Chapter 28: Chapter 28:
The air between the two men hung heavy with silence, but it was a silence that was not at all out of place. The mysterious man, who was well-versed in the ways of Team Rocket and its inner workings, was not surprised that Viper had uncovered his actions so swiftly. After all, this was his territory and all the people here were his men. If Viper had not known, it would have been a surprise indeed.
With a low, muffled hmmm, the mysterious man gave his answer, and Viper, with his scarred face, smiled in response. The two of them were well-acquainted, and Viper, as a senior member of Team Rocket, had some understanding of the mysterious man's identity and the Shadow Unit to which he belonged. The mysterious man's ability to notice Cain was a sure sign that there was something unique about the boy, but if the mysterious man did not wish to speak of it, Viper would not pry.
As if sensing Viper's thoughts, the mysterious man hesitated for a moment before saying, "I felt a darkness from this boy, and a hint of familiarity." The two men paused for a moment, before the mysterious man spoke again, solemnly and with great weight, "The feeling he gave me was just like him!"
Viper, who had been leisurely wiping his Luxury Ball, heard the mysterious man's last words and his hand suddenly stilled, as if someone had hit the pause button. And so, they both came to a halt. After a few moments, Viper's hand trembled slightly before resuming his wiping motion. However, it was clear to anyone with a discerning eye that the words spoken had a great impact on his heart. The mysterious man, too, remained silent, knowing that what he had just said was shocking.
"This is truly surprising," Viper said, his words coming slowly and with great effort.
The "him" was none other than the leader of Giovanni's Shadow Unit, the most mysterious existence in Team Rocket, whose status was just below Giovanni's, a man who could be said to be below one person and above all others. And while outsiders may have known of the strength of Team Rocket's three Senior Executives, the invincible army of the Four Executives, and the insane trio called 'The Three Beasts', they did not know of the Shadow Unit within Team Rocket, a force that was more mysterious and terrifying than the rest.
Not wanting to say too much on the subject, Viper coughed slightly to conceal his emotions. "Ahem, I heard you got an Advanced Aptitude Pokemon egg from him?"
With a subtle nod, the mysterious man reached under his black robes and produced a Pokemon egg, the same Green Aptitude Weedle egg that Cain had exchanged for points. Even as the deputy leader of the Shadow Unit, the mysterious man was hesitant to become too embroiled in the matter.
"A Weedle?" Viper recognized the Pokemon egg at a glance.
The mysterious man stretched out his hand, which only had two fingers left, and placed it on the egg, which gave off a warm feeling, "That's right," he replied.
He escaped under the hands of two Senior Elite Trainers and lost three of his main Pokemon, while his other main Pokemon also suffered various degrees of injury and needed time to recover.
"With its rapid growth cycle, it can quickly become a formidable fighting force, and with a little training, it can reach the strength of a quasi-elite," the mysterious man continued. "Although its lifespan is relatively short, it's enough for a transition." He was well aware of Beedrill's weaknesses, but he never intended to train it as his main force.
"What? Your Pokemon still need a long time to recover from their injuries?" Viper asked curiously, knowing that although the mysterious man's Pokemon were badly injured, he shouldn't have needed to raise new Pokemon.
The mysterious man fell silent and sighed softly. "That's to be expected when you face a poison-type Senior Elite Trainer. I don't know when they can recover, so I'll just treat this Beedrill as a backup plan."
Hearing this, Viper understood the situation and said nothing more, instead, he continued to polish the Luxury Ball in his hand.
Once again, the two fell into silence, the night passed in the blink of an eye.
---
Cain and Murkrow had not stopped training the night before, except that they had moved from the original wide-open forest to the small dormitory where they were now.
The weight-bearing device resembled a small backpack and could be adjusted to the proper size, allowing Murkrow to stretch freely. When the load was off, the device was as light as a piece of clothing. The device was so small that, once fully attached to the body, it hid under Murkrow's feathers, making it virtually undetectable unless one looked closely.
The weight of the device could be adjusted by remote control. Cain set it to 5kg, which was the weight Murkrow usually used for training.
Murkrow's body sank after Cain activated the device, and he had to flap his wings with more force to fly. However, unlike before, when two pieces of wood were strapped together and the weight was distributed only over the wings, the weight was now distributed evenly throughout the body, making it more comfortable than before and allowing every part of Murkrow's body to get a workout.
"Let's keep it at this weight for now, it's not good to increase too much at once. When your body has fully adjusted to the weight, we'll increase it slightly," Cain said with a smile as he looked at Murkrow, who was quickly getting used to the new device.
"From today on, if it's not necessary, the device will stay activated at this weight, so you'll have to get used to it gradually."
Cain had always admired Murkrow's determination to improve his strength. He also wanted Murkrow to become stronger, but he still valued the thoughts of his Pokemon very seriously. If Murkrow wasn't the type of Pokemon that liked to fight, Cain wouldn't force him but would find a more suitable Pokemon.
"Caw! Caw!" Murkrow was already excited at the prospect of becoming stronger with this device.
Cain and Murkrow had a simple breakfast after a short morning exercise. By the time they left the room, the sun had risen and the doors of the previously occupied dormitories were opening one by one, with individuals emerging from them, all making their way to the square in the center of the base.
Seven days had passed and it was time for the second test, and almost everyone had returned and gathered in the square. The Team Rocket staff also began to appear one by one, and the Team Rocket grunts who kept order were also working hard to complete their tasks.
After a week, about one hundred and twenty of the original one hundred and fifty or so people remained, while the other thirty or so were either still in the forest and unable to return or would never return. The innocent and youthful faces had vanished, and everyone had a cold and indifferent look, with a hint of madness in their eyes, as the cruel trial consumed the goodness, beauty, and innocence in everyone's heart.
The square was divided into four areas; the largest number of people were in the area where Cain stood, most of them were alone, but occasionally two people stood together with caution in their eyes; this area accounted for nearly half of the total number of trial participants.
The second largest group of people was in the south of the square, led by none other than Xander. He was surrounded by a large number of strong people. When Cain looked over, he met the eyes of Xander, who had been staring at him for a long time. Xander gave Cain an evil smile and turned his head to look elsewhere.
The third largest group was in the area to the west, led by a woman. Cain was struck by her Pokémon's size, which was a Zubat that was far bigger than the norm, and it was this that made an impression on him.
The eastern corner was the least crowded, with only nine people, led by a cheerfully smiling teenager. Although he seemed harmless, the coldness in his eyes caught Cain's attention. All eight people around him seemed to be fooled by his appearance; none of them had the vision to see through his facade. If they had been born in the Association, it wouldn't have been a problem, but this was Team Rocket, and this was a trial island with a high mortality rate; betrayal was commonplace.
As the minutes ticked by, the place began to quiet down. Chief Instructor Viper and his men also made their way to the high platform in the center of the arena. Unlike before, there were now two chairs on the platform, with Viper sitting on one and a mysterious black-robed man sitting on the other.
"I didn't expect him to show up," Cain thought as he saw the mysterious man.
As if sensing Cain's gaze, the mysterious man turned his head in Cain's direction, his face hidden beneath his black robe. But Cain could feel his gaze resting on his own body for a few seconds before moving away.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone