Chapter 5
Day 10, 7:48 PM – Team Rocket Base, Central Plaza, Crimson Reef Island
...
Not long after Jayden arrived at the plaza, the noisy square suddenly quieted down as if a switch had been flipped.
A ferocious-looking, two-meter-tall middle-aged man wearing a military cap walked into the square with deliberate, measured steps. On the left side of his chest, a red "R" was printed in the most obvious position—the symbol of Team Rocket, the organization that controlled this hellish island. Behind him marched ten Team Rocket operatives, all wearing the standard black uniform with the crimson R emblazoned on their chests. Every one of them had cold, emotionless looks on their faces, and intimidating Mightyena followed behind them with bared fangs and glowing red eyes.
The middle-aged man in the lead, however, had a far more impressive companion by his side: a pitch-black canine with two white bone-like horns on its head and a tail that looked like it belonged to a demon. Its eyes glowed with an inner fire, and heat radiated from its body in visible waves.
Dark/Fire-type Pokémon: Houndoom!
...
Hearing the plaza quiet down to absolute silence, Jayden—who had been leaning against the stone pillar with closed eyes—slowly opened them. When he saw the middle-aged man and registered who it was, his eyes narrowed with recognition and calculation.
It's him.
Glancing at the Houndoom by the middle-aged man's side, Jayden activated CIPHER's scanning function discreetly. A faint holographic display materialized before his eyes, invisible to everyone else.
[CIPHER SCANNING...]
...
Pokémon: Houndoom (Green)
Gender: Male
Level: 28
Type: Dark/Fire
Ability: Flash Fire (Absorbs Fire-type moves and powers up own Fire moves)
Held Item: None
Inherited Skills:
Fire Fang (Power = 65, Fire, Physical, May burn or flinch)
Fire Spin (Power = 35, Fire, Special, Traps target)
Basic Skills:
Inferno (Power = 100, Fire, Special, Always burns)
Swagger (Power = 0, Normal, Status, Confuses and raises Attack)
Thunder Fang (Power = 65, Electric, Physical)
Leer (Power = 0, Normal, Status, Lowers Defense)
Ember (Power = 40, Fire, Special)
Howl (Power = 0, Normal, Status, Raises Attack)
Smog (Power = 30, Poison, Special)
Roar (Power = 0, Normal, Status, Forces switch)
Bite (Power = 60, Dark, Physical)
Odor Sleuth (Power = 0, Normal, Status, Negates evasion)
Beat Up (Power = Variable, Dark, Physical, Multi-hit)
Taught Skills:
Torment (Power = 0, Dark, Status, Prevents consecutive moves)
TM Skills:
Hidden Power – Rock (Power = 60, Rock, Special)
Shadow Ball (Power = 80, Ghost, Special)
Flamethrower (Power = 90, Fire, Special)
...
Seeing the Houndoom's level and the extensive list of skills it had mastered, Jayden couldn't help but feel a bitter sense of reality wash over him. The difference in power between them was astronomical—almost comical if it weren't so deadly serious.
And he knew something that made it even worse: this Houndoom wasn't even one of this middle-aged man's first-tier Pokémon. In fact, it probably wasn't even a second-tier Pokémon in his rotation. This was likely just a guard Pokémon he kept for intimidation purposes. As long as this instructor casually sent out even a mid-tier Pokémon from his actual team, he would be able to annihilate everyone present—recruits and Team Rocket soldiers alike—without breaking a sweat.
The disparity in power was a harsh reminder of where Jayden currently stood in the hierarchy of strength.
...
"This time, 156 people are still alive. This batch is quite good." The middle-aged man's voice wasn't particularly loud, but it carried across the entire plaza with perfect clarity. Every syllable was measured and deliberate. His tone was casual, almost conversational—as though he were discussing the weather rather than the deaths of nearly 150 young people in just one week.
156 out of 300, Jayden calculated coldly. Nearly half dead in seven days.
Looking around the plaza with slow, deliberate movements, the middle-aged man waited until he was certain everyone was looking at him. Then he spoke again, his voice carrying an edge of authority that brooked no defiance.
"My name is Viper, the Chief Instructor of Team Rocket's Trial Division. I am in charge of Crimson Reef Island! From now on, your lives are no longer yours." He laughed—a savage, cruel sound that echoed across the stone plaza. Seeing that everyone was properly intimidated by his aura and the overwhelming presence of his Houndoom, he nodded in satisfaction like a teacher pleased with obedient students.
