Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

In truth, Xander's subordinates were the most terrified, especially those who had been clamoring to capture Cain the day before. They were sweating cold, thankful that Xander had stopped them before they did anything extreme.

Due to Cain's performance, Xander probably wouldn't dare to send anyone to trouble him in the future.

Although the results of an exam don't fully reflect a person's strength, they do reveal part of it. Besides, who could withstand such a high attack power?

Cain had no knowledge of or interest in others' opinions or reactions. From the moment he activated the system, it meant that none of the other participants could keep up with him; this was part of his confidence.

Cain descended from the stage with his Murkrow and headed to a corner, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes to rest. He wasn't interested in knowing the results of the others.

In the stands, Viper frowned. He wasn't surprised by Cain's result, for if someone caught the attention of the person next to him, wasn't such a result normal? In fact, he thought it was even a bit low. However, he had a suspicion.

"That Murkrow... seems like...?" Viper voiced his doubts to the mysterious man beside him.

The mysterious man understood Viper's suspicion. After a brief surprise, he nodded and, with a hoarse voice from under his black cloak, said, "You're not mistaken, it's still carrying weight."

Viper had been almost certain of his assumption but was amazed at how much Cain had improved that Murkrow, which originally had deficiencies. Adjusting his posture, Viper said, "Oh? Well, this kid's not bad. If your Shadow Unit doesn't choose him, why not give him to me?"

The mysterious man smiled slightly under his hood and replied, "What do you think?"

Viper pouted, disappointed. "You're so boring. You people from the Shadow Unit always take things so seriously."

Viper understood the rules of the Shadow Unit. As long as a mission from the Shadow Unit wasn't completed, no member of Team Rocket could intervene, unless the mission failed or the chosen candidate died.

Since Cain accepted the reserve member badge of the Shadow Unit, he was already considered partially part of the team.

Members of the Shadow Unit were usually very reserved, even with others from Team Rocket. However, the mysterious man and Viper were an exception; they had been good friends before joining Team Rocket.

So, as long as Cain didn't complete his mission with the Shadow Unit or wasn't declared a failure, no other department within Team Rocket had the right to recruit him, not even high command.

This was a rule personally established by Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket. As their most powerful force, each member of the Shadow Unit was carefully selected.

"Watch what you say, Viper." The mysterious man's voice grew more serious. Although they were good friends, the mysterious man had deep respect for the Shadow Unit, and even greater devotion to Giovanni.

Even Cain respected Giovanni from the bottom of his heart.

Giovanni's charisma was the highest Cain had ever seen in his life. Whether being stern or kind, Giovanni handled interpersonal relationships perfectly, and his ability to command his subordinates was masterful.

Had Cain been born into this world and raised within Team Rocket, he would undoubtedly have become one of Giovanni's most loyal followers. However, being a time traveler who knew the plot, Cain had an innate resistance to Giovanni.

Even so, in his previous life, Cain deeply respected and admired Giovanni.

It's worth remembering that a decade ago, Team Rocket was just a small organization in the Kanto region, led by Giovanni's mother. At the time, Team Rocket didn't have much power.

If wealth had been abundant, who would have chosen Weedle as their child's starter Pokémon? Though in the end, that Beedrill became the strongest in the world, the resources invested in it could have been enough to raise several pseudo-legendaries.

In short, a decade ago, Team Rocket was a small regional organization, but in just ten years, Giovanni turned it into the largest criminal organization in Kanto. All other criminal groups were either eliminated or absorbed.

In Kanto, aside from the Pokémon League, the largest and most powerful organization was Team Rocket.

This demonstrates how capable Giovanni is. Not only is he a competent leader, but also a formidable fighter. He can face off against a Champion in direct combat and hold his ground, earning him the title of the "King of the Earth in the Shadows," a nickname not given lightly.

Since Giovanni became the leader of Team Rocket, the Shadow Unit was the first department he created. Given his charisma, how could the members of the Shadow Unit not idolize him?

Viper knew he had touched a sensitive topic with the mysterious man and wasn't bothered by his warning.

To the other departments within Team Rocket, each member of the Shadow Unit was seen as a fanatic, willing to do anything, so it was best not to provoke them.

After a brief conversation, both fell silent.

The tests continued quickly; each person only had to make their Pokémon attack the testing stone and then record the data. Soon, everyone had finished.

The final results were as follows: no one surpassed Cain's result.

First place: Attack, 265 points (Cain)

Second place: Attack, 258 points (Xander)

Third place: Attack, 227 points (Jasmine)

Fourth place: Attack, 225 points (Alec)

Fifth place: Attack, 215 points (Soros)

...

Last place: Attack, 45 points.

The top positions didn't change much; Cain and Xander continued to lead all participants. The point difference between second and third place showed that the two had already distanced themselves from the rest.

The last place only scored 45 attack points. Even in the first test, they had only been in the middle of the pack. Although their Pokémon was a Rattata, if it had been trained and raised well, it could have also reached an explosive attack level.

Hadn't someone with a Rattata ranked in the top ten of this test?

The last participant, with a pale face, stood motionless, waiting in vain for someone to score lower. He muttered continuously that it wasn't possible, that it couldn't be.

Finally, when Team Rocket soldiers with malicious intent approached and grabbed his hands, ready to take him away, he reacted. He struggled violently, but his untrained body couldn't do anything against the two experienced soldiers, whose iron hands gripped him tightly.

"No! No! No! Give me another chance! Give me another chance!" he cried, begging, but it had no effect. With snot and tears running down his face, and a yellow stain appearing between his legs, the unpleasant smell spread.

It was all in vain. When he had been enjoying life at the base, he should have expected this outcome.

"Rattata, come save me!" He finally remembered that he was a trainer and had a Pokémon.

However, before Rattata could act, two Mightyena appeared in front of it, baring their teeth and staring intently. Although Rattata wanted to save its trainer, it didn't dare move.

"Everything's settled, right?" Viper, who had been watching from the beginning, showed no emotion, even feeling somewhat irritated. He despised those who wasted resources and lacked ambition. Rattata, which could have been valuable if trained, ended up in the hands of a useless person.

Wasn't that a waste of resources?

Under the ruthless fangs of the Mightyena, Rattata lost its life.

Seeing his last hope die, the last-ranked participant stopped resisting as well. Team Rocket soldiers dragged him out of everyone's sight, and no one doubted what his fate would be.

In front of everyone, Team Rocket once again displayed its brutality, treating human lives as worthless.

Cain, leaning against the wall, watched without the slightest disturbance. After all, it was just a life. He had killed dozens of people; any member of Team Rocket had several kills under their belt.

If anyone thought Team Rocket was like in the cartoon, where they were defeated with one hit, they were truly just watching a cartoon.

"Killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, a good tactic," Cain thought.

Cain understood the reason behind Viper's action. It was nothing more than a way to put a chain on those who merely ate and waited to die. No one can stay still in a fast current; if you don't move forward, you perish.

For the strong present, there was no emotional reaction, only mild contempt. After all, this had nothing to do with them.

It's like the catfish effect. If you put sardines in a net, they will all die quickly. But if you introduce a catfish, the sardines, threatened by the catfish, will swim frantically, allowing them to reach the market alive, where they will be sold at a high price.

Now, they were like the sardines, and Team Rocket was the catfish. Only under the pressure of the catfish could they survive and reach a high value. Only with this pressure could the participants grow stronger, and Team Rocket reap more talents with potential.

(End of chapter)