The trial continent was enormous.
According to the map provided on Silas' TR device, the landmass was roughly the size of 2 large cities. Calling it an island almost felt inaccurate. This place was large enough to possess multiple distinct regions, each with its own terrain and likely its own dangers.
Silas studied the map carefully as the participants disembarked.
The continent was a unique ecosystem. In the distance, a group of mountains rose above the horizon, with what appeared to be a desert region located between them. In another direction stretched a lush forest filled with towering trees. It looked like several fractured ecosystems had been stitched together and somehow forced to coexist.
The map was descriptive when it came to terrain.
Unfortunately, that was all.
There was no information regarding which pokemon lived where, what their average strength was, or which areas should be avoided.
That was likely intentional. The trial wasn't designed to be comfortable.
They had arrived on the beach area in the northeast section of the continent. A huge multi-story base had been constructed directly beside the water. From the outside, it looked like an enormous dome rising from the beach, smooth and imposing.
As they walked across the sand, Silas took note of everything.
Overhead, a flock of bird pokemon flew across the sky. They were too far away for him to scan, but he recognized them from their appearance. Grayish-brown bodies, small red eyes, thin yellow beaks with black tips, and the proud silhouette of large birds of prey.
Staraptor.
A Sinnoh species.
They were known for toughness compared to most regional bird pokemon. Among bird pokemon, Staraptor was one of the few Silas actually liked. Swellow was another, but only because it could learn Boom Burst.
Along the beach, numerous crab pokemon moved through the wet sand. Corphish and Krabby seemed to coexist peacefully until a tribe of Sandile attacked them. The brief skirmish looked serious to the pokemon involved, but Silas only chuckled.
None of them had reached level 20 and they were D quality.
They couldn't interest him beyond comic relief. The thought made Silas pause. His standards had risen tremendously.
A year ago, he would have taken any pokemon he could get. Talent, attributes, species, none of that would have mattered.
Survival had been the only priority. Now he could afford to be picky. That alone proved how far he had come.
The crowd of Team Rocket members eventually filed into the new base. The interior contrasted sharply with the exterior. From the outside, the base resembled a futuristic bunker. Inside, however, it felt like a strange mixture of an early 2000s high school and a luxury hotel.
Everything felt structured, but not uncomfortable.
It created an unusual atmosphere.
There were plenty of rooms available, but nothing was free.
Everyone's regular Rocket Points had been sealed. Instead, they now had access to Trial Points.
Functionally, the points worked similarly. The difference was that everyone started from the same foundation. This prevented wealthy or high ranking members from monopolizing resources early.
It was a smart decision.
Some Elite Officers possessed enormous reserves of Rocket Points. Without this restriction, they could have immediately bought superior accommodations, supplies, and training resources, creating an unfair early advantage.
After listening to more speeches and instructions, Silas regrouped with Jessie and James.
He decided to rent a suite for the night as well as a large private training room.
Every participant had been given 5,000 Trial Points to start.
The suite cost 750 points per day. That seemed expensive at first, but each suite contained 2 bedrooms, a common area, and a recovery room capable of accelerating healing. Food was also included, both for trainers and pokemon.
In the long run, it was worth the cost.
The private training room cost only 100 points for 24 hours.
That was surprisingly affordable.
Silas could tell the intention was that training should remain accessible. The trial was dangerous, but Team Rocket still wanted its members to improve.
Viper would oversee the trial and communicate through the TR devices. The first official check-in would occur in 2 weeks.
Thanks to Madame, Silas already had quality camping tools stored away. He possessed a portable kitchen, tents, and vacuum-sealed mattresses. With those supplies, he could live fairly comfortably in the wilderness.
Of course, comfortable didn't mean safe.
Survival tools wouldn't stop a wild pokemon attack.
Immediately after organizing their plans, Silas had Tropius fly him, Jessie, James, and Meowth inland.
The goal was simple.
Get away from the crowded beach and establish themselves somewhere with access to water and resources.
After flying for about an hour, Silas noticed a blue bird pokemon with cloud-like wings approaching from ahead.
Altaria.
The pokemon increased its speed sharply as flying type energy coated its body.
Silas' expression changed.
Sky Attack.
The move came too quickly.
Tropius couldn't avoid it. The attack struck directly.
A critical hit.
Tropius let out a pained cry as the impact threw her off balance. The group immediately began plummeting toward the ground.
Above them, Altaria watched coldly.
Then it turned away.
Silas' telepathy caught the pokemon's thoughts as it departed.
"Stay out of my sky, weaklings."
Silas gritted his teeth.
There was no time for anger.
He immediately returned Tropius to her pokeball and used his psychic power to slow everyone's fall. With Electabuzz providing support, they landed safely. Not gracefully but no resulting injuries .
The moment they were on the ground, Silas released Tropius again.
His expression darkened.
The damage was far worse than before. A massive wound marked the area where the Sky Attack had struck. Greenish blood poured from the injury at an alarming rate.
Silas acted instantly.
