Leo's gaze was a little too direct.
Cubone, who always wore a cold, distant expression, seemed slightly uncomfortable under his stare.
"Cu?"
"Cubone, this is a Ground-type energy cube," Leo said gently, taking out the rations his predecessor had prepared and placing them in a small bowl.
"Try some."
Cubone sniffed lightly. Without any hesitation, it took the bowl and began eating in silence.
Because of the skull helmet, Leo couldn't see its expression.
Still, judging from the speed at which Cubone ate, it clearly didn't dislike the taste of the energy cubes.
Seeing this, Leo finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. Without realizing it, a smile appeared on his face.
When he looked up, he noticed Captain Yusaku watching him with a pleased expression.
"Team, boss…"
"Haha, it's nothing," Yusaku said, waving it off. "I just suddenly remembered how Golbat and I were when we first met. We were just as cautious… and just as full of expectations for each other."
Golbat, who had been focused on eating, seemed to sense the conversation. It raised its head and gently nudged Yusaku.
Leo blinked.
For some reason, Golbat didn't seem quite as terrifying anymore.
After dinner, Yusaku took Rattata and Golbat into the backyard for training. Naturally, washing the dishes was left to Leo.
In the kitchen, Cubone stood silently behind him, watching as Leo repeatedly plunged his hands into the water, a thing it clearly disliked.
Gradually, the brows beneath Cubone's skull furrowed.
A few minutes later,
"Finally done!"
As Leo turned around after cleaning up the kitchen, he noticed Cubone taking a few steps back.
His heart sank slightly, and a faint sense of disappointment surfaced.
But then,
Cubone suddenly ran to the side, picked up a towel, and hurried back with short, clumsy steps.
"Cu~"
Leo looked at Cubone struggling to lift the towel and immediately understood.
For some reason, his chest felt warm.
He had come to this world without warning, burdened with a complicated identity that forced him to be cautious at every step.
And yet, the purest kindness he'd received so far came from this quiet little Pokémon.
Leo squatted down carefully, taking the towel without letting the water on his hands drip onto Cubone.
"Thank you, Cubone."
Cubone turned its head away, still giving off a cold, lonely air—but in Leo's eyes, it somehow looked a little cuter now.
After drying his hands, Leo smiled.
"Want to watch Golbat and Rattata train?"
Cubone didn't move.
But Leo already knew how to read its response.
"I want to watch them train. Will you come with me?"
Cubone glanced at him without saying a word.
That was enough.
Leo stood up and headed toward the backyard.
Cubone tightened its grip on the bone club and followed, step by step.
---
As soon as Leo entered the backyard, Yusaku noticed him. He simply nodded and continued training.
Leo stood quietly in a corner with Cubone, not disturbing him.
Cubone liked quiet. It was even less fond of unnecessary chatter.
As he watched the training, Leo also began "reviewing" everything he knew about Cubone.
Cubone had been one of the Pokémon bred in batches by Team Rocket. It had been obtained as an Egg and raised entirely within a controlled facility. Because of that, it held no hatred toward Team Rocket.
Pokémon like this were far more valuable than the standard recruits forcibly captured in the wild, such as Ekans, Koffing, or Zubat.
The reason the original Leo had received Cubone was simple: after joining Team Rocket, he had demonstrated exceptional technical talent and was trained as an intelligence operative, which granted him more freedom in choosing a Pokémon partner.
However, since his role was intelligence-focused, combat ability was never emphasized. Cubone had been left in a largely free-range state, receiving little real training.
But despite its small size, Cubone was born with a desire to fight and grow stronger.
The thick bone club it carried was never meant just for show.
Because it wasn't taken seriously, Cubone had gradually grown disheartened. Its coldness and loneliness deepened, making it even less favored by its Trainer.
Fortunately, Team Rocket distributed energy cubes on a fixed schedule, so Cubone never went hungry.
To Leo, feeding at set times was nothing special.
But to Cubone, it was one of the rare moments of companionship.
The lonelier one is, the more one fears loneliness.
Cubone wanted to be seen.
The original Leo never noticed.
But he did.
Leo squatted down and gently placed his hand on Cubone's hard skull.
Cubone stiffened for a moment.
Then Leo spoke words that completely caught it off guard.
"I want to ask the boss about training methods for you. Will you come with me?"
"Cu!"
This time, Cubone didn't hesitate.
For the first time, a spark of fire appeared in its cold, lonely eyes.
---
"Cubone… to be honest, I've never trained a Ground-type Pokémon before," Captain Yusaku said hesitantly. Seeing Cubone's disappointed look, he quickly added,
"Why don't you use the system platform to exchange points for training manuals? If you're short on points, I can lend you some."
Cubone didn't fully understand, but it knew there was still hope. It immediately turned to look at Leo.
Leo nodded, thanked Yusaku, and gave Cubone a reassuring glance.
The original owner's memories hadn't fully merged yet. Often, related memories only surfaced when something triggered them.
Within Team Rocket's internal system, all kinds of materials could be exchanged using points or money.
But points were usually the better deal.
Seeing Cubone's eager expression, Leo didn't hesitate. After excusing himself from Yusaku, he headed back to the warehouse.
He turned on the ordinary-looking computer, entered a special password, completed identity verification,
And Team Rocket's internal platform appeared before him.
Task Submission
Points Exchange
Personal Information
As a low-level intelligence operative, Leo currently only had access to these three permissions.
The interface was simple. Leo first opened the personal information window.
Name: Leo
Age: 16
Registered Location: Lavender Town, Kanto Region
Position: Level-2 Intelligence Operative
Points: 1,245
Assignment: Stationed in Oreburgh City, Sinnoh Region. Responsible for routine intelligence collection.
The 1,245 points were mostly accumulated from assisting senior intelligence agents during assignments at Team Rocket headquarters.
Without yet knowing the exact value of points, Leo immediately opened the exchange window.
After some searching, he finally found what he needed, and relaxed.
Beginner Ground-Type Training Manual -200 points
Beginner Ground-Type Cultivation Manual - 400 points
Cubone Line Skill Training Manual - 400 points
Beginner Ground-Type Energy Cubes (1 box, 100 units) - 100 points
Cubone currently consumed beginner-grade Ground-type energy cubes. Two or three per day were enough.
That covered daily maintenance, but proper training and battle would dramatically increase consumption.
The first two manuals were essential. Training was unavoidable.
The third focused specifically on the Cubone evolutionary line, making it useful for cross-referencing.
More importantly, Leo noticed that the first two manuals also had complete higher-tier versions.
Intermediate Ground-Type Training Manual - 2,000 points
Advanced Ground-Type Training Manual -
20,000 points
Top-Tier Ground-Type Training Manual - Special Contribution Only
The cultivation manuals followed the same structure.
Each tier increased in value by a factor of ten. The top-tier versions couldn't even be exchanged with points.
Because of this, Leo felt even more confident.
At the very least, this complete system of manuals ensured that Cubone's growth path could be smoothly upgraded in the future without disruptions.
And this,
This was exactly how Team Rocket bound members from all over the world to its massive warship.
The further you went, the more dependent you became.
And the higher the cost of leaving.