Chapter 4
Day 4, 9:47 AM – Crimson Reef Island, Forest Clearing
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Soon, Jayden locked onto a formula in CIPHER's extensive database.
The intermediate energy cube was called the Sitrus Blend Energy Cube. Its function was elegantly simple yet profoundly effective: to replenish the missing elements in a Pokémon's body, quickly adjust its physical condition, and restore the Pokémon's original potential as much as possible. It was specifically designed for Pokémon suffering from malnutrition or developmental setbacks.
Jayden had reviewed the materials required. They were all relatively common berries and herbs—Sitrus Berries, Oran Berries, Rawst Berries, and several medicinal roots. On Crimson Reef Island, which was rich in natural resources despite its dangers, these ingredients were not particularly uncommon. Moreover, the production process was straightforward. There was no need for complicated machinery or special production tools. It was completely suitable for Jayden and Nincada's current situation.
"The next task is to find these materials. As for intensive training, I'll have to put it aside temporarily," Jayden thought to himself while reviewing the holographic ingredient list floating before his eyes. The first priority now was to help Nincada recover from its malnourishment. As for advanced training and combat drills, Jayden did not want to waste Nincada's natural talent by pushing too hard on a damaged body. However, Jayden was confident that even without intense training during this recovery period, he and Nincada would be able to catch up very quickly once the foundation was properly restored.
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Three days later – Day 7, 2:34 PM
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Three days passed in focused activity. During these three days, Jayden and Nincada had traversed the periphery of the forest repeatedly, methodically searching for berries and herbs. The timeframe had slightly exceeded Jayden's initial budget, but they had gathered everything needed—and it wasn't too late to begin.
Holding the freshly made Sitrus Blend Energy Cube in the palm of his hand, Jayden could feel the coolness radiating from it against his calloused palm. Holding it up toward the filtered sunlight streaming through the canopy, he could clearly see the gel-like substance inside. The pale yellow-green surface was extremely smooth, almost luminescent, and a faint, pleasant fragrance emanated from it—reminiscent of fresh berries with an undertone of medicinal herbs.
Making the energy cube had not been particularly difficult for Jayden, especially with CIPHER's precise measurements and timing guidance. The process had been remarkably smooth. Looking at the completed energy cube now, it was nearly identical to what he had envisioned. He had accidentally obtained this formula in his previous life during a covert operation. He had never had the opportunity to use it before his death, so he could only hope the reported effects were as good as the documentation suggested.
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With a gentle motion, he held the energy cube out toward Nincada. The Bug/Ground-type, who had been watching the entire creation process intently from the moment Jayden began grinding ingredients, could not suppress its desire any longer. The fragrance from the energy cube had been tantalizing it for the past hour.
Jayden looked at the eager Nincada and nodded with an approving smile.
After receiving Jayden's permission, Nincada carefully took the energy cube in its mandibles and began consuming it.
"Nin... nincada!" A texture and flavor that it had never experienced before exploded across its senses. Nincada closed its compound eyes in pure contentment, chittering softly in satisfaction.
The expression of absolute enjoyment on Nincada's features clearly indicated the palatability—and hopefully effectiveness—of this energy cube formula.
"Looks like it tastes pretty good," Jayden observed with satisfaction. "These are Intermediate Grade Energy Cubes. The formula specifies you can only consume ten per day maximum. After ten, the absorption rate drops to nearly zero and the effects are completely lost. According to the documentation, as long as you eat them consistently for seven days, you should be able to fully recover your damaged body and restore your natural growth potential."
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Looking at the nearly one hundred energy cubes he had carefully prepared and stored in his makeshift camp, Jayden retrieved nine more. He carefully wrapped the rest with a clean cloth that he had prepared beforehand, securing the bundle to his belt.
He distributed the energy cubes one by one, each of which was eagerly consumed by Nincada. Although the effects were not immediately visible to the naked eye, Jayden could see the subtle differences through CIPHER's continuous monitoring. Even the green aptitude designation was gradually becoming slightly darker—a sign that Nincada's natural potential was beginning to recover from its previous suppression.
[CIPHER ANALYSIS: Nincada's cellular regeneration rate increased by 12%. Carapace hardness improving. Muscle density normalizing.]
"In order to maximize absorption and build on this foundation, Nincada, we're going to start training. Are you ready to become stronger?" Jayden asked as he offered the final energy cube of the day.
"Nincada!" The Bug/Ground-type responded with an eager, determined cry—its compound eyes gleaming with newfound energy.
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Jayden had long since mastered the training and cultivation methods for Nincada through his previous life's experience. Nincada's greatest strength was its evolution potential and its exceptional accuracy thanks to Compound Eyes. However, in its current pre-evolution form, its forte was endurance, defense, and strategic positioning. If he didn't properly develop these foundational attributes before evolution, he would be wasting precious growth time. Moreover, Nincada's Compound Eyes ability was invaluable—it guaranteed that moves would hit their marks with exceptional precision.
With Compound Eyes active, Nincada could land attacks that other Pokémon would miss, especially moves with inherently lower accuracy. It was a tremendous tactical advantage that needed to be leveraged properly.
"Nincada, use Harden."
A metallic sheen spread across Nincada's carapace as its defense increased. Harden was a status move that could dramatically increase a Pokémon's defensive capabilities.
Nincada felt the energy cube's nutrition flowing through its body like a warm current, spreading through its limbs and reinforcing its exoskeleton. The energy that had been consumed turned into tangible strength.