"System, purchase a medium grade Revival Herb."
A bundle of green medicinal herbs appeared in his hand. Strong life energy radiated from it.
Silas immediately fed it to Tropius.
The herb was clearly bitter, but Tropius ate without complaint. She understood Silas would never give her something pointless during a critical moment.
The effect was almost immediate.
First, the bleeding slowed before stopping entirely. The wound then began closing at a visible pace.
After making a miraculous recovery, Tropius collapsed unconscious.
Silas released a slow breath.
The life energy within the herb had stabilized her, but absorbing that much power was taxing. It was common knowledge that heavily injured pokemon usually passed out after consuming Revival Herbs.
After returning Tropius to her pokeball, the group began walking.
They needed to understand their location and find somewhere safe to establish camp.
Based on the map, Silas calculated their distance from a marked pond.
After another 2 hours of travel, they finally reached it.
The group immediately began setting up camp.
Silas' tent was comfortable and spacious, but it still had limits. With Jessie, James, Meowth, and all their pokemon, space would become an issue quickly. He resolved to acquire 2 more tents when possible.
His storage bag contained plenty of food.
Silas set up the portable kitchen and began preparing several large pots of stew using lamb meat, potatoes, carrots, and beans. The meal would take at least 30 minutes to finish cooking.
While waiting, Silas suddenly remembered the corpse from the SS Anne battle.
He rummaged through his storage items until he found what he was looking for.
The corpse remained in the exact same condition as when he last saw it.
Team Rocket now possessed its own PC system, meaning captured pokemon were stored in the box associated with Elite Officer Odin.
Silas grinned.
Clearly, Dan's group was trustworthy.
He didn't think he would have parted with these pokemon willingly.
There were 3 pokemon stored in the system.
A level 16 Pichu with C+ potential, a level 45 Poliwrath with C+ potential, and a level 26 Trapinch with B- potential.
Silas almost felt bad.
Had he faced that trainer in the water directly, this Poliwrath would have decimated him and his pokemon.
Now, however, the pokemon was effectively his prisoner.
Had that man not underestimated Tropius' explosive power, perhaps Silas would have been the corpse instead.
There was no benefit in dwelling on what ifs.
PC technology remained fascinating. It functioned similarly to storage space, but living pokemon could safely enter and exit. As an Elite Officer, Silas had access to a portable PC function through his TR device, making it extremely convenient.
Executives were rumored to possess their own storage spaces through the PC system.
For now, Silas left Poliwrath inside the PC.
He couldn't possibly subdue it with his current strength.
Trapinch and Pichu, however, would join the group.
2 pokeballs materialized in Silas' hands.
He threw them.
Trapinch and Pichu appeared.
Trapinch resembled an orange insectoid creature with a disproportionately large head and powerful jaws. Pichu was a small yellow mouse pokemon with black-tipped ears, a jagged collar, and rosy cheek pouches.
Silas, Jessie, and James released all their pokemon.
Trapinch and Pichu were timid at first, but the group greeted them earnestly. Bit by bit, the two young pokemon grew more comfortable.
Silas looked on with pride.
Almost everyone welcomed the newcomers.
The only exceptions were Jessie's Teddiursa and Silas' Ursaring, who were busy speaking with each other.
Silas listened in.
"Brother, you have evolved like mother and father. How is the power?"
Ursaring flexed proudly.
"It feels amazing. Power is overflowing within me. Don't worry, I know you will reach this level too."
Silas chuckled to himself.
These 2 pokemon were twins. After evolving, Ursaring had naturally begun acting like the older brother.
He let the siblings enjoy their moment and walked over to the new pokemon.
"Welcome little ones. I am Silas, and this is my group of pokemon and humans. We want you to join us."
After warming up to everyone and tasting the pokeblocks Silas provided, the young and naive pokemon readily agreed.
Pokemon were often simple creatures when young and easy to please as long as you treated kindly.
Silas scanned them.
Trapinch (M) — Level 26
Ability: Sheer Force
Potential: B-
Moves: Rank C Sand Attack, Rank D Bite, Rank D Bulldoze, Rank D Sand Tomb, Rank D Mud Slap, Rank D Astonish, Rank D Quick Attack
Pichu (M) — Level 16
Ability: Static
Potential: C+
Moves: Rank D Volt Tackle, Rank D Thunder Shock, Rank D Thunder Wave, Rank D Wish, Rank D Nasty Plot
Both pokemon had solid aptitude. Trapinch even possessed Quick Attack, a rare egg move.
Of course, it made sense. A League trainer wouldn't have worthless pokemon.
Silas also took the opportunity to introduce his new Scyther to the group.
Everyone got along reasonably well. Scyther and Frogadier seemed to connect the fastest.
Once the meal finished cooking, Silas prepared plates and let everyone eat.
For a while, the atmosphere felt peaceful. The pond reflected the evening light. The stew smelled excellent.
Pokemon and trainers relaxed together after a long, dangerous day.
Then Silas felt the ground begin to shake.
His expression changed.
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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!