Jared asked Gastly to talk to the ekans in Kai's room, but Gastly informed him that Kai already tamed it somehow.

The next day a knock is heard from the locked door, before Jared can reach it, the door is unlocked and opened, it's Shane and the machop.

Shane asked if the weedle was tamed, and when Jared said yes, he was handed a pokeball.

The weedle is successfully caught.

Locking the door again, Shane said he would be back soon.

An hour later Shane is back and allows him to leave the room.

Sitting in the only outside room, Jared is soon joined by Kai.

Kai seemed to have regained his old street demeanor in the past days, and he oozed confidence, he nodded to Jared as he took his seat.

Only one other person passed, a brown haired kid around ten, while making idle chatter, Jared learns his name, Rikard.

Soon Shane joined them, "Youw thwee passed the firwst phase and youw are now rocket gwunts, youw will now join the othwers and cowmpete, the winner wwill get pwomoted to agent, and personally twrained, while the rwest of youw will be sewnt out on assignments."

While being led out, Rikard speaks up, "Is Marco okay?"

"Downt know wwhich one Marco is, he's eithewr dead, or he failed and wwas sent owff to be a supplier."

"Marco is my older brother! he was sent to room two!"

Shane stopped, and looked Marco dead in the eye with some amusement, "Woom two? He's dead, twhe Koffing kwilled him."

The group continued walking out. Jared shook his head while listening to Rikard uncontrollably sob despite his attempts to suppress it when Shane scolded him.

Suddenly Gastly's voice boomed in Jared's mind with some worry, "The ghost is in that room, I'm going back in the ball, be careful," Jared nodded slightly without a reply.

The obstructed hallway was now clear, and soon they were back in the large room with the podium. The room was not darkened, so Jared was able to see there were only eight trainees remaining of the twenty five that came in.

Jareds face darkens in thought when he noticed he was the only person over fifteen among the eight, ...I had heard pokemon trusted adults far less than kids... After dealing with the weedle I honestly thought this task would be impossible to complete within three days, and If it wasn't for Gastly convincing Weedle, then, while I might not be killed, I would have failed without a doubt. I see now this impossible task wasn't truly so...

At the podium was a tall desk, and next to it stood Micheal and the houndoom, he was smiling happily while observing the new trainees and smiling wider when he noticed a few of them choking back sobs. There was a bit of pleasant surprise on his face when he saw Jared alive, but he quickly went back to his eccentric smile.

With the trainees all lined up, the grunt overseers left the room. Afterward, Micheal cleared his voice to speak, "Let me be the first to congratulate the eight of you for passing, I can see many of you are moved to tears, and seeing your passion moves me too, it does!"

Micheal shivers with excitement, " It's my first time seeing so many talented grunts! and one of you will become attain the rank of an agent! How glorious it is!"

Micheal Beckons the trainees grandly, "Come! come! up to the podium! I wish to shake each one of your hands!"

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The grunt instructors brought the eight into an orderly line, and Micheal began excitedly shaking the trainee's hands and handing each of them a uniform from the high table, along with a fancy metal ring with the letter G imprinted in the center.

After every new rocket grunt had been given their uniform, Micheal asked them to strip and wear the uniforms right then and there.

Once the embarrassed grunts changed into uniform Micheal clapped happily, "Wearing our Rocket Gang colors you have now truly been reborn! Reborn before my very own eyes into our Rocket Gang family!"

It was time for the little competition, the newly minted grunts were led through the building, and a few minutes later they were standing in the stands of a small brightly lit glass dome arena, but looking inside there was no obstacles or terrain, it was just a smooth floor.

Kai was called up first, and Jared noticed his opponent was a kid who chose the Koffing with the deep copper color.

Wren and Koffing

Vs

Kai and Ekans

After being told where to stand, Micheal shouted enthusiastically, "BEGIN!"

Wren seemed confident but didn't seem to know what Koffing should do, "Koffing, attack the Ekins!"

At the same time, Kai shouted, "Severus! bite the Koffing!"