...
"The entire Crimson Reef Island trial will last for three months," Viper continued, his expression hardening. "From now on, every week, you must gather here at this plaza. If you don't show up twice in a row—for any reason—you will fail the trial by default." He paused deliberately, letting the weight of those words sink in. "What are the consequences of failing the trial? All of you should have a certain understanding of that by now."
A ripple of unease passed through the gathered recruits. Some glanced nervously at each other. Others stared at the ground. Everyone knew exactly what failure meant: death. Whether by starvation, wild Pokémon, assassination by fellow recruits, or execution by Team Rocket—the outcome was the same.
Viper gestured toward the massive stone structure in the center of the square. It was roughly three meters tall and two meters wide, its surface worn smooth in places but still showing the scars of countless attacks.
"This is a Trial Stone," he explained, his voice taking on a lecturing tone. "It can test the offensive power of a Pokémon's attack. Next, you will take turns attacking this stone, and according to the feedback data, you will be ranked. Every week, the top ten people will be awarded 100 points. Rankings after that will receive points accordingly. As for what these points can be exchanged for—you can find out for yourselves at the Exchange Center."
...
Team Rocket Points! Jayden's mind immediately catalogued the information. It was a currency system that could only be used within Team Rocket—but it could be exchanged for almost anything in this world. It was because of this point system that Team Rocket had been able to reach its current level of power and influence.
One had to know that in this world, many large families controlled the most valuable and scarce resources—rare Pokémon, specialized training items, evolution stones, TMs of legendary quality. No matter how much money you had, you couldn't buy them through normal channels. They were kept within family vaults, passed down through generations, or traded only between elites.
But Team Rocket Points could bypass all of that. Not only could these points be used on Crimson Reef Island, but even after the trial ended, they could be used in any Team Rocket base across multiple regions. For someone like Jayden who had experienced his previous life, he knew exactly how valuable these points were—and how much killing people would do to obtain them.
...
"The highest number of people who can pass this trial is fifty," Viper announced, and Jayden saw several recruits' faces go pale. Out of 156 survivors, only 50 would make it. That meant over 100 more deaths in the next eleven weeks.
"The top ten finishers will each receive ten thousand points. The top three will receive forged Alliance Trainer IDs from Team Rocket—allowing you to move freely in Alliance territories without suspicion." Viper's smile widened. "And the first place finisher... can choose a starter Pokémon with excellent breeding from Team Rocket's warehouse."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. A starter Pokémon—one of the rare species typically reserved for promising trainers sanctioned by the League—was an incredible prize. Species like Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, and there were even alolan starters which were extremely difficult to obtain outside official channels.
Then Viper's voice dropped to a deadly whisper that somehow still carried to every corner of the plaza:
"And the most important thing is... the rules of this trial! That is: there are NO rules!"
...
"The first ranking test starts now!"
With that declaration, Viper sat down on an ornate chair that had been prepared for him in a raised area overlooking the plaza. He signaled to his subordinates to begin recording the entire process. The ten Team Rocket soldiers moved with military precision, quickly organizing the nervous recruits into a testing line.
Under the efficient arrangement of the Team Rocket operatives, everyone was sorted by their assigned numbers and the ranking test began.
...
"Number 34! Step forward!" a soldier barked.
A young man with a purple Ekans coiled around his shoulders stepped up nervously to the Trial Stone. He swallowed hard, glanced at the imposing stone, and gave his command with as much confidence as he could muster:
"Ekans, use Bite!"
The purple serpent uncoiled and shot forward like a living arrow. It opened its mouth wide, revealing gleaming fangs, and two sharp teeth glowed with white light as it bit down on the stone with everything it had.
"PENG!"
The impact was solid, but when Ekans pulled back, it hadn't even left a scratch on the Trial Stone's surface.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then glowing numbers materialized on the stone's surface, shimmering with an eerie blue light.
"ATTACK VALUE: 56!"
"Number 34, attack value 56! Temporary first place! Next!" The Team Rocket soldier in charge of recording the results shouted emotionlessly, his face a mask of professional disinterest. He recorded the result in his notebook with mechanical efficiency.
The young man—Number 34—looked somewhat dissatisfied with his result. He had hoped for better. With a disappointed grimace, he curled his lips and walked to the side where other tested recruits were gathering.
