The man was tall and bulky with a purple mohawk running down the center of his head. His face was weathered and battle-hardened, carrying the look of someone who had spent decades fighting and surviving.
Ariana gestured toward him.
"This is Executive Viper. Before becoming an executive, he used to train all the new recruits. He will be reprising that role during the trial."
Viper stepped forward and slowly looked around the room. His gaze swept across every survivor, lingering just long enough to make people uncomfortable.
"Hello young members. I can only promise you that I will not cheat you and the weak-willed will die."
The room immediately became tense.
"You have 15 minutes to gather all your belongings and return here. Those that do not make it back in time will be considered traitors and hunted down like the dogs they are."
A strange smile appeared on his face.
"You may leave."
The room exploded into motion.
Hundreds of Team Rocket members rushed toward the exits simultaneously. Chairs were knocked over, curses filled the air, and people shoved each other out of the way.
Silas wasted no time.
He returned directly to his room and gathered everything he owned. His pokemon were recalled and his supplies packed away as quickly as possible. Fortunately, he never accumulated many unnecessary possessions.
When he returned to the meeting room, Rex and Andra were already there.
The pair sat together near the front of the room. An empty seat remained beside them and Silas immediately recognized it was being saved for him.
He sat down.
Nobody spoke much.
Everyone simply waited for the room to fill again.
After Viper completed a headcount, Ariana gave a thumbs-up and stepped backward.
Immediately, 12 Alakazam appeared alongside their trainers.
The psychic pokemon radiated tremendous power.
Each trainer produced a deep pink crystal and raised it into the air. The crystals floated upward before positioning themselves around the crowd.
A barrier formed.
Silas immediately felt an overwhelming amount of psychic energy flooding the area. The air itself seemed to vibrate as the power accumulated.
Then everything glowed.
The light intensified until it became impossible to see.
For several seconds there was only brightness.
When the light finally faded, they were no longer inside the base.
Silas quickly surveyed the surroundings.
They now stood within a massive enclosed space. At least 8 other groups occupied different sections nearby, each consisting of hundreds of Team Rocket members.
The scale was staggering.
Before anyone could begin talking, Viper's Arbok let out a savage roar.
Silence immediately followed.
The effect was astonishing.
Thousands of people became quiet so quickly that one could hear a pin drop.
"Now all of you will be organized into small squads."
Viper's voice echoed throughout the enormous chamber.
"The teams formed here will be determined by you. Elite Officers cannot join another Elite Officer's squad, though alliances are permitted. Only Elite Officers may serve as squad leaders."
Silas immediately began considering his options.
Before he could act, a familiar voice reached him.
"Boss, what's all this about? We were rounded up and sent here."
Jessie, James, and Meowth approached from nearby.
Silas quickly explained everything he knew. There wasn't much information available, but he shared the details regarding the trial and warned them not to wander too far until they understood the situation better.
"Naturally we choose to be on your squad."
Silas wasn't surprised by their answer.
Their loyalty had never been in question.
While the others discussed the situation, Silas continued observing Viper.
Something about the executive made him uneasy.
The man radiated unpredictability.
Silas had dealt with dangerous people before, but Viper felt different. There was an unsettling excitement in the way he watched the crowd.
Many Elite Officers were already forming their respective groups.
Since Silas officially only had 2 subordinates, there wasn't much to discuss. Once Jessie and James confirmed their intentions, he headed directly toward the registration area.
The sheer number of people present became more apparent as he moved through the crowd.
There had to be several thousand Team Rocket members gathered here.
The entire space resembled an American football stadium.
Registration desks lined multiple sections of the chamber, preventing excessive delays despite the enormous population. Silas quickly registered Spartan and then waited for the process to conclude.
Even with thousands of participants, the registrations were completed within an hour.
Once everyone settled down again, Viper resumed speaking.
"The Boss has implemented an interesting update."
His smile widened.
"If you manage to defeat or kill an Elite Officer, simply provide proof through your TR device and you will receive an immediate promotion."
The crowd reacted immediately.
Viper wasn't finished.
"The same applies to Officers."
Silas instantly understood the implication.
This would be bloody.
Elite Officer status came with numerous benefits. Many Officers would inevitably attempt to hunt higher-ranked members for advancement.
Likewise, Grunts would target Officers.
The hierarchy itself promoted predation.
Silas had originally intended to spend the upcoming year quietly growing stronger. He wanted to focus on training, development, and consolidating his strength.
That plan was now impossible.
People would come after him whether he wanted conflict or not.
He would simply have to deal with the situation as it arose.
Looking around, Silas could already see groups forming with obvious intentions.
Many Officers were examining nearby Elite Officers with predatory eyes.
Likewise, Grunts watched Officers.
Everyone had become a potential stepping stone.
"There are 1,600 Grunts, 800 Officers, and 400 Elite Officers participating in this trial."
The numbers drew everyone's attention.
"Do not think of this trial as punishment. There will be many unexpected benefits."
Viper allowed several moments for the information to settle.
Then he continued.
"You will be trapped on a hidden landmass for approximately 1 year. The goal is to strengthen you."
Several people frowned.
"The competition will operate on a survival-of-the-fittest basis. Challenges will occur every 2 weeks at the base and rewards will be distributed through TR points."
He pointed toward the crowd.
"You may also earn rewards by trading in valuable pokemon and rare items. Any additional details can be found through your TR device."
An Officer stood up.
"Executive Viper, forgive my rudeness, but what if I don't want to spend a year secluded?"
The room became quiet. Many people clearly shared the same concern.
Arbok immediately tensed. Its eyes narrowed and its body coiled slightly as though preparing to strike.
Viper casually raised a hand. The massive serpent relaxed.
"If you or your pokemon can survive a Wrap attack from my Arbok for 1 full minute, you may be exempted."
The officer immediately sat down. Nobody else volunteered.
Silas certainly wasn't interested.
That Arbok was a pseudo elite pokemon. The gap between them was simply too large.
After that display, further complaints disappeared.
"One more thing."
Viper paused.
"The island exists within a special temporal zone."
Now people looked interested again.
"A full year will pass inside. Outside, only 1 month will pass."
Relief immediately spread through the crowd.
Many members maintained connections outside Team Rocket. Friends, family, business opportunities, and personal goals would all be difficult to abandon for an entire year.
A single month was far more manageable.
Besides, everyone present desired greater power.
That ambition formed one of the core reasons most had joined Team Rocket in the first place.
"When your Trial Squad is complete, report to the nearest psychic. You will be transported to a ship heading toward the island."
With that, the gathering began dispersing.
Silas briefly introduced himself to the new Officer assigned to Spartan alongside Jessie and James. Beyond that, there wasn't much to discuss.
Unsurprisingly, no additional Officers or Grunts expressed interest in joining his squad.
Silas preferred it that way.
Prior to joining Spartan, Jessie and James had been viewed as incompetent comic relief throughout Team Rocket. Now both wielded powerful pokemon and held Officer rank.
The difference was obvious.
Odin's influence had changed their lives.
They were competent, capable, and fiercely loyal.
Together, the trio approached a psychic accompanied by a Hypno.
The pokemon used Teleport. The world blurred and moments later they stood aboard a ship.
Silas immediately noticed numerous identical vessels nearby. According to his TR device, the voyage would last approximately 16 hours.
They were given 15 minutes to locate their designated squad quarters.
The accommodations were surprisingly reasonable.
Every squad member received a private room except for Grunts, who shared communal living spaces.
Once settled, Silas finally found something he had been lacking for several days.
Peace.
The quiet environment was perfect for meditation.
Although he had continued training his aura regularly, his psychic abilities had received far less attention recently. This voyage provided an excellent opportunity to correct that mistake.
He had barely begun meditating when another familiar figure appeared.
Archer.
The executive arrived alongside his Alakazam.
"Silas."
His expression carried a hint of regret.
"We were specifically ordered not to warn or prepare you. I couldn't disobey a direct order."
Silas simply nodded.
"I understand. No worries. This should be excellent training for me and my pokemon."
Archer laughed softly.
"I should have known you would say something like that."
"I do come bearing gifts, though. After this I must leave."
He tossed a storage pouch toward Silas.
"This is the limit of the assistance I can provide."
Before Silas could respond, Archer vanished alongside Alakazam.
Silas stared at the empty space for several moments.
Every time a Team Rocket executive casually teleported away, he became slightly more jealous.
One day he would have a pokemon capable of doing that.
Opening the pouch quickly improved his mood.
The first item was a high-grade Electirizer.
Silas immediately recognized its value.
The evolution item contained an enormous amount of electrical energy and was essential for Electabuzz's eventual evolution into Electivire.
The second item was a high-grade Dragon Scale.
Several additional herbs occupied the remaining space. They were all excellent ingredients for advanced pokeblocks.
Silas genuinely appreciated the gesture.
Archer had helped him repeatedly despite receiving little in return.
Electabuzz wouldn't evolve anytime soon.
Hermes had previously estimated that level 50 represented the ideal evolution point for both Electabuzz and Monferno.
The Dragon Scale interested him more immediately.
Both Ursaring and Tropius could benefit from its draconic energy.
After some thought, Silas decided Ursaring would receive first priority.
The bear's newly acquired Dragon Dance still required significant development.
This Dragon Scale originated from a peak elite Dragonite. The energy stored within was incredibly potent.
Using a small cord, Silas fashioned a necklace and attached the scale. Once placed around Ursaring's neck, it disappeared beneath the pokemon's thick fur.
"Try to absorb it slowly."
Ursaring nodded.
The massive bear sat down and entered meditation. Silas joined him along with Eevee.
After preparing psychic crystals for Eevee, the trio began training together.
Silas had always considered his psychic abilities acceptable.
Useful and convenient, nothing more.That perspective changed after the SS Anne mission. Without telekinesis, he likely would have died.
The ability to move objects remotely, stabilize allies, and manipulate the battlefield had proven invaluable.
He wanted more control. He needed precision and power.
Silas, Ursaring, and Eevee gradually entered deep meditation.
Time passed quickly.
The tranquility lasted for hours but then someone began pounding on the door.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
"Boss, we've arrived on the island and we have to get off the ship ASAP."
Meowth's voice echoed from the hallway.
Silas slowly opened his eyes.
Across from him, Eevee and Ursaring both looked annoyed. Clearly they had been interrupted as well.
Silas chuckled.
"We'll make these meditation sessions a regular occurrence."
After returning both pokemon to their pokeballs, he stood up and stepped outside.
————————————————————
Thanks for the continued support on my first fanfic!!
Moving forward, every 50 Power Stones, I will release a bonus chapter.
I will also be releasing bonus chapters for milestones. The next ones are 100k views and chapter 100.
Finally, I will be releasing 3 extra chapters once we reach 10 reviews. 5 star reviews are appreciated but not required, I want honest feedback so I can improve.
Once again, thanks for all the support and feedback!