After passing through the long entrance corridor into the base, the view gradually opened up.
Compared to when he had left, there was little change throughout the facility.
The only difference was that the crowd was somewhat thinner, giving the spacious base a desolate air.
It was likely that some of those who had ventured out had not yet returned, as tomorrow was the day of the actual test.
Had it not been to dispose of the precious Pokémon egg on his back, Aoki would not have returned so early either.
Compared to life in the wilderness, the base was considerably more comfortable and safe.
A person training a Pokémon in a corner caught sight of Aoki entering.
Their face flashed with joy before they quickly halted training, took their Pokémon, and vanished from the plaza.
Aoki caught a glimpse of them from the corner of his eye but paid them no mind.
They were merely a weakling who had to rely on others just to survive.
He walked straight toward the exchange.
Occasionally, he passed people moving in small groups of two or three.
When they saw Aoki, their expressions betrayed a mix of confusion, astonishment, and a touch of gloating.
In the trialists’ designated residential zone inside the base, within a building noticeably larger than the rest, a youth sat squarely in the center of the main room.
Smiling, he stroked the scales of an Ekans coiled beside him.
Around eight people sat on either side below him, each with their own Pokémon.
None of them dared to breathe heavily, much less look the youth in the eyes.
“B-Boss Kuga, that kid is back!” A figure rushed through the door.
Running up to the young man, the flood of words he had intended to say stuck in his throat, leaving only that single sentence.
Indeed, the youth seated in the middle of the hall was Kuga, the top scorer of the first assessment.
Under normal circumstances, he was expected to secure first place overall in the final trial without any suspense.
“Oh?
The kid ranked second?” Hearing the scout’s words, Kuga pulled back his smile and slowly sat up straight.
His gaze turned sharp as he locked his eyes on the informant.
Sensing its master’s murderous intent, the Ekans—previously coiled peacefully—raised its body.
Its tongue flicked in and out, and a cold, lethal glint flickered in its narrow eyes.
*Gulp.* Feeling Kuga’s gaze and the venomous stare of the Ekans like a razor-sharp dagger pressed against his skin, the reporting youth’s hair stood on end.
He swallowed hard and nodded stiffly.
“Y-Yes, sir.” At this confirmation, Kuga’s frame went lax instead, and he slouched back into his chair.
The Ekans returned to its former posture as well, yet for some reason, the informant felt even colder.
“As expected of someone who caught my eye.
To stay outside for so long and still return unscathed…
Heheh.” Kuga chuckled, though his laughter harbored not a trace of mirth.
Among the eight people seated below, a burly youth of about seventeen or eighteen suddenly stood up and spoke in a heavy, muffled voice.
“Boss Kuga, he’s just a guy who used cheap tricks to get second place.
Let me go drag him over for you.” With that, he made to turn and leave.
Before he could turn around, Kuga raised a hand to stop him.
“Ishi, there’s no need.
I still want to see how he performs tomorrow,” Kuga said with a smile.
“Understood,” the burly youth named Ishi replied in the same tone before sitting back down.
In truth, he was merely putting on a show; if he were actually asked to risk his life for Kuga, he would never do it.
Though he looked honest and simple on the outside, he was shrewd on the inside.
As for why Kuga had openly built his own faction in the base during the days after Aoki’s departure, a key reason was his strength.
To live comfortably in a place like this, strength was undeniably important, but it was not the absolute most important factor.
What mattered most was ruthless cruelty!
Defeating anyone who opposed him, killing their Pokémon, and forcing them to watch as their own Pokémon were swallowed whole by his Ekans—such vicious actions combined with powerful strength quickly attracted a crowd of followers.
In a cutthroat environment like this, only fifty people would ultimately survive.
The weak would sooner or later be eliminated, so the only way to stay alive was to cling to the strong and become their followers.
As long as a leader qualified near the top, they could easily spare a few lives.
This was a courtesy Team Rocket extended to the strong.
The entire trial was designed to supply talent to Team Rocket.
Anyone who survived would be put to good use, eventually holding important positions across various posts.
Therefore, while this trial was a purgatory, it was also a ladder leading to the path of the strong.
As long as one survived, they would eventually become a powerful Trainer.
