Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

The end of the entire test was very dull. The top ten participants came to the stage, swiped their ID cards, and each received 200 points.

For others, 200 points was a great resource, but for Aoki, who had more than 7,000 points left, it was only a dispensable amount. However, every little bit helps.

Team Rocket's control of points was strict. Aoki was lucky because he found a rare green-eligible Pokémon egg. With the help of his system, he recognized its value and quickly earned 20,000 points. This was not something others could easily replicate. The main way to earn points in Team Rocket was by completing missions.

Completing missions was the most stable source of points. Capturing rare, qualified Pokémon or finding rare items to exchange for points was a matter of luck and vision.

Aoki's advantage was his system. Any rare, qualified Pokémon that appeared in front of him couldn't escape the system's scan. Thus, his most stable method of earning points was capturing various Pokémon. The only limit was his luck.

However, if someone always captured rare Pokémon to exchange for points, others might become suspicious. Those who could identify the qualifications of Pokémon without instruments might be taken to a lab for study.

So, it was best to be public when necessary and remain low-key otherwise.

As the test ended, the crowd gradually dispersed. Everyone's calm faces showed that the recent events served as a reminder to work harder. After this incident, everyone's effort would likely increase. If they didn't work hard, they'd fall behind.

Viper and the mysterious man in black robes left the square with Team Rocket soldiers as soon as the test ended. At their level, they didn't concern themselves with small matters. Their subordinates handled everything. If the quality of each batch of trainers didn't affect Viper's annual income, he wouldn't have cared about a group of recruits. A suspected top-level trainer wouldn't worry about the level of normal trainers. Why would they?

The mysterious man accompanied Viper to understand the trainers' quality and learn more about Aoki. Although Aoki received the Shadow Reserve Member medal the day before, the mysterious man knew little about him. The test provided an opportunity to observe Aoki. The results met his minimum standards.

As Aoki was about to leave, Guga and his group stopped him.

"Caw!" Murkrow, sensing trouble, was the first to react, flying in the air and cawing at Guga.

"Ekans!" Guga's Ekans wasn't intimidated. Its coiled body tightened, ready to strike.

Aoki lightly touched Murkrow's feathers, calming it down.

Seeing Aoki's gesture, Guga signaled Ekans to relax.

Aoki's system scanned Ekans's data:

Pokemon: Ekans (Light Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 16

Type: Poison

Ability: Intimidate

Held Item: None

Egg Moves: Pursuit, Poison Fang, Scary Face

Basic Moves: Wrap, Leer, Poison Sting, Bite, Glare

Learned Moves: Snatch

TM Moves: Substitute

Guga's Ekans wasn't weak and had good training. However, it was slightly weaker than Murkrow, partly due to its light green qualification, one tier lower than Murkrow's, and partly because Ekans's base stats weren't very high.

While base stats are a theoretical concept, they do matter. Otherwise, there wouldn't be differences between pseudo-legendary and ordinary Pokémon. There's a significant difference between a Dragonite and an Arbok.

Aoki was surprised that Ekans had learned Substitute, a move costing 1,000 points. Guga must have worked hard to earn those points.

The two stood silently, waiting for the other to speak first.

Guga's men, who had previously been arrogant, now stayed silent, not daring to provoke Aoki.

"I didn't expect to underestimate you," Guga finally said seriously.

He had been confident that no one in the trial could surpass him. Without Aoki, he might have achieved his goals and even become a Team Rocket officer. But now, Aoki had surpassed him, causing inner turmoil.

"And?" Aoki replied indifferently.

Guga's expression darkened at Aoki's indifferent tone.

Seeing Guga's reaction, his men lowered their heads, pretending to be uninterested.

Understanding his actions, Guga's expression grew gloomier.

Aoki had no hostility towards Guga. He waited quietly for Guga's next move.

After a moment, Guga turned and left without saying more, unsure if he could defeat Aoki.

With Guga gone, his men quickly followed, afraid to stay behind.

After Guga left, another group approached Aoki, led by the fifth-ranked Soros, a young man with a bright smile.

Frowning at Soros, Aoki saw him as more of a threat than Guga.

Soros smiled as he approached. "Haha, Aoki, you're impressive. Taking the top spot surprised many." He reached out to pat Aoki's shoulder.

Aoki stepped back, frowning.

Soros's hand missed, and his smile faltered before returning. A hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.

"What's the matter?" Aoki asked coldly.

Soros laughed to cover his embarrassment. "Nothing important. I took on a well-paid mission recently. It might be hard to complete alone. Interested in joining? We can split the points equally."

Missions were the best source of points for trainers. However, Aoki knew Soros wanted to recruit him.

"Not interested," Aoki replied, turning to leave.

As Aoki walked away, Soros's smile froze. His face darkened before he regained his composure.

"Since Aoki isn't interested, we'll handle it ourselves," Soros said to his team.

His team regretted not recruiting Aoki. But they respected Soros for his efforts to earn points. They believed in their captain's ability to lead them through the mission.