The mysterious man glanced at the Pokémon egg on the test machine, the light representing the green qualification flashing steadily. His voice was calm, devoid of emotion, as he asked, "How did you obtain this Pokémon egg?"
There was an authoritative tone in his question that brooked no refusal.
"Master, it was found in the nest of a Beedrill. It should be the descendant of the Beedrill leader. I am willing to offer this Pokémon egg as a gift," Aoki replied respectfully, despite his reluctance to part with the egg.
The mysterious man nodded, satisfied with Aoki's willingness to comply.
He waved his hand and said, "No need, I won't take advantage of you. This Beedrill's egg is worth about 18,000 points. Give him 20,000 points from my account." He directed the exchange staff, who stood respectfully beside him.
"Yes," the exchange staff responded quickly, bowing deeply.
Aoki stood silently, his head bowed. In the presence of such a powerful figure, he knew he had no right to speak. If the man decided to take the egg by force, Aoki could only offer it willingly. Resisting would be futile; in the eyes of such a powerful person, Aoki's life was as insignificant as an ant.
A deep sense of powerlessness pierced Aoki's heart, a sharp reminder of his own weakness. The oppressive force pressed against his throat, making it hard to breathe.
This was the sorrow of the weak—only the strong had the right to speak. Aoki had never felt so powerless before. His hidden pride was torn from its shell and exposed to the harsh reality of his situation.
The desire to become stronger had always been there, but now it burned more fiercely than ever.
Rebirth had given Aoki advantages, leading him to believe that his rise to power was inevitable. But now, faced with true strength, he realized his vulnerability.
The mysterious man regarded Aoki for a moment before speaking again, "You are quite capable. Would you be interested in assisting me with something?"
The man had praised Aoki twice, an unusual occurrence. Anyone familiar with his reputation would be astonished; he was not one to give compliments lightly.
Taking a deep breath, Aoki buried his thoughts and replied reverently, "It would be my honor to serve you."
"Come to me after this test is over," the man said, placing a black medal on the counter.
"Yes," Aoki responded, bowing his head. His eyes flicked to the black medal, and his pupils contracted in shock when he recognized it.
The man gave Aoki one last look before entering a hidden door. The Beedrill's egg would be delivered to him by someone else.
The exchange staff, now visibly relieved, wiped sweat from his forehead.
Aoki exhaled, pocketing the black medal. The staff watched him with envy, aware of the medal's significance.
The black medal resembled a cloud, silent and dark. It was the Black Cloud Medal, a symbol of the highest secret force of Team Rocket—Shadow. The Shadow Force reported directly to Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni.
Only Giovanni and the leaders of the Shadow Force could issue such medals. The group was exclusive, its members handpicked by the three leaders, all of whom were Elite Four-level trainers.
Holding a reserve member's medal from Shadow was a rare honor. Completing the mysterious man's task would secure Aoki a place in the Shadow group.
The Shadow Force was a sectarian unit under Giovanni, giving its members an automatic rank above their peers in Team Rocket.
Aoki had heard of the Shadow Force in his previous life but had never seen it firsthand. He hadn't expected to encounter it now.
"Why was I chosen? Is it just because of the Pokémon egg?" Aoki pondered, frowning.
It was strange to be given such a prestigious medal after a single meeting. With his current strength, Aoki doubted he had made a significant impression.
He suppressed his doubts, feigning confusion. "Excuse me, but this medal..."
The exchange staff smiled knowingly. "I can't say. You'll have to ask the master himself."
Aoki nodded and put the medal away. The less attention it drew, the better.
Despite the unexpected events, Aoki hadn't forgotten his original purpose. The Beedrill egg had earned him 20,000 points, far exceeding his expectations.
With so many points, Aoki could redeem valuable items to strengthen his team.
He skipped the cheaper items in the redemption manual, turning to the TMs. He had plans for Murkrow's training.
Murkrow's speed was impressive, especially with Tailwind boosting it. But Aoki wanted to enhance Murkrow's offensive capabilities, particularly its Dark-type moves.
Murkrow's speed and attack made it an assassin-like Pokémon—strike fast, strike hard, and retreat.
However, Murkrow's frailty was a concern. Aoki needed to prioritize survival skills to counter fast, high-attack opponents that could knock out Murkrow in one hit.
Murkrow's hidden ability, Prankster, allowed it to use status moves first—a powerful asset if used wisely.
Aoki remembered something and retrieved a silver-white box from his storage belt. It was a TM he had found earlier, though he didn't know its contents.
He handed it to the exchange staff, whose demeanor had improved markedly. "Please check what TM this is." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel•fire.net
The staff opened the box, revealing the TM. They placed it in the teaching device, and the screen displayed its contents: "TM: Screech. Type: Normal. Effect: Harshly lowers the opponent's Defense."
Aoki felt a surge of excitement. Screech was a rare and valuable move, perfect for Murkrow. Lowering an opponent's defense would complement Murkrow's high-speed, high-attack style, making it a formidable foe in battle.
The exchange staff couldn't help but remark on Aoki's luck. Screech was just shy of the most valuable defensive moves.
Aoki smiled at Murkrow, confident that this exchange would significantly boost its combat prowess.