“As expected!
When I first came to this world, this microchip came with me!” Even Aoki, accustomed to maintaining his composure, couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.
In his past life, the primary reason he was able to reach the Quasi-Elite Four rank was this very microchip.
The only issue in his past life was that he had activated it purely by chance, at a time when others had already pulled far ahead of him.
Even with the chip’s aid, catching up had been an agonizingly difficult climb.
*Chip, scan!* Aoki suppressed his excitement and issued the mental command while pointing toward Murkrow.
Almost instantaneously— [Beep!] A 3D holographic panel appeared before his eyes, displaying data that only he could see.
[Pokémon: Murkrow (Green)] [Gender: Male] [Level: 8] [Type: Dark / Flying] [Ability: Prankster (Gives priority to status moves)] [Held Item: None] [Egg Moves:] – Punishment (Power: 60 + stat boost level × 20, Dark, Physical) – Feint Attack (Power: 60, Dark, Physical, Never misses) – Roost (Power: 0, Flying, Status, Lands on ground, restores 1/2 max HP) [Basic Moves:] – Peck (Power: 40, Flying, Physical) – Astonish (Power: 30, Ghost, Physical, 30% flinch chance) – Lv.
5 Pursuit (Power: 40, Dark, Physical, double damage if target switches out) [Tutor Moves:] – Snatch (Power: 0, Dark, Status, Steals healing or stat-boosting moves) – Tailwind (Power: 0, Flying, Status, Increases speed of user’s team for 4 turns) [TM Moves: None] A detailed series of data points filled the panel, outlining all of Murkrow’s moves and abilities in meticulous detail.
A gleam of brilliance sparkled in Aoki’s eyes.
Detailed data!
When he first unlocked the chip in his previous life, it had been completely blank.
He had been forced to gather information through countless means, categorizing it bit by bit to eventually achieve such a detailed breakdown.
To collect that data, he had accessed almost every Team Rocket database within his security clearance, and even found ways to steal information beyond his authorization.
He had even broken into several League branch databases, surviving hair-raising danger all for the sake of acquiring knowledge.
For a civilian trainer, knowledge was the single most vital resource.
Only by mastering knowledge could one target a Pokémon’s training precisely, allowing it to unleash its full potential.
Seeing this comprehensive breakdown of Murkrow’s stats, even someone like Aoki, who had walked through death itself, couldn’t suppress a thrum of excitement.
He hadn’t expected the chip’s database to carry over with him!
Just like before, the green color next to the Pokémon’s name represented its potential, and his Murkrow possessed Green aptitude.
Aptitude ranks followed the full rainbow spectrum: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, and Purple.
Green aptitude fell right in the middle of all tiers.
One shouldn’t think Green aptitude was low.
Wild Pokémon were almost exclusively of Red or Orange aptitude; even if a Yellow-aptitude Pokémon appeared on rare occasions, trainers would scramble to capture it due to its uniqueness.
Therefore, Green aptitude was already a remarkably rare find.
According to Aoki’s estimates, among all the Pokémon distributed by Team Rocket for this trial, those with Green aptitude would number no more than ten.
Even then, those ten had been carefully selected by Team Rocket as an advance investment in promising recruits.
In his past life, relying solely on a Green-aptitude Murkrow, Aoki had managed to rank thirty-fourth.
That proved his survival on the trial island had relied entirely on Murkrow’s natural gift, while his own capabilities as a trainer had played no role whatsoever.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.
In this life, he would *never* be weak again!
Weakness was the ultimate sin!
To survive on this trial island, there was only one rule: the law of the jungle.
And to become strong, he had to first raise his Pokémon’s strength.
The very first step was to remedy Murkrow’s early developmental deficit.
A normal Murkrow was typically around half a meter tall, whereas his was currently only about forty centimeters.
Only by restoring its physique could he avoid wasting its talent and cultivate it to its full potential.
“Let me take you to find something to eat, Murkrow.” Aoki patted his shoulder, gesturing for Murkrow to perch there.
Murkrow looked at Aoki hesitantly.
Malnourished as he was, Aoki didn’t look like a fifteen-year-old boy at all.
Murkrow was genuinely afraid that flying up would crush the frail youth beneath its weight.
After a moment’s hesitation, it fluttered onto Aoki’s shoulder.
Feeling a distinct weight settle on his shoulder, Aoki left deeper footprints in the sand as he led Murkrow slowly toward the forest.
As a Team Rocket operative who had clawed his way up from the bottom, Aoki possessed flawless wilderness survival skills if nothing else.
He knew which berries were edible, which were poisonous, which could rapidly restore stamina, and which could cure status conditions.
After handing a few ripe, orange berries to Murkrow, Aoki took a bite of a slightly green, sour berry himself.
Sour, astringent juice trickled down the corner of his mouth.
Enduring the discomfort, he chewed slowly and swallowed the flesh.
These were the most common stamina-restoring berries in the wild, but because wild Pokémon were abundant here, ripe ones were scarce.
Having given all the ripe ones to Murkrow, he could only eat the unripened ones; though less effective, they still offered some sustenance.
“Gah!” After swallowing the berries in a few bites, Murkrow glanced at the berry in Aoki’s hand, a flicker of warmth passing through its eyes.
It didn’t understand why this person, whom it had met only today, gave it the sweet, ripe fruit while eating the sour, unripe ones himself.
It was a feeling it had never experienced since leaving its parents—the feeling of being genuinely cared for.
“Eat up, Murkrow.
I know you’re a carnivore, but this is all we have for now,” Aoki said, a hint of apology in his voice.
“Gah…” Murkrow lightly rubbed its beak against Aoki’s cheek to show it didn’t mind.
Aoki smiled faintly.
In his mind, the memory of the black figure that had protected him unto death in his past life slowly overlapped with the Murkrow currently perched on his shoulder.
An emotion called a bond began to flow quietly through his heart.
The very thing he had cast aside in his previous life was what he treasured most in this one.
Trekking slowly along a narrow forest path, leaving a trail of uneven footprints behind, Aoki finally stopped before a thick, dense bush.
Based on his experience, bushes like this often harbored small animals—or potentially weak Pokémon.
Ordinary animals did exist in this world, and they served as food for carnivorous Pokémon.
Generally speaking, Pokémon were not consumed as food in this world.
*Whoosh!* Just as Aoki expected, a gray wild rabbit bolted out from the thicket.
“Looks like dinner is served,” Aoki said, the corners of his lips curving upward.
“Murkrow, use Peck!” Spurred by the sight of food and Aoki’s command, Murkrow launched itself forward without a second thought, striking its sharp beak forcefully into the rabbit.
A wild animal stood no chance against a Pokémon’s attack and died instantly on the spot.
Just as Murkrow was chirping in triumph, a purple shadow flashed across the ground, and the dead rabbit vanished without a trace.