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With a hint of nervousness, Sato Kaede approached the dilapidated shop and gazed at the elderly man lying on a reclining chair behind the counter.
The shop was located on the outskirts of southern Pewter City, in the least prosperous area of the southern region. Nearby, there were only a few scattered shops still open.
However, apart from the shop in front of Sato, the rest had large posters on their doors that read "Prime Space for Rent."
Sato's apartment was rented nearby. After living in the