoran became even more panicked and slammed headfirst into the hard concrete wall, letting out a heavy thud before collapsing and twitching on the ground.
The opportunity had come.
But Jiang Han didn't immediately order the finishing blow.
"Hone Claws."
What he wanted was more than just a victory.
Sandile raised its front claws and rubbed them forcefully against the rough ground, making a piercing "skritch-skritch" sound.
Under the pale lights, the tips of its claws glinted with a chilling light.
Attack and accuracy increased.
The entire underground arena was dead silent, save for the sound of claws honing, like the Grim Reaper sharpening his scythe, beat by beat, striking at Number 7's heart.
His lips trembled, unable to utter a single word.
He watched helplessly as his partner lay in the corner, while the opponent unhurriedly prepared for the final kill.
This was no longer a battle.
This was a slaughter.
"Enough," Jiang Han's voice broke the silence. "Bite."
Sandile moved.
This time, it was faster, its goal clearer.
It ran up to the fallen Nidoran.
Then, it opened its maw wide enough to swallow Nidoran's entire head.
"No!"
Number 7's desperate cry was completely drowned out by a crisp sound of bone snapping.
Sandile bit through Nidoran's neck in one go.
The small purple body jerked once and then went completely limp, devoid of any life.
Upon defeating the enemy, Sandile's Moxie ability activated, increasing its Attack once more!
But there were no more enemies on the field, so Sandile turned its gaze toward Number 7.
The youth no longer had his previous arrogance; seeing Sandile's predatory gaze, he was terrified into collapsing onto the ground.
Ding.
As a sound rang out in the arena, the points that originally belonged to Number 7 were transferred to Jiang Han.
[Point Balance: 40]
He recalled Sandile, not even bothering to spare another glance at Number 7, who sat paralyzed on the ground with hollow eyes as if his soul had been sucked out.
Weakness is the original sin.
In Team Rockets, sympathy is the cheapest and most useless thing..
Jiang Han turned around and walked toward the exit without looking back..
Behind him, the instructor's cold voice rang out: "Number 7, dispose of your trash."
Walking out of the arena, the oppressive smell finally dissipated, and Jiang Han took a deep breath of relatively fresh air.
40 points were just enough to buy the materials for making low-grade pokéblocks.
This was quite a harvest