Generally speaking, for a Pokémon to reach its final evolution stage, its talent and potential could not possibly be weak.
Any one of them could be sold for tens of thousands, even millions.
Yet in the eyes of Lt. Surge and Bai, Yozora's Pidgeot displayed power and speed beyond the ordinary limits of its species—a super-tier force. Its potential was extraordinary, and its value truly staggering!
But in most cases, a fully evolved Pokémon had a mature personality, often tinged with pride.
For anyone other than its own Trainer, such a Pokémon was extremely difficult to control.
If it was a wild one, that went double—the wildness made it nearly impossible to tame.
Thus, if someone tried to sell a fully evolved Pokémon, it was often very hard to find a buyer.
But for Team Rocket, such problems didn't exist.
Team Rocket excelled at one thing: stealing others' Pokémon, subjecting them to cruel training, and forcibly breaking their will.
The organization had existed for many years, with deep roots. Their conditioning system was long since perfected, and the cost was negligible.
Once a Pokémon was broken and retrained, selling it on the black market was sheer profit.
"Interested?" Lt. Surge asked with a grin.
"Mm. I may be mistaken, but if that Pidgeot has Elite Four-level potential, then it's not worth just five million—it's worth at least ten million!" Bai's eyes gleamed with excitement as he nodded.
"If you're interested, then do it. But remember—keep it clean. Our true identities must never be exposed." Lt. Surge's smile was cold.
In Team Rocket, ordinary members were not allowed to conceal their identity. They all wore uniforms and acted arrogantly in public—to broadcast Rocket's power.
But those of high enough rank—especially those with dual identities—were required to keep their roles secret.
At Vermilion Gym, for example, none of the disciples or apprentices knew the true identities of Lt. Surge and Bai.
"Don't worry. I always keep my hands clean." Bai gave a small bow before turning and leaving.
Once Bai was gone, Lt. Surge leaned back in his chair, lit a cigar, and let his thoughts drift away.
He had been living this dark life for far too long.
Once upon a time, he had been a man of justice. He had even served as principal of Pokémon Tech, a man deeply trusted within the League.
Until the day he battled Bruno for a position among the Elite Four.
He suffered a crushing defeat. His proudest partner, his Electabuzz, was mortally wounded during that brutal match and died.
From that moment on, Lt. Surge's strength plummeted—from a high-tier Elite Four candidate down to a mere ordinary Elite.
At such a level, progress came excruciatingly slowly. Each step forward was like climbing a cliff without ropes.
Talent, potential, perseverance, and time—none could be lacking.
And worse, Surge had lost his most trusted ace partner.
The blow was devastating.
In despair, his will broke, and he began his descent.
Once a man falls, money flows like water. Once, as an Elite-level Trainer, Lt. Surge had amassed considerable savings.
But just three years of a decadent, hollow life drained both his body and his fortune.
Until one day, a certain man found him.
That man admired Lt. Surge's abilities, granted him vast benefits, and even used his connections within the League to secure Surge the position of Gym Leader of Vermilion Gym.
Thus, Lt. Surge joined Team Rocket, becoming one of its three top commanders—second only to that man himself.
"It's not just money," Surge muttered around his cigar, a twisted smile spreading across his face. "There are all kinds of resources here too."
Recently, that exalted, "great" man had told him that Team Rocket had discovered another legendary Pokémon's nest.
Yes—another one.
Meaning they had found such things before.
This time, it was the nest of Articuno!
From past experience, a nest of Articuno contained at least a thousand Never-Melt Ice crystals.
Unlike the so-called "top-grade Ice Stones," which were merely trinkets that allowed a select few Pokémon to evolve or slightly boost their potential…
Never-Melt Ice could be absorbed by any Ice-type Pokémon to directly increase both their strength and their potential.
A single Ice Stone was worth over ten million.
But a single Never-Melt Ice? Over thirty million.
They weren't even on the same level!
And a thousand of them… was worth over thirty billion.
And that wasn't all. Team Rocket's stores brimmed with countless other priceless resources.
"It's been ten years… but I've finally surpassed the man I once was. I've reached a new peak."
"Bruno, wash your neck and wait. Soon enough, I'll make you taste what it feels like to be cast into the abyss." Lt. Surge's grin was filled with malice.
Leaving Vermilion City for the wilderness, Yozora felt a constant presence trailing him.
It wasn't because of his heightened senses, nor some mysterious "sixth sense."
It was Aura.
"That white-haired guy, huh?" Yozora thought grimly.
Even back in Vermilion Gym, he had noticed Bai. Bai's Aura wasn't as overwhelming as Surge's, but it was still powerful—comparable to a Senior-level Pokémon.
Yozora's own Aura was strong too…
He could even channel it into an Aura Sphere.
But when it came to raw physical strength, Yozora was far more ordinary. Yes, with his frequent training under weighted restraints, his stamina and power exceeded other Trainers his age—but nothing more.
Physical conditioning required years of accumulation, and frankly, Yozora's training intensity wasn't nearly enough.
He couldn't help but envy monsters like Surge and Bai, whose sheer physical might rivaled that of Senior-level Pokémon.
Running up walls, scaling mountains—these feats were child's play to them.
They were practically superhuman!
"Come out. I already know you're there." Bored of the stalemate, Yozora turned sharply, breaking the silence.
"Heh. Sharp instincts. You'd make fine talent… too bad you're still too green."
Bai stepped forward, and behind him loomed an Electabuzz.
Its aura was sharp and cold, its strength at the mid-Gym Leader level.
"What's the meaning of this?" Yozora's eyes narrowed. The moment he saw Electabuzz, he knew Bai wasn't here for idle talk.
Robbery? Murder?
But why?
All this over a single revealed Pidgeot?
If they saw his Psyduck, Geodude, or Magikarp, would they lose their minds completely?
"You naïve brat."
Bai chuckled darkly as he advanced. "You have two choices. Join Team Rocket and hand over your Pidgeot… or die."
(End of Chapter)