"Good job, Eevee. Take a rest for now."
At seven o'clock, Gu Yuan woke up on time and gently stroked Eevee's little head, feeling a pang of tenderness.
After letting out a yawn, Eevee didn't resist and obediently returned to its Poké Ball.
To ensure safety in the wild, Gu Yuan arranged for Charmeleon, Eevee, and himself to take turns standing guard, four hours each.
Though brief, this schedule was enough to keep them all sufficiently energized.
After a short rest, Gu Yuan resumed his activities.
This was already the third day since Gu Yuan had entered the forest.
During these days of exploration, he had roughly gauged the strength of the wild Pokémon in this forest.
Most of the Pokémon here were at the Rookie or Junior Ranks.
He hadn't yet reached the forest's center, where he suspected there might be Pokémon of Intermediate Rank strength.
In such a large forest, there shouldn't be so many low-level Pokémons; it seemed Team Rocket had cleared the stronger Pokémon deliberately, creating an area suitable for a trial.
Unfortunately, whether because of the forest's size or the scarcity of people, Gu Yuan hadn't encountered anyone else so far.
Instead, he came across many fruit trees, and with these edible berries, he didn't need to be in a hurry to find food or water.
While making his way through the forest, Gu Yuan soon came across a wild Rattata.
With its impressive breeding ability, Rattata could establish itself in virtually any forest.
The only unusual thing was that this Rattata's face was wet in several spots.
Excluding the possibility that it had been involved in a battle, this suggested a nearby water source.
Following the direction the Rattata had come from, Gu Yuan began searching.
Soon, he heard the gentle sound of flowing water.
Following the sound, he discovered a clear, sparkling stream.
Even better, nearby fruit trees bore bright red berries, clearly ripe for the taking.
Gu Yuan didn't rush to collect water; instead, he patiently waited.
As time passed, he observed numerous wild Pokémon coming to drink or enjoy the fruit.
Even when wild Pokémon encountered one another, fights rarely broke out; they behaved surprisingly peacefully, likely to avoid spoiling the precious water source.
Once Gu Yuan confirmed there were no other hidden observers, he prepared to collect water.
Before he could act, nearby bushes rustled, and a person with an Arbok emerged.
He watched as the pair efficiently drew water and picked fruit, their actions practiced and fluid.
This caught Gu Yuan's attention; they were no ordinary people.
When they left, Gu Yuan quietly followed behind.
Having occupied this area for a long time, Rudy had long since relaxed his guard and didn't notice someone trailing him.
Soon, Gu Yuan stopped at a clearing.
In the distance, a cave appeared, likely Rudy's makeshift home.
From here, the view was open, allowing him to spot approaching people or wild Pokémon immediately.
A water source and fruit trees were nearby, solving the issue of sustenance.
Like Gu Yuan, the person ahead had placed their GPS device elsewhere, leaving only a simple tracker on their person.
This explained why Gu Yuan hadn't detected a location signal earlier.
He didn't follow further, instead quietly retreating.
Back at the stream, Gu Yuan filled his water bottle and collected plenty of fruit, storing it in his storage bag.
After finishing, he went back and hid in a place near the cave.
Having finally encountered someone, Gu Yuan had no intention of letting him go easily.
*
Rudy was a simple man.
He liked money, and he liked power, but the means he had to use to obtain these two things were of no concern to him, as long as he got what he wanted, it didn't really matter.
He was a perfect fit for Team Rocket.
Rudy was also a self-aware man; he knew that, in terms of talent, he would be classified as average at best, so he didn't bother creating expectations for this trial.
He was already confident in passing the trial after killing a few of the competitors on the first few days, and felt no need to compete for extra rewards.
Rather than risk his life fighting stronger opponents for something almost unattainable, he preferred to wait patiently for the trial to be over.
If luck favored him, perhaps he'd be rewarded, like a hunter waiting for ignorant prey.
He relaxed, though not completely letting his guard down, patrolling every few hours to ensure no one else was around.
This time, as Rudy stepped into the forest, a pair of murderous eyes locked onto him.
A mysterious force washed over him, bringing a wave of overwhelming sleepiness.
The alarm rang in his mind as he forced himself awake.
Though Rudy considered himself average, his survival and ability to pass the trial spoke to his strength.
Unfortunately, without the element of surprise, even Rudy's quick reflexes were insufficient.
A burst of white light surged forward; Eevee collided with Rudy like a curled shrimp, knocking him to the ground.
In the next instant, Eevee's follow-up strike knocked Rudy into a blissful unconsciousness.
Nearby, Rudy's Arbok was hit directly by Charmeleon's Flamethrower.
The pain jolted the Pokémon awake but deprived Arbok of the initiative.
Before Arbok could react, Charmeleon continued its attack.
With Advanced proficiency, Charmeleon's Ember was stronger and could be unleashed rapidly, like a machine gun, suppressing Arbok continuously.
Meanwhile, Eevee assisted, alternating attacks with coordinated Yawns.
Occasional surges of drowsiness further weakened Arbok, amplifying Charmeleon's offensive power.
Quickly reaching Rudy's side, Gu Yuan locked all of Rudy's Poké Balls and captured Arbok, preventing its escape.
Looking at the unconscious Rudy, Gu Yuan brought him back to the cave for interrogation.
Having never formally studied torture techniques, Gu Yuan used a method he had once observed: Death by a thousand cuts, employing Rudy's own knife.
Unsurprisingly, the method was effective; within moments, Rudy divulged all he knew.
True to his promise, Gu Yuan gave him a swift resolution.
The system announced: 100 points awarded.
Gu Yuan looked at the disfigured body on the ground, feeling surprisingly unbothered by the whole ordeal.
Actually, after receiving the system reward, he even felt a bit excited.
He looked at his bloody hands and had this strange feeling that he was losing something important, that he was turning into something different.
But he then pushed those feelings down.
To survive in this world, I can't afford the luxury of having a conscience.