Jared rubbed his chin, Kai named the ekans? Should I name Gastly something? Heh, maybe I'll call him *Hot Air* from now on.

The Koffing released a stream of black smoke before Severus could close in for a bite, Kai clicked his tongue in disappointment, he was hoping he could end it quick.

Ekans lost track of the target and flicked its tongue for a moment before choosing a direction to move in the thick smog. The gas was black at first, but soon a smaller amount of purple gas began to be released as well.

The room was as large as a football field, and the smoke was somehow thick and heavy, so it didn't travel too far.

Suddenly a deep shriek was heard!

The battle was obscured, but Micheal suddenly declared Kai the winner.

"Severus, come back!"

From the smog, an ekans can be seen dragging a koffing out of the smoke with its mouth. Severus was listening to Kai, but it also wasn't willing to give up its prize.

Kai pointed the pokeball, and after a few attempts, he managed to aim the beam to strike Severus.

The unwilling snake returned, while the unconscious koffing was left behind.

Wren seemed a bit scared and shaken, but managed to return the Koffing to his ball, it was alive.

Next up it was Jared's turn.

Standing in the arena, Jared noticed the smog was gone, sucked into some vents.

Shaking his head, Jared double tapped Weedles pokeball to release him.

Confused, Weedle looked around for an explanation, but when Jared tried to release Gastly from his ball to give an explanation he wouldn't leave.

Jared tried to talk to the weedle but he didn't understand a single thing he said.

Jared & Weedle

VS

Jack & Ekans

"BEGIN"

From the other end, Jared watched the ekans and his young trainer get closer.

Gesticulating behind himself, Weedle discovers the hostile ekans slithering towards him. Jared noticed the ekans potential was a faded grey, but the size difference filled him with worry.

Seeing the size and weight disparity and the incomprehension of the situation from the weedle, he almost decided to forfeit until he noticed the weedle seemed willing to fight. Weedle was shaking his stinger and bobbing his head up and down in agitation as the ekans approached.

His opponent named Jack was one of the children silently sobbing back in the large podium room, and Jared could still see his face was still slightly red from crying.

As the snake got within ten meters, the weedle shot a thick stream of sticky string from his rear stinger accompanied with an angry hiss, while at the same time Jack bitterly shouted, "Ekans bite the weedle!"

The threads were sticky, but there wasn't much to latch onto, the slippery scales made Weedles attack glance off.

With slithering grace the Ekans closed in to deliver a poison sting with his fangs, but Weedle was faster. In an instant, Weedles stinger was lodged between Ekins two front fangs piercing the ekins head cleanly through. The Ekans had impaled himself!

The Ekans reeled back with a shriek and began writhing on the ground as if he were having a seizure, but soon he went still.

Jared was worried the Ekans might be dead, if a human were impaled through the brain they would be finished, but he was relieved when Jack was safely able to return the ekans to its pokeball.

The victorious Weedle slowly crawled back to Jared's side, and when Jared attempted to return him to his pokeball, the Weedle gave an angry hiss, so he let him be.

Leaving the arena with the weedle, two more trainers were called up, but their battles were not nearly as quick and decisive as Jareds Weedle or Kai's Ekans.

Sitting in the small stands outside the glass arena, a young rocket grunt walked up to Jared and handed him a nice looking square spray bottle made of glass, "Heal your pokemon if you need it"

Looking down at the Weedle with the potion in hand, Jared contemplates, I don't think Weedle got hurt, but it all happened so fast... hmm, so I just spray it and it heals?

Jared bent over, while Weedle looked up with confusion, Jared squeezes the potion handle which releases a light spritz right into Weedles eyes. In response to being blinded by the potion liquid, Weedle shrieks, then begins to twist and writhe its body trying to rub its eyes.

With a shriek of his own, Jared falls to the ground to hug his ankle. The Weedle had stuck him accidentally after being spritzed.

As Jared and his pokemon writhe on the ground in pain, a few grunt overseers watch the nonsensical display with uncomprehending confusion, and chat idly among themselves, "Who is this lunatic?"