Crossing into Beginner rank changed Croagunk more than Adrian had expected.
The difference wasn’t dramatic enough that an ordinary person would notice at a glance.
Croagunk hadn’t suddenly doubled in size, and its muscles hadn’t swollen overnight.
Yet Adrian had spent enough hours watching his partner move to recognize every small change.
Croagunk’s jumps carried farther.
Its recovery after Cross Chop was faster.
Poison Sting came out with greater force, and even the simple act of running with the heavier training weights no longer exhausted it as quickly as the lighter set had during their first week.
Most importantly, Croagunk seemed to feel the difference.
Which had created a new problem.
“Again.”
Croagunk launched forward.
Fake Out carried it across the clearing, its palm slamming into the padded target hard enough to send the machine sliding backward along its track.
“Cross Chop.
Half.”
Croagunk landed, crossed both arms, and struck.
The target buckled.
Adrian frowned.
“That wasn’t half.”
Croagunk glanced toward him.
“Again.”
They reset.
“Half.”
Croagunk attacked.
Another heavy crack echoed through the artificial swamp.
Adrian shook his head.
“Still too much.”
“Croa.”
“I know you’re stronger.
That’s the problem.”
Croagunk’s expression flattened.
Adrian walked over and pushed the damaged target upright.
“When your strength changes, your control has to change with it.
If every Cross Chop becomes a finishing move, all the control we practiced at Baby rank was pointless.”
That seemed to get through.
Croagunk looked down at its arms.
“Quarter strength.”
It attacked again.
This time, the target merely rocked backward.
“Better.” Adrian stepped away.
“Again.”
For the next forty minutes, they did nothing but relearn Cross Chop.
Ten percent.
Quarter.
Half.
Full.
The labels weren’t exact measurements.
Adrian wasn’t pretending Croagunk could somehow calculate that it was using precisely fifty percent of its strength in the middle of battle.
They were reference points, different levels of commitment Croagunk could recognize and reproduce.
By the end of the session, its control was returning.
Adrian checked his notebook.
That was the strange thing about becoming stronger.
Strength created new weaknesses if a trainer didn’t adapt to it.
A faster Pokémon could overshoot.
A stronger Pokémon could overcommit.
A larger energy reserve could encourage wasteful attacks.
Progress wasn’t simply accumulating more power.
It was learning to control what you gained.
“Break.”
Croagunk dropped beside its food container.
Adrian had prepared today’s Pokéblocks the previous night.
They were far from professional quality, but he’d finally found a combination Croagunk both enjoyed and tolerated well during intensive training.
Oran formed the base.
A smaller amount of Pecha complemented Croagunk’s Poison typing, while two other berries from the nutrition guide provided additional carbohydrates and minerals.
Adrian had deliberately avoided stuffing every supposedly beneficial ingredient into one block.
Nutrition didn’t work that way.
Neither did Pokémon.
Croagunk picked up one of the dark purple blocks and bit into it.
No disgust.
No suspicious stare.
Progress.
Adrian ate his own breakfast while reviewing the day’s plan.
The second trial was eleven days away.
Croagunk was level eleven.
Their TRP balance had climbed to 231 after several smaller missions and two wager victories.
Adrian still had enough ordinary money for berries and food supplies, although the forty-one thousand from Bellsprout was disappearing faster than he liked.
He hadn’t gone hunting for another Pokémon to sell.
Not yet.
Selling one Yellow-potential Bellsprout was luck.
Selling another valuable Pokémon three days later started becoming a pattern.
Adrian wanted time between sales.
There were easier ways to earn enough money for berries in the meantime.
TRP, however, required Rocket work.
Today, he intended to earn a lot of it.
The Mission Hall was quieter than usual.
Adrian understood why after looking at the board.
A new category had opened on his Rocket ID.
B-Rank Missions.
Authorized
He stared at the notification.
The system hadn’t been available yesterday.
The clerk behind the desk noticed.
“Your Pokémon reached Beginner?”
Adrian looked toward her.
“Yesterday.”
“That’s why.” She barely glanced at him before returning to her terminal.
“Recruit rank normally limits you to F-Rank.
Beginner Pokémon unlock provisional B-Rank assignments.
Doesn’t mean you’re qualified for all of them.”
Adrian opened the B-Rank board.
The difference was immediate.
F-Rank missions paid ten, twenty, perhaps forty TRP.
B-Rank missions started around fifty.
Some exceeded a hundred.
The warnings were different too.
Capture Request Species: Paras Minimum Condition: Healthy Quantity: 3 Location: Mt.
Moon Outskirts Reward: 65 TRP
Another:
Security Assignment Objective: Guard storage facility during overnight transfer.
Expected Opposition: Unknown Reward: 80 TRP
Another:
Wild Pokémon Removal Location: Route 4 Threat: Multiple Sandshrew Confirmed Highest Rank: Low Beginner Reward: 75 TRP
Adrian continued scrolling.
