Under a clear, starry sky, in the middle of a vast ocean, there lay a small island densely covered in trees.
A pale and emaciated young boy sat on the beach, his eyes deeply sunken, showing clear signs of malnutrition. Though he wore tattered, worn-out clothes, one could guess he was around fifteen years old.
The boy looked with a complex expression at the creature beside him.
The creature stood only as tall as a child's knee, its body completely covered in black feathers without a single mark. If it weren't for the bright moonlight, it would have been nearly impossible to see it in its entirety.
With a trembling hand, the young boy slowly reached out to the creature before him. Just before touching it, he hesitated for a moment but finally decided to proceed, placing his hand on it.
Feeling the real texture under his hand, the boy let out a soft sigh, his gaze relaxing.
"Who would have thought, I'm back," Cain murmured in a soft, aimless voice.
Everything felt as if it had happened just yesterday.
As a powerful trainer with the strength of an almost-Elite level, Cain still remembered how he barely survived after being captured by Team Rocket for an experiment.
With his skills and special abilities, he managed to make his way up the ranks within Team Rocket, earning a certain reputation even in the underworld.
However, during an ambush by the League, he was caught in a trap set by a rival within Team Rocket.
His overconfidence after rising to the near-Elite rank led him to believe he could survive the attack, but he didn't expect the League to send two elite-level trainers just to capture him.
Although the opponents didn't use their most powerful Pokémon, Cain couldn't withstand them.
With no escape, he fought with all his strength and managed to kill two Pokémon from the second team of the League's operatives, but in a fit of rage, they both buried him alive underground.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the present scene.
With effort, Cain stretched out his hands. All the scars from wounds and training had disappeared. His hands, yellowed from malnutrition, clearly showed the veins and bones.
He clenched his fists with all his strength, his nails digging into his palms without realizing it.
"Caw..." Murkrow murmured softly, looking at him with curiosity as if he were a completely different person.
Hearing Murkrow's sound, Cain tried to smile, but it seemed his muscles had forgotten how.
He stroked Murkrow's back again. It wasn't smooth, clearly reflecting the same malnutrition as him.
"Murkrow, I'm glad you're here," Cain said, his voice filled with mixed emotions.
In his past life, Cain had always been inflexible in his ways. Although he later changed, it was too late. But Murkrow, his first Pokémon, had always been by his side from the beginning, not only as his closest guardian but also his best friend.
Even in his final moments, Murkrow never abandoned him.
In contrast, all those other "powerful" companions he had captured, bought, or stolen left him. Only Murkrow remained loyal, and because of that, it was the one thing Cain regretted.
"Caw..." Murkrow murmured. Though it didn't quite understand why, it could feel the affection emanating from the person in front of it.
It was only the first time they met, and although it didn't understand the reason, Murkrow didn't want to attack him.
That's why, when Cain freed it, it neither attacked nor tried to escape; it only observed him curiously.
Cain was astonished. In his past life, he had needed a great effort to capture Murkrow and a long time to fully understand this unique creature.
The time wasted in that process still filled him with regret.
As someone who had only seen some anime and knew little about Pokémon, he wasn't familiar with their species, traits, abilities, or training methods.
In this world, it is said that a Pokémon's potential depends on its talent, but its development depends on the trainer.
Cain didn't know how many wrong paths he took before fully understanding all of Murkrow's traits. Only after that was he able to train it completely, but by then, it was too late, and part of Murkrow's potential had been lost.
In his past life, Cain excelled in trials thanks to Murkrow and its innate talent, despite the many mistakes made during its training.
Moreover, due to the excessive abuse of Murkrow's potential, Cain eventually abandoned it.
"Murkrow, in this life, I'll never abandon you again," Cain said, his hands trembling slightly as he petted Murkrow.
"Caw..." Murkrow responded, as if sensing the complexity in Cain's heart.
Cain smiled faintly. At last, his body seemed to remember how to smile.
However, his heart tensed a little. Judging by the current situation, it seemed he had just been captured and brought to this deserted island, forced to receive his first Pokémon. If he survived the trial, it was all thanks to Murkrow.
It's worth noting that most of the Pokémon assigned in Team Rocket's trials were Zubat, Koffing, or Ekans, while Murkrow was a much rarer creature.
After receiving a Pokémon, the first test was to subdue it. This wasn't an animated world; this was a real world, and Team Rocket's Pokémon were not tame. Their wild instinct often led them to attack as soon as they were freed, even killing and then fleeing.
In the first test, where 300 young people aged 15 to 18 faced off, only 150 or 160 survived.
The cruelty was evident; nearly half of the participants died in the first trial. And elimination meant death.
After the trial, only 50 survived. These 50 were divided among the various teams and divisions of Team Rocket, becoming almost insignificant members.
Only the top ten could choose which division to join, and only the top three became Team Rocket officers.
The first in the trials received a rare starter Pokémon. In this world, starter Pokémon are extremely valuable, and outside of privileged League members, it is nearly impossible to find them in the wild. Team Rocket rewarded the best with high-potential starter Pokémon.
In Cain's past life, the one who came in first chose a Bulbasaur.
Thanks to that Bulbasaur, he rose to become a Team Rocket Senior Officer, reaching almost-Elite level, just one step away from becoming an elite-level trainer.
As one of Team Rocket's protégés, his future was bright; it was said he would become one of the next executives.
Though Cain also performed well in his past life, he was far from that person. Over time, he ended up working under his command, so he knew his career well.
Cain dusted himself off and slowly stood up. His body remained still as he recalled something. If he had returned to this world, then that "something" should also be here.
"System, activate!" Cain thought silently.
"Activating system..."
After ten seconds, just when Cain was about to give up, a mechanical voice sounded in his mind, like an emotionless robot.
"So, it's real..."
(End of Chapter)