After thirty seconds, the metallic sheen gradually faded as the move's duration expired.
"Now, I want you to maintain a partial Harden state continuously—just enough to keep your carapace reinforced without exhausting yourself. Try to sustain it as long as possible," Jayden instructed. "If you can maintain a low-level defensive boost constantly, your natural defense will gradually improve. Your carapace will become harder permanently, and you'll develop the endurance to sustain defensive techniques during prolonged battles."
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Although Nincada didn't fully understand the long-term strategy, it trusted Jayden completely. It slowly focused its energy, trying to maintain a subtle defensive reinforcement across its shell without fully activating Harden.
"Nin... nin..." After about two minutes, the energy flow finally dissipated completely. Nincada seemed slightly fatigued, its breathing a bit heavier.
"Good. Remember this state—how it feels to maintain partial reinforcement. Our goal is for you to eventually maintain this defensive boost instinctively, even while moving or battling. Now, rest for three minutes, then we'll try again." During training, Jayden seemed to transform into a different person. His expression was serious, focused, and demanding—but not cruel. He pushed Nincada to its limits without crossing into harm.
"Continue, Harden partial state..."
"Again..."
"Focus on the energy flow..."
"One more set..."
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After the training regimen began, Jayden operated like a precise, methodical instructor. With CIPHER's assistance, he could clearly monitor exactly where Nincada's training limits were. There would be no excessive training that would damage its developing body, and there would be no insufficient training that would fail to achieve results. Every session was calculated for optimal growth.
[CIPHER MONITORING: Nincada's stamina at 73%. Energy reserves at 68%. Carapace stress within acceptable parameters. Recommend continuing current regimen.]
Additionally, Jayden incorporated movement drills. "Nincada, practice your Scratch attack while maintaining partial Harden. I want you to learn to defend and attack simultaneously."
The Bug/Ground-type lunged forward, claws glowing, while trying to maintain its defensive reinforcement. At first, the Harden effect would fade the moment it attacked. But gradually, over dozens of attempts, Nincada began to maintain a flicker of defense even while striking.
"Excellent. Now, burrow underground using Dig, then emerge and attack."
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Three days later – Day 10, 6:15 PM
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Another three days passed. Jayden had trained Nincada intensively for three full days. Finally, the partial Harden state that could only be maintained for two minutes individually had been extended to fifteen minutes. Nincada had achieved the ability to maintain a low-level defensive boost even while moving around Jayden, ready to defend at a moment's notice.
Originally, according to Jayden's personality, he would definitely have continued training deep in the forest until the start of the final trial. However, Team Rocket had a strict rule: all trial participants had to report to the base once every seven days. No matter what the circumstances, failure to report would result in point deductions that would negatively affect the final trial ranking.
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Day 10, 7:42 PM – Team Rocket Base, Central Plaza
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The plaza that had originally been filled with three hundred young recruits was now sparsely populated. Everyone present bore visible signs of their week in the wilderness—torn clothing, healing scratches, wary eyes. More importantly, every person had a trace of vigilance and hostility in their gaze when looking at others. Those who had survived until now understood exactly what failure in the trial meant. Therefore, everyone present was a potential enemy.
Jayden glanced indifferently at the few small groups that had formed, clustering together for perceived safety. The corner of his mouth twitched in barely concealed disdain. Forming alliances was indeed one survival strategy, but it also depended heavily on the situation and the people involved. When it came down to life-or-death moments during the final trial, who would actually sacrifice themselves for others? These alliances were just a façade—a few stronger individuals gathering subordinates to do their grunt work. As for the final trial's outcome, as long as you were powerful enough individually, no one would dare oppose you. Strength was the only currency that mattered.
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Everyone present had one thing in common: they each had a Pokémon companion by their side. Most of them were Zubat, and only a few had managed to catch Ekans or Koffing. There were also some who, like Jayden, had been assigned or caught different species. After a careful visual count, Jayden noted there were only about two other Nincada among the survivors—and both looked significantly weaker than his own partner.
Compared to the danger of Ekans and the toxicity of Koffing, Zubat were considered relatively easy Pokémon to manage for inexperienced trainers. For weak young people barely surviving, being able to tame wild Pokémon at all was already commendable. Those who had managed to control Ekans and Koffing were clearly not weaklings. After a week of living in the forest, the polarization among the recruits had become increasingly obvious.
The strong became stronger. The weak became weaker. This was the inevitable result of Crimson Reef Island's brutal trial system.
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After three days of recovery and three days of training, although there hadn't been extensive combat, Nincada had reached level 10 through the combination of the Rattata battle, consistent energy cube nutrition, and intensive training. Even so, Jayden's overall performance wasn't particularly eye-catching among all the survivors. Many had stronger-looking Pokémon or higher levels from aggressive hunting.
Jayden's originally sallow and emaciated face had also gradually regained some healthy color because of the improved nutrition over the past week. He no longer looked like a walking skeleton, though he was still lean and wiry.
He silently walked to the corner of the plaza, crossed his arms, and leaned against a stone pillar. His eyes closed as if resting, but in reality, he was using CIPHER to scan and analyze every Pokémon and trainer in the plaza—gathering intelligence, identifying threats, and calculating survival probabilities.
[CIPHER SCANNING...]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT IN PROGRESS...]
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End of Chapter 4
"Power is not given by others. It is forged through discipline, strategy, and the unwavering will to survive."