...
"Number 13! Step forward!"
Behind Number 34 was a young man with a Zubat circling above his head. There was visible timidity on his face and clear immaturity in his stance. His voice cracked slightly when he gave his command:
"Zubat, use Tackle!"
The Zubat flapped its wings erratically and flew toward the stone, striking it with its body in an uncoordinated collision that looked more like an accident than an attack.
"ATTACK VALUE: 19!"
Seeing the pathetically low number displayed on the stone, several recruits who were still waiting snorted disdainfully. The young man who had just finished the test quietly breathed a sigh of relief—at least he'd participated—and hurried to join the others, his face burning with shame.
"Number 13, attack value 19, temporary second place! Next, continue!"
The Team Rocket soldier's expression never changed. To him, these young men and women who were just beginning to work with Pokémon were pitifully weak and incompetent. They didn't arouse his interest in the slightest. He'd seen hundreds of trials. Most of these kids would be dead within a month.
...
"Number 24, attack value 25, temporary second place! Next..."
"Number 98, attack value 45..."
"Number 77, attack value 38..."
"Number 143, attack value 52..."
One after another, recruits stepped up to the Trial Stone. Some performed better than others. Some were mocked. Some received grudging nods of respect.
An interesting social dynamic began to emerge: the people who were ranked toward the top of the current standings looked at those ranked lower with traces of disdain and superiority in their eyes. When they looked at people ranked higher than them, however, their expressions shifted to barely concealed resentment and jealousy. Teeth would grind. Fists would clench. Mental notes were being made about who would be targeted in the coming weeks.
...
When Jayden observed this developing situation from his position at the back of the line, he frowned with displeasure but not surprise.
In my previous life, it was exactly the same, he thought grimly. Team Rocket's Insect training Trial in action.
The term "Insect" referred to a cruel practice of placing venomous creatures in a sealed container and forcing them to fight and consume each other until only the strongest, most poisonous survivor remained. That survivor—the "Insect"—was then incredibly powerful and deadly.
Team Rocket's trial operated on the same principle. They threw 300 desperate young people onto a deadly island with limited resources and Pokémon, told them there were no rules, and waited to see who would emerge as the strongest. Only when the people who were treated as Insects began to truly fight and kill each other would the strongest Insect finally emerge victorious.
...
Just as Jayden was contemplating the brutal philosophy behind the trial system, sudden exclamations erupted from the front of the testing line.
"ATTACK VALUE: 98!"
The number was nearly double what most recruits had managed. Excited chatter broke out immediately.
The person with this exceptional score was a slender young man with unusually fair skin and remarkably clean clothes—he didn't look like someone who had been surviving in a deadly wilderness for a week. There was an air of superiority about him, a confidence that suggested he'd never truly struggled. An Ekans was coiled elegantly by his side—clearly well-trained and much larger than most of the other Pokémon present.
The young man stood proudly in front of everyone, surveying the gathered recruits with unconcealed disdain and contempt in his cold eyes, as if everyone present was beneath his notice—insects not worth his time.
...
"It's him," Jayden thought, his eyes unconsciously narrowing as recognition flooded through him. Memories from his previous life crystallized with perfect clarity.
If he remembered correctly, this was Soren Kael—the person who had obtained first place in this trial in Jayden's previous life. After winning, he had received an exceptionally powerful Bulbasaur as his prize. Afterwards, Soren Kael had lived like a protagonist from a story—his status and power rising meteorically, opportunities falling into his lap, and his strength growing at an unprecedented pace.
Even after Jayden had activated CIPHER in his previous life and gained its tremendous advantages, he had never been able to catch up to Soren's overwhelming momentum. The gap had only widened over time. By the end, Soren had been a team leader while Jayden had still been fighting for scraps.
Number 99. Soren Kael, Jayden catalogued mentally. My rival. Again.
But this time would be different. This time, Jayden had CIPHER from the start. This time, he knew what was coming. This time, he would not lose.
...
After Soren's impressive display, quite some time passed without anyone else achieving a higher attack value. The tests continued, but no one came close to that 98 mark. When more than half of the recruits had been tested, it was finally Jayden's turn.
His number was 234—one of the later assignments.
"Number 234! Step forward!" the soldier barked.
Jayden walked forward calmly, Nincada skittering at his feet with disciplined precision.
"Another person with a special Pokémon!" someone whispered.
When it was Jayden's turn, many people began whispering amongst themselves when they noticed the Nincada at his feet. Among the Pokémon typically assigned to Team Rocket recruits on Crimson Reef Island, the main species were Zubat, Ekans, and Koffing—all reasonably common and easy to control. However, there were also some other species mixed in for recruits who showed particular promise or came from unusual circumstances.
Having a "special" Pokémon didn't necessarily mean it was stronger than Zubat, Ekans, or Koffing. It just meant it was different—and in a survival situation where conformity provided some psychological comfort, being different made you stand out. It made you a target.
...
"Tsk, it's just a Nincada. What's so great about it?" one recruit muttered loudly enough to be heard. "Look at how skinny that trainer is—he looks half-dead. And that Nincada is obviously much smaller than normal. I bet his results won't be impressive at all!"
Several others snickered in agreement, trying to undermine Jayden's confidence before he even attempted the test. It was a common tactic—use mockery and psychological pressure to make your opponent perform poorly.
Jayden's expression didn't change even slightly. He completely ignored the voices around him, took a light, measured breath, and gave his command with perfect calm:
"Nincada, use Harden, then Scratch with maximum force!"
His calm, authoritative demeanor—so different from the nervous, desperate energy most recruits displayed—made those who had been mocking him unconsciously shut their mouths. A trace of awkwardness flickered across their faces. They had wanted to use psychological warfare to influence his performance, but instead, they'd just embarrassed themselves.
...
Nincada immediately executed the command with practiced precision that showed days of intensive training. A metallic sheen spread across its hardened carapace as its defense dramatically increased from Harden. Then, taking advantage of its reinforced body and the stored kinetic energy, Nincada lunged forward with explosive speed.
Its sharp foreclaws glowed with brilliant white light, extending and hardening into blade-like weapons. With perfect accuracy—courtesy of its Compound Eyes ability—Nincada struck the Trial Stone at its weakest structural point with devastating force.
"CRACK!"
The impact was far more impressive than anyone expected. For a split second, Jayden thought he saw a hairline fracture appear on the stone's surface before it sealed itself with what looked like self-repair magic.
Then Nincada skittered back to Jayden's side with disciplined efficiency, taking up its position near his feet as if nothing remarkable had happened.
...
Jayden allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. His eyes, which had been half-closed in calculated indifference, opened fully. His eyebrows raised slightly as he glanced at the Trial Stone to see the result. Then, without waiting for the announcement, he turned and slowly walked away with confident, measured steps.
"ATTACK VALUE: 97!"
The glowing numbers on the Trial Stone were like a massive slap to the faces of everyone who had mocked him moments before. An attack value of 97—second only to Soren's seemingly insurmountable 98. The person currently in third place had only achieved 90. The gap wasn't small—it was enormous.
"Number 234, attack value 97, temporarily ranked second! Next!"
Even the Team Rocket soldier recording results couldn't help but glance at Jayden with newfound interest as he calmly walked into the crowd of tested recruits. After a moment of visible surprise, the soldier reported the results and continued with his duties.
...
Actually, with Nincada's current raw attack power, it should have been impossible to achieve such a high score. However, Jayden had used strategy and technique—having Nincada use Harden to reinforce its claws and body, then strike at the optimal angle to maximize force transfer. It was a clever exploitation of physics and move synergy.
After Jayden finished his test, several of the more perceptive and intelligent recruits fell into deep thought. They had carefully observed the technique Jayden had employed, and now they understood the "trick" he'd used. It was simple when you understood it—but incredibly effective.
It was said that there were no rules, they thought. So using strategy isn't cheating—it's just smart.
Some of them began mentally rehearsing how they could apply similar tactics when their turn came in future rankings.
...
Viper had been watching the entire testing process from his elevated position with the bored expression of someone who had seen this exact scenario play out dozens of times before. However, when Jayden completed his test, Viper's attention sharpened. His eyes stayed fixed on Jayden for several long seconds—analyzing, calculating, memorizing.
Interesting, Viper thought. Number 234. Skinny, malnourished appearance. Unusual Pokémon. High intelligence. Strategic thinking. Keep an eye on this one.
He made a mental note to review Jayden's file later and see where this particular recruit had come from.
...
End of Chapter 5
"In a world without rules, the clever survive longer than the strong—but only the clever AND strong survive forever."