Three days later, the entire trial base was deserted. Besides the Misty-Haired Instructor, there were only some Team Rocket grunts.
This trial base would become lively again when the next batch of trial participants arrived.
A sleepy-eyed, bed-headed black-haired young man crawled out of bed, yawned, and stretched, waking up the huge Golbat hanging upside down on the wall, sleeping.
Almost all the trial participants boarded Team Rocket's transport plane and returned to Team Rocket's headquarters first. There, they would be dispersed and assigned to various small teams to carry out Team Rocket's missions.
Only Qīngwù, because he had to carry out Giovanni's mission, waited one more day at the trial base. After the supply ship arrived at the trial base, Qīngwù boarded the supply ship and proceeded to Pegurose, the city closest to the trial island's medical district.
Qīngwù exchanged all the unused Pokémon in his hand for Team Rocket points. In total, he gained nearly 20,000 points. After all, green-aptitude Sharpedo and Arbok, which possessed the Deathly Makeup ability, still had considerable research value.
James and Jessie, who were with Qīngwù, after parting ways with Qīngwù, rushed to Team Rocket's Black Operations Headquarters that very night.
Giovanni urgently assigned a mission. Team Rocket also unilaterally and urgently announced the news of Arbok's death due to poisoning, aiming to lure out the Alliance's moles buried within Team Rocket.
The Alliance's sweeping action cleared out Team Rocket's moles this time. Giovanni was not to be outdone and decided to fight fire with fire.
Qīngwù carefully stored his items in his backpack. His backpack contained various precious resources stored from Team Rocket's base, Poké Balls that were currently incubating, and well-made Energy Cubes emitting an enticing aroma.
However, in a place Qīngwù hadn't noticed, a small Pokémon let out a mischievous laugh, sticking out its red tongue, constantly secretly eating the enticingly fragrant Energy Cubes Qīngwù had made.
Last time, it ate too much and was almost discovered by Qīngwù. So, this Pokémon changed its trick: it only ate one Energy Cube a day. This way, Qīngwù wouldn't notice too many Energy Cubes disappearing.
Plus, Qīngwù would occasionally make some Energy Cubes. If it ate a little here and a little there, it would be even less likely to be discovered.
I'm truly a little trickster. Mischievous laughter came from the spatial backpack. This Pokémon has already made the spatial backpack its home.
After Qīngwù finished packing, he pushed open the door and walked towards the island's dock.
A medium-sized yacht was already waiting at the dock.
A short, one-eyed captain wearing an eye patch and a captain's uniform was smoking a pipe, waiting for Qīngwù. The waiting time was a bit long, and a puff of smoke swirled around.
The supplies transported to Team Rocket's trial base on the yacht had already been unloaded.
Several Machoke stood beside the captain, all dressed very formally.
"Are you Mr. Qīngwù? I apologize, but I need you to show your Team Rocket badge. I can't set sail until I've confirmed it." The one-eyed captain, seeing Qīngwù arrive, hurriedly greeted Qīngwù onto the ship, scratching his head, asking Qīngwù to show his Team Rocket badge.
Qīngwù quickly handed the one-eyed captain his Team Rocket badge, which had three stripes drawn on it.
After a series of operations by the one-eyed captain, confirming that Qīngwù's Team Rocket badge was real, he respectfully bowed to Qīngwù.
"I'm very sorry, Mr. Qīngwù. Your identity has been officially verified. Please find a place to put down your luggage, and the ship will depart soon." All Team Rocket members leaving the trial island had a strict procedure, so Qīngwù didn't make things difficult for the captain.
Qīngwù followed Golbat and stood on the deck, leaning his hands on the railing.
Qīngwù listened to the yacht's rumbling start. Team Rocket's yacht was coated with a special scent. When Sharpedo smelled this scent, they would stay far away.
Qīngwù looked at the clear, transparent blue sky, the pure white, snow-like clouds, and the sea breeze sweeping across his face. The cries of the surrounding Golbat and Pelipper were very comfortable.
Golbat happily hovered in the air above the deck, looking out at the vast ocean.
"Golbat, don't go too far, otherwise Pelipper and Wingull will attack." Qīngwù warned Golbat, and Golbat nodded slightly.
After all, Golbat had been pursued by Pelipper and Wingull before, and water guns rained down from the sky.
Even if Golbat had a tailwind, it couldn't withstand such dense attacks.
Qīngwù looked at the turbulent ocean. Countless Sharpedo leaped out of the water. These were the extremely bloodthirsty Sharpedo bred by Team Rocket.
If this yacht hadn't been coated with a Sharpedo-repelling scent, or if there wasn't a very clear red 'R' on the yacht, these Sharpedo would probably be very happy to tear the entire yacht apart and devour it.
Qīngwù changed to another standing posture, making himself more comfortable, bathing in the ocean's aura.
"Mr. Qīngwù, if you feel bored, I have fishing rods ready here." The captain's voice came from the control room.
Qīngwù shook his head. Fishing in this sea area, 100% of what he would catch would be Gyarados.
The fierce Sharpedo had already driven away the Pokémon in the nearby sea area.
In his previous life, Qīngwù left the island on Team Rocket's transport plane and returned to Team Rocket's headquarters.
The entire process was rushed and hectic, with various urgings. It wasn't like now, leisurely enjoying the journey at sea.
After Qīngwù stayed on the deck for a while, the scorching sun rose high, and the hot sea breeze would soon make Qīngwù sweat profusely.
After Qīngwù asked the captain, he returned to his room to rest.
Qīngwù's mission this time was to infiltrate the Hoenn Region's Alliance. So, Qīngwù only needed to report some useful information on time.
These matters were all recorded in Qīngwù's system, so Qīngwù wasn't worried about giving wrong information.
Most of the items on Qīngwù didn't have the Team Rocket logo. Only the Team Rocket badge, the Black Operations badge, and the team uniform had the Team Rocket logo. The communicator Team Rocket made was specially processed, almost identical to those sold on the market.
Only those familiar with communicators could experience the specific differences.
Qīngwù woke up at a glance. The weather today was very good, the moon and stars were sparse, and a huge crescent moon rose from the horizon.
Countless small Pokémon on the sea broke the surface, enjoying the moonlight's bounty. Several Sharpedo broke out of the water, roaring at the crescent moon.
"Mr. Qīngwù, isn't this beautiful?" The one-eyed captain walked out from the control room.
"I've already activated 'auto-pilot mode'." The one-eyed captain slowly walked to Qīngwù's side, leaning on the railing, watching the scenery outside.
"I used to be an elite of Team Rocket. I lost an eye in a mission, and my Pokémon breeding ability is not what it used to be, which is why Giovanni pitied me and gave me this job." The one-eyed captain said regretfully, staring at the moon and seeming to fall into a daze.
Qīngwù took the opportunity to observe the one-eyed captain. The captain was not tall, but he was muscular all over. His hands were covered with calluses, and Pokémon Balls hung from his waist. At this moment, he was lighting a pipe and looking forward.
This was clearly an elite officer of Team Rocket, a seasoned veteran with hidden ambitions.
"In Team Rocket, there are many factions. Do more, say less, and you won't easily make mistakes," the one-eyed captain said haltingly, exhaling puff after puff of smoke rings. His eyes were hazy as he looked at the moonlight, seemingly lost in thought.
Qīngwù didn't say anything. He also indulged the one-eyed captain, who was lost in thought.
Qīngwù had long understood this principle. The two fell silent, only the sound of ocean waves rising and falling.
"I'm old. Indeed, I'm old. Only old people recall the glory of the past." The one-eyed captain emerged from his memories and, after saying this, walked back to the control room in the moonlight.
"Oh, by the way, Mr. Qīngwù, we'll reach the waters of Vermilion Port in half a day. According to Giovanni's request, the old man can only escort you near Vermilion Port. You'll have to take a lifeboat to Vermilion Port yourself for the rest of the journey," the one-eyed captain kindly reminded.
He couldn't let the Alliance discover his connection with Team Rocket. This was the fundamental rule for undercover agents. Moreover, Qīngwù didn't plan to use the identification card made by Team Rocket.
He originally had the identity of a resident of the Hoenn Region. At this moment, he was carefully hiding it in his backpack.
Some might ask, wouldn't it be better for Qīngwù to just return to the Hoenn Region directly and ignore Giovanni's orders? But Qīngwù absolutely couldn't forget that his life and death were in Giovanni's hands.
After all, the miniature bomb on his second cervical vertebra hadn't been defused yet.
Giovanni could detonate the miniature bomb at any time to take Qīngwù's life. This miniature bomb could only be defused at Team Rocket's headquarters. If he tried to rely on the Alliance's hospitals for defusal, Qīngwù's head would directly explode if he made even one wrong step.
However, Qīngwù wouldn't just sit idly by. After all, he was a Breeder Master in his previous life. How to remove miniature bombs, even enhanced versions, was clear as day in Qīngwù's mind. Qīngwù could even remove corpses.
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