Relying on the giant tree that was Team Rocket, becoming a person of standing in the future was well within reach.
Perhaps for those directly affiliated with the League, following a normal path of growth meant that even if they did not become top-tier powerhouses, they could still become respected Pokémon Trainers and live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
However, for commoners or those born into abject poverty, this was likely their only chance.
Most of the people brought to this island were commoners or those who could not even afford food—just like Aoki.
Having lived in the slums since childhood and eaten scraps from trash cans, he had been exceptionally emaciated when he first arrived on the island.
Yet there were also those like Kuga, who originally enjoyed great living conditions and chose to come to the island not only to temper themselves, but mostly to polish their resumes.
In fact, Kuga’s older brother was a Captain in Team Rocket.
He too had emerged victorious from Trial Island and had now climbed to the rank of Captain, making him part of Team Rocket’s mid-to-upper management.
Thus, as his younger brother, Kuga did not consider his talent inferior to his brother’s.
After learning about this trial from his brother, he used his brother’s connections to slip among the trialists and land on the island.
Through behind-the-scenes manipulation, he even secured an Ekans with exceptional aptitude.
As the unevolved form of his brother’s signature Pokémon, Arbok, Kuga already knew how to raise an Ekans inside and out.
He believed his current Ekans had reached the optimal state of cultivation for its current level.
Sailing smoothly, he had reached his current position.
Perhaps influenced by his brother’s temperament, Kuga was also unpredictable and volatile.
After demonstrating his brutal methods, he gathered a group of people to serve him, helping him secure more resources to better nurture his Pokémon.
As for who he would spare or take with him after the final trial, that depended entirely on his mood.
Seated at the head of the room, Kuga sank deep into his wide chair, his cold eyes sweeping across the hall as he appraised the more capable individuals among his subordinates.
For those who possessed the strength to survive on their own, Kuga did not mind taking them along to serve as his future core crew in Team Rocket.
Ambitious as he was, Kuga naturally would not settle for being a disposable nobody in Team Rocket.
Since he was going to do it, he would aim for the top.
The minimum goal he set for himself was to surpass his brother, and the first step toward that was becoming a Team Rocket Executive.
Once he became an Executive, he would truly enter the upper echelon of Team Rocket.
With his talent, further advancement from there was by no means impossible.
Whenever he thought of his future path, Kuga grew excited, unconsciously licking his lips with a cold, sinister smile.
*** Walking straight into the exchange, Aoki was completely unaware of all this, though even if he had known, he would not have cared.
Given a second chance at life, he had only one goal: to become stronger.
Anyone who stood in his way would be destroyed.
As for Kuga’s background, Aoki had been far below him in his past life, unable and lacking the strength to investigate.
In this life, even if Aoki knew, he would remain unfazed.
Having activated the Microchip early, he was confident he would not lose to anyone.
Unbinding the cloth straps holding the Pokémon egg, Aoki gently placed the Weedle egg on the counter under the astonished gaze of the exchange clerk.
Aoki had decided to trade this egg for merit points.
Although the Pokémon would have good aptitude upon hatching and could grow rapidly as a Bug-type to become an effective battle force, Aoki ultimately chose to give it up.
It was still just an egg, and there was no telling how long it would take to hatch.
If it hatched near the end of the trial, what use would it be to Aoki?
Even if it hatched in a few days and Aoki successfully raised it, only one Pokémon could be used in the final battle of the trial.
For Aoki, it would not only fail to be an asset, but it would also drain resources that could be spent elsewhere, becoming a burden instead.
Most importantly, the lifespan of its final evolution, Beedrill, was far too short.
Once Aoki went through the trouble of raising it into a core battle force, its physical condition would begin to decline due to its natural lifespan limits, rendering it a disappointing investment in the end.
As for Mega Evolution, the League itself was currently unaware of Mega Evolution’s existence.
Precious Mega Stones were not something one could casually acquire, and even if he chanced upon one, what were the odds it would happen to be a Beedrillite?
Therefore, taking all these factors into consideration, Aoki chose to exchange it directly for points to trade for more vital resources now, focusing entirely on nurturing Murkrow.
Ignoring the exchange clerk’s surprised look, he said calmly, “I want to exchange this for points.”