The footprints continued west.
Adrian followed them without trying to close the distance.
Whoever had passed through the area couldn’t be more than fifteen minutes ahead.
The tracks were still sharply defined in the damp soil, and several broken branches showed where the recruit had moved too quickly through the undergrowth.
That alone told Adrian something.
They were rushing.
Maybe they knew where Checkpoint Eight was.
Maybe they had simply chosen the same route Adrian had.
Either way, Adrian wasn’t going to announce himself.
Croagunk moved several steps ahead, quieter than Adrian despite having spent most of its life in captivity.
Every few minutes it stopped and listened before continuing.
The forest itself wasn’t dangerous.
Adrian had scanned several wild Pokémon along the route, but none were stronger than level eleven.
Most avoided them once they noticed Croagunk.
That was another benefit of reaching Mid Beginner.
Weak wild Pokémon recognized strength.
Adrian checked the map.
“Another kilometer.”
Croagunk nodded.
They continued.
Twenty minutes later, Adrian heard something.
An attack.
A sharp crack echoed through the trees.
Then another.
Adrian stopped.
Croagunk looked toward the sound.
“Checkpoint.”
They moved more carefully.
The trees eventually opened onto a rocky depression.
A black transmitter stood near the center.
Checkpoint Eight.
Someone had reached it first.
A teenage boy stood beside the transmitter while his Sandshrew battled two wild Spearow.
Adrian recognized him from the recruitment hall but couldn’t remember his name.
He scanned Sandshrew.
Pokémon Scan
Species: Sandshrew ♂ Level: 11.
Rank: Low Beginner Potential: Yellow Ability: Sand Veil Moves: Scratch · Defense Curl · Rollout · Rapid Spin · Fury Cutter Status: Lightly Injured Evaluation: Good Individual
Adrian stayed behind the trees.
The Spearow were levels nine and ten.
Nothing Sandshrew couldn’t handle.
The recruit was doing reasonably well too.
“Defense Curl!”
Sandshrew tucked itself inward.
One Spearow’s Peck bounced against its hardened back.
“Rollout!”
Sandshrew accelerated.
The rolling Ground-type struck the Spearow and sent it tumbling across the clearing.
The second attacked from behind.
“Keep moving!”
Sandshrew curved.
The Spearow missed.
Rollout connected again.
Adrian watched.
Not bad.
The recruit understood Sandshrew’s strengths.
He wasn’t trying to force it into fighting like a faster Pokémon.
Several minutes later, both Spearow fled.
The boy recalled Sandshrew and approached the transmitter.
Adrian remained hidden.
The recruit placed his wrist device against the terminal.
A beep sounded.
Then another.
His screen flashed.
One code.
Adrian frowned.
Only one?
Mercer had said the checkpoints contained different numbers of codes, but Adrian had assumed a recruit could potentially claim several from one location.
Not.
The transmitter display illuminated.
Checkpoint 08 Codes Remaining: 11 Individual Claim Limit: 1
That changed everything.
Three codes meant three checkpoints.
Adrian smiled faintly.
Good.
Otherwise the trial could end for someone lucky enough to reach a single untouched transmitter.
The recruit stepped away.
Then stopped.
His Sandshrew was injured.
He had a code.
And he was alone.
Adrian could attack now.
Croagunk was stronger.
Sandshrew had just fought twice.
Taking the code would be easy.
Croagunk glanced toward him as though waiting for the command.
Adrian considered it.
Then shook his head.
“Not worth it.”
The recruit disappeared east.
Croagunk looked up.
“We need three checkpoints anyway.” Stealing the boy’s code would save Adrian from reaching one checkpoint, but it would reveal his position and risk injury for a reward he could obtain without fighting.
More importantly, the recruit only had one.
Someone carrying three was worth more.
Adrian waited another two minutes before entering the clearing.
No hidden Pokémon attacked.
He approached the transmitter.
His device connected.
Verification Accepted
A number appeared briefly before encrypting itself.
His wrist display changed.