The temptation was obvious.
Better rewards meant faster access to Rocket resources.
But the Nidorino encounter remained fresh in his memory.
Low Beginner didn’t mean safe simply because Croagunk had reached the same rank.
Species mattered.
Level mattered.
Numbers mattered.
Matchups mattered.
Then one mission caught his attention.
Field Assistance.
Capture Team Location: Route 24 Forest Objective: Assist Rocket capture operation.
Target Species: Various Threat Estimate: Baby–Beginner Duration: 6 Hours Base Reward: 70 TRP Performance Bonus: Available Team Size: 4 Slots Remaining: 1
Adrian read the details.
A Rocket capture team was sweeping part of the forest for Pokémon requested by several internal buyers.
He wouldn’t be responsible for capturing anything himself.
His job was to assist the team, locate wild Pokémon, and provide battle support.
That was useful.
Not only for the TRP.
He wanted to see how professional Rocket members captured Pokémon.
Adrian accepted.
The other three members were waiting at a northern exit.
Two wore standard Rocket uniforms beneath dark jackets.
The third was Mason.
Adrian stopped.
Mason stared.
“You.”
“I am.”
One of the older grunts looked between them.
“You two know each other?”
“I beat him twice.”
Mason answered, “Once.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“The first battle.”
“That doesn’t count.”
“Why?”
“We’d had the Pokémon for about three days.”
“And?”
Mason looked toward the grunt.
“Can we replace him?”
“No.”
The grunt rubbed his forehead.
“I’m Harris.
That’s Cole.
We’re leading.
You two are support.”
Cole was a woman in her late twenties with a Great Ball clipped to her belt and the expression of someone who already regretted accepting recruits.
“Rules are simple,” she said.
“Don’t throw Poké Balls unless we tell you.
Don’t wander away.
Don’t attack anything we’re trying to capture after we call stop.”
Mason frowned.
“Why can’t we capture?”
“Because Rocket is supplying the balls.”
That answered that.
Harris continued.
“We’re looking for specific species and acceptable potential.
Anything worthless gets released.”
Adrian’s attention sharpened.
“Testing on site?”
Cole tapped the backpack she carried.
“Portable tester.”
That could be useful.
Adrian kept his expression neutral.
“What species?”
“Oddish, Bellsprout, Abra if we’re lucky, Venonat, and anything else worth bringing back.”
Harris released his Pokémon.
A Raticate appeared.
Adrian scanned it.
Species: Raticate ♂ Level: 23.
Rank: High Beginner Potential: Yellow Ability: Guts Moves: Quick Attack · Hyper Fang · Bite · Focus Energy · Super Fang · Scary Face Status: Healthy Evaluation: Good Individual
Adrian’s gaze lingered.
Level twenty-three.
High Beginner.
The strongest Pokémon he’d personally stood beside since joining Rocket.
Cole released a Golbat.
Species: Golbat ♀ Level: 25.
Rank: Peak Beginner Potential: Light Green Ability: Inner Focus Moves: Wing Attack · Bite · Supersonic · Astonish · Mean Look · Poison Fang · Air Cutter Status: Healthy Evaluation: Talented Individual
Adrian understood the gap.
Croagunk had entered Beginner.
These Pokémon were approaching the other end of the rank.
The amount of development between level eleven and the mid-twenties was enormous.
“Move,” Cole said.
Adrian followed.
The first hour taught him more about Pokémon capture than every wild encounter he’d had combined.
Harris and Cole didn’t battle wild Pokémon until they collapsed.
They controlled them.
Golbat scouted from above.
Raticate used its nose to track scents and locate nests.
When they found a group of Oddish, Harris didn’t attack.
He observed.
Size.
Behavior.
Reaction speed.
Health.
Only after selecting two promising individuals did the battle begin.
“Scary Face.”
Raticate’s expression twisted.
The Oddish froze.
“Quick Attack.
Separate the larger one.”
Raticate moved.
Not to knock it out, but to drive it away from the group.
Golbat descended behind it, cutting off retreat.
The entire encounter lasted less than thirty seconds.
The Oddish was captured.
Cole retrieved the ball and placed it inside the portable testing machine.
The screen processed.
Potential: Orange
She released it.
Mason blinked.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“You don’t keep Orange?”
“Not for this request.”
They moved on.
The next was Red.
Released.
Then Yellow.
Cole kept that one.
Adrian said nothing.
His system had already told him every result before the Poké Balls were thrown.
That fact felt more valuable now.
A professional Rocket capture team spent time locating Pokémon, isolating them, battling them, using a Poké Ball, and testing them.
Adrian could eliminate most of that process with a glance.
No wonder the system needed to remain secret.
“Something ahead.”
Golbat had returned.
Cole looked upward.
“How many?”
Golbat screeched twice.
Harris frowned.
“Two?”
They moved through the trees.
Adrian saw them first.
Two Mankey.
His system activated.
The first was Orange.
Level twelve.
The second…
Species: Mankey ♂ Level: 13.
Rank: Low Beginner Potential: Yellow Ability: Vital Spirit Moves: Low Kick · Leer · Fury Swipes · Karate Chop · Focus Energy Status: Healthy Evaluation: Good Individual
Adrian remained quiet.
Harris studied them.
“Take both.”
Mason released Machop.
Adrian released Croagunk.
“Recruits handle this.”
Cole leaned against a tree.
Mason grinned.
“Finally.”
The Mankey noticed them.
Both became aggressive.
“Left one’s mine,” Mason said.
“Fine.”
Adrian didn’t care.
The Yellow Mankey happened to be on the right.
Not that anyone else knew.
“Croagunk.”
His partner stepped forward.
No weights.
They’d left them at the base for today’s field operation.
The Mankey charged.
“Karate Chop!”
Adrian didn’t issue a dodge.
“Fake Out.”
Its new Beginner-rank speed showed.
The palm struck Mankey’s face.
It staggered.
“Back.”
Croagunk retreated before the counterattack.
“Poison Sting.”
Mankey charged through the needles.
Several struck.
“Low Kick!”
Mankey swept.
Croagunk jumped.
“Cross Chop.
Quarter.”
Croagunk came down with both arms crossed.
The strike hit Mankey’s shoulder and drove it sideways.
It recovered quickly.
Level thirteen.
Slightly stronger.
“Fury Swipes!”
Mankey rushed.
“Don’t retreat.”
Croagunk lowered its stance.
The first swipe came.
Croagunk shifted.
Second.
Blocked.
Third connected with its shoulder.
Fourth…
“Cross Chop.”
Croagunk struck through the attack.
Mankey flew backward.
“Stop!” Cole shouted.
Adrian reacted.
“Hold.”
Croagunk froze.
Mankey tried to rise.
A Great Ball flew past Adrian.
It struck.
Red light.
One shake.
Two.
Three.
Click.
Across the clearing, Mason’s opponent had already been captured.
Cole retrieved both balls.
“Not bad.”
Mason grinned.
Adrian recalled Croagunk.
The tester processed Mason’s Mankey first.
Potential: Orange
Released.
Then Adrian’s.
Potential: Yellow
Kept.
Harris looked at Adrian.
“Lucky.”
Adrian smiled faintly.
“Seems like it.”
That word again.
Luck.
He intended to use it often.
By the end of six hours, the team had captured twenty-three Pokémon.
They kept five.
Four Yellow.
One Light Green Venonat.
Adrian had scanned every Pokémon they encountered.
Only one other Light Green had appeared.
A Bellsprout that escaped before Golbat could trap it.
No Normal Green.
No Dark Green.
Certainly no Blue.
The experience gave Adrian something more useful than TRP.
Perspective.
Talented Pokémon were rare.
Actually rare.
Croagunk wasn’t merely somewhat above average.
Blue was on an different level from what ordinary trainers encountered.
That made Adrian even more determined to keep its grade private for as long as possible.
When they returned to Cerulean Base, his Rocket ID updated.
Mission Complete: +70 TRP
Then another notification appeared.
Performance Bonus: +25 TRP Total: +95 TRP
Adrian’s balance climbed to 326 TRP.
Mason received the same bonus.
“Three hundred?” Mason asked.
Adrian looked at him.
“Why would I tell you?”
“Because we’re friends.”
“We are?”
Mason placed a hand over his chest.
“After everything we’ve been through.”
“You tried to kick Croagunk unconscious.”
“That was Machop.”
“Under your orders.”
“Details.”
Adrian shook his head.
But he was smiling when he walked away.
That evening, Croagunk sat on the floor of their dorm room eating a fresh batch of Pokéblocks.
Adrian sat at the desk, his notebook open.
He wrote down what he’d learned.
23 Pokémon captured.
5 retained.
4 Yellow.
1 Light Green.
He underlined the numbers.
That was from a professional capture team deliberately searching for good Pokémon.
It confirmed his strategy.
When he eventually hunted Pokémon for money again, Yellow would be enough.
Light Green occasionally.
Anything better stayed out of the market unless there was an exceptional reason.
Adrian turned the page.
Croagunk.
Level 11 Goal.
Level 15 before Trial Two.
Time remaining.
10 days.
Four levels.
Ten days.
Aggressive.
But possible.
Especially now that Croagunk had entered Beginner and was eating better than it had during the first half of the month.
Adrian looked over.
Croagunk had finished the bowl.
“How were they?”
Croagunk gave a satisfied croak.
“Good.
Because there’s another batch tomorrow.”
Croagunk leaned back against the bed.
Adrian closed the notebook.
Tomorrow would be training.
The day after that, another mission.
Then battles.
Recovery.
More training.
No dramatic shortcut.
No miraculous resource.
Just ten days of work.
And if Adrian had learned anything during his first twenty days in Team Rocket, it was that ten days could change a Pokémon enormously.