Codes: 1/3
Adrian looked at the transmitter.
Codes Remaining: 10
Plenty.
But that wouldn’t last.
He unfolded the map.
The closest checkpoint was Nine.
Too obvious.
Checkpoint Six lay farther north, approximately six kilometers.
Adrian chose Six.
Night settled during the journey.
That helped.
Most recruits would slow after dark.
Adrian didn’t.
He had packed a flashlight but rarely used it.
Moonlight penetrated the canopy well enough to see the general terrain, and Croagunk’s eyesight was better than his.
They stopped after two hours.
Not to sleep.
To eat.
Adrian sat beside a fallen tree while Croagunk consumed several Pokéblocks.
“Slow down.”
Croagunk ignored him.
“You know nobody’s taking them.”
That produced no change.
Adrian ate dried food and drank sparingly.
Water wouldn’t be a serious problem.
Streams crossed the trial zone, and he’d brought purification tablets.
Food was heavier.
Enough for three days.
He checked Croagunk’s condition.
Healthy.
No fatigue beyond what he’d expect after hours of walking.
Good.
They continued.
Around midnight, Croagunk stopped.
Adrian froze.
Voices.
Two people.
That was suspicious.
Teams were prohibited.
Adrian moved toward the sound carefully.
Through the trees, he spotted two recruits standing several meters apart.
They weren’t traveling together.
Negotiating.
“…don’t care about your money.”
“I have twenty thousand.”
“TRP.”
“You can’t transfer TRP during the trial.”
“Then you have nothing I want.”
Adrian recognized neither.
One had a Zubat.
The other had a Weedle.
The Weedle trainer looked nervous.
“I know where Checkpoint Six is.”
Adrian’s attention sharpened.
The Zubat trainer folded his arms.
“So?”
“I’ll tell you for protection.”
“That’s teaming.”
“Not protection the whole time.
Just if someone attacks me before I reach it.”
The Zubat trainer laughed.
“No.”
The Weedle trainer’s face tightened.
Adrian watched.
This was exactly what Mercer meant.
The boy had received a Weedle.
He couldn’t simply overpower competitors.
So he was trading information.
Smart.
His mistake was offering something the other recruit didn’t value enough.
Adrian quietly retreated.
He already knew the approximate location of Checkpoint Six.
No reason to involve himself.
Then the Zubat trainer spoke again.
“Wait.”
Adrian stopped.
“I’ll give you something else.”
The Weedle trainer looked back.
“What?”
“A code.”
Silence.
Adrian’s eyebrows rose.
“I’ve got two,” the Zubat trainer said.
“You tell me exactly where Six is.
If there’s still a code available and I get my third, I’ll transfer one of mine to you.”
The Weedle trainer stared.
“You expect me to trust that?”
“No.”
At least he was honest.
“You can follow fifty meters behind me.”
The Weedle trainer considered it.
“That’s cooperation.”
“Then make it a hundred.”
Adrian almost laughed.
Team Rocket had created rules.
The recruits were already searching for their edges.
The two eventually moved north.
Separately.
Adrian waited, then followed.
Not because he wanted their deal.
Because they had just volunteered to lead him toward Checkpoint Six.
The first scream came forty minutes later.
Adrian stopped.
Not human.
Zubat.
Then came the unmistakable sound of electricity.
Adrian moved forward.
The forest opened into a shallow ravine.
Checkpoint Six stood at the bottom.
Three Pokémon occupied the area around it.
Voltorb.
Adrian scanned them quickly.
Level eleven.
Level ten.
Level twelve.
All Beginner or Peak Baby.
Nothing individually stronger than Croagunk.
Together, they were dangerous.
The Zubat trainer had already engaged them.
His Pokémon was a terrible choice for the matchup.
“Supersonic!”
Zubat screeched.
One Voltorb staggered.
“Leech Life!”
Zubat descended.
“Spark!”
Electricity exploded.
Zubat was blasted from the air.
The trainer cursed.
The Weedle boy remained at the top of the ravine.
Watching.
Not helping.
He couldn’t.
If he joined the battle, both could be disqualified.
Adrian remained hidden on the opposite side.
The Zubat trainer tried again.
“Get up!”
Zubat rose unsteadily.
Another Spark struck.
It fell.
The trainer recalled it.
For several seconds, he stared toward the checkpoint.
Then toward the Weedle trainer.
“Forget it.”
He retreated.
The Weedle trainer didn’t follow.
Their agreement had died with the battle.
Adrian waited.
The Weedle trainer remained.
He wanted the checkpoint.
But Weedle couldn’t defeat three Voltorb.
At least not directly.
Adrian wondered what he would do.
The answer came five minutes later.
The recruit opened his backpack.
He removed food, then threw it into the ravine.
One Voltorb rolled toward it.
Nothing.
The Pokémon ignored the bait.
The recruit tried again.
Different food.
Still nothing.
Then he found something that worked.
A battery.
The Voltorb reacted.
One rolled toward it.
The boy threw another farther away.
A second followed.
Adrian smiled.
Clever.
The third remained near the transmitter.
The recruit had reduced three opponents to one without battling.
Weedle emerged.
Adrian scanned it.
Level nine.
Orange potential.
Not impressive.
But that didn’t matter.
“String Shot!”
Weedle fired from the ridge.
The Voltorb dodged.
“Again!”
More silk.
Not at Voltorb.
At the ground.
Layers of String Shot covered the narrow path leading up the ravine.
The recruit backed away, then threw another battery.
Voltorb followed.
It rolled onto the silk.
Its movement slowed.
“String Shot!”
Weedle added more.
Voltorb struggled.
The boy ran.
Not toward the Pokémon.
Toward the checkpoint.
Adrian’s eyebrows rose.
He reached the transmitter.
Pressed his device against it.
Beep.
Then ran.
Voltorb finally broke through the silk.
Too late.
The Weedle trainer disappeared into the trees.
No knockout.
Barely a battle.
One code.
Adrian had to respect it.
That recruit understood the trial.
Strength was only one solution.
Adrian waited until the Voltorb settled.
Then stepped into the ravine.
Croagunk looked toward him.
“Now we do it our way.”
Adrian didn’t have batteries to waste.
He also didn’t need them.
“Poison Sting!”
Croagunk fired from above.
The nearest Voltorb rolled aside.
The other two turned.
“Spread them.”
Croagunk fired again.
One barrage struck the ground between the Voltorb.
They separated.
Adrian pointed toward the level-twelve individual.
“That one first.”
Croagunk jumped into the ravine.
“Spark!”
Electricity surrounded Voltorb.
“Fake Out!”
Croagunk accelerated.
The attacks collided.
Croagunk’s palm struck first, interrupting Spark before it fully discharged.
“Cross Chop, half!”
Croagunk struck.
The other two approached.
“Move!”
Croagunk jumped aside.
A Tackle missed.
“Poison Sting!”
Purple needles struck the level-ten Voltorb.
“Behind it!”
Croagunk circled.
The level-eleven Voltorb attacked.
“Rollout!”
It accelerated.
Adrian watched its line.
“Don’t dodge yet.”
Croagunk waited.
The Voltorb approached.
“Now!”
Croagunk jumped.
Voltorb passed underneath, straight toward the level-ten Pokémon.
The two collided.
Adrian smiled.
“Cross Chop!”
Croagunk came down.
The strike hit both.
One Voltorb stopped moving.
The other rolled weakly away.
The strongest recovered.
“Spark!”
“Back!”
Croagunk retreated.
Electricity flashed through the space where it had stood.
“Poison Sting.”
Voltorb dodged.
“Again.”
Another dodge.
“Again.”
The third barrage forced it toward the ravine wall.
Adrian waited.
“Fake Out!”
Croagunk rushed.
Voltorb tried moving.
Nowhere to go.
Fake Out struck.
“Cross Chop!”
Full strength.
The blow slammed Voltorb into the dirt.
It stopped.
Croagunk straightened.
Adrian checked it.
Light fatigue.
A few minor burns from residual electricity.
Nothing serious.
“Good.”
Croagunk grinned.
Adrian approached the transmitter.
Checkpoint 06 Codes Remaining: 7
He connected his device.
Verification Accepted Codes: 2/3
Two.
Adrian checked the timer.
62:41:18
Less than ten hours had passed.
He was ahead of schedule.
Which meant he could afford to be selective.
Adrian moved away from the checkpoint before resting.
He wasn’t stupid enough to sleep beside something every recruit was searching for.
They traveled another two kilometers before finding a rocky hollow concealed by thick bushes.
Good visibility toward the entrance.
Only one obvious approach.
Adrian ate.
Croagunk ate.
Then Adrian set an alarm for three hours.
He didn’t intend to stay awake for seventy-two.
Sleep deprivation created mistakes.
Mistakes got Pokémon injured.
Croagunk sat near the entrance.
Adrian looked at it.
“Wake me if anything comes.”
“Croa.”
“You’re sleeping too.”
Croagunk looked confused.
“We alternate.”
That was something they could do without another recruit.
Adrian slept first.
Three hours later, Croagunk nudged him awake.
Adrian took watch.
Croagunk curled against the rock and fell asleep almost immediately.
Dawn arrived quietly.
No attacks.
No thieves.
No emergency.
By sunrise, both were rested enough to continue.
Adrian checked the map.
One more code.
Checkpoint Three was approximately eight kilometers north.
Checkpoint Seven was closer, four kilometers east.
That made Seven tempting.
Which meant other people would find it tempting too.
Adrian chose Three.
They headed north.
The first recruit attacked him before noon.
No warning.
No demand.
Adrian heard movement behind him.
Croagunk’s Anticipation activated.
“Down!”
Croagunk ducked.
A Water Gun blasted through the space above its head.
Adrian spun.
A Squirtle stood between the trees.
Its trainer emerged behind it.
Adrian recognized him.
Darius.
What mattered was the Squirtle in front of him.
Scan.
Species: Squirtle ♂ Level: 14.
Rank: Low Beginner Potential: Light Green Ability: Torrent Moves: Tackle · Tail Whip · Water Gun · Withdraw · Bite · Aqua Jet Status: Healthy Evaluation: Talented Individual
Adrian’s expression sharpened.
One of the stronger recruits.
Darius looked at Adrian’s wrist.
“How many?”
Adrian didn’t answer.
“One?”
Silence.
“Two?”
Adrian saw the smile.
His silence had answered for him.
Darius raised his own wrist.
Codes: 2/3
“Perfect.”
Adrian understood.
They were in exactly the same position.
Whoever won could potentially finish the trial.
“You could keep walking,” Adrian said.
“So could you.”
“You’re the one who attacked.”
“And you’re the one with the Croagunk everyone keeps talking about.”
That annoyed Adrian more than the ambush.
Darius smiled.
“Let’s find out if it’s actually level fifteen.”
Croagunk stepped forward.
Squirtle lowered its body.
Adrian considered retreat.
Possible.
But Darius had Aqua Jet.
Squirtle could pursue.
And if Adrian fled every time another strong recruit challenged him, he’d eventually be attacked at a worse moment.
More importantly.
Darius had two codes.
The third checkpoint was standing in front of him.
Adrian slowly removed his backpack and placed it beside a tree.
Croagunk’s crooked grin appeared.
Darius noticed.
“Confident?”
Adrian looked at Squirtle.
Light Green.
Level fourteen.
A strong Pokémon.
Exactly the sort of opponent Croagunk needed to prove how far it had come.
“No.” Adrian stepped backward, giving Croagunk room.
“Prepared.”
Darius raised his hand.
“Aqua Jet!”
Water exploded around Squirtle.
It launched forward.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“Fake Out!”
For the first time since entering the trial, Croagunk met an opponent almost as talented and almost as developed as itself.
The two Pokémon disappeared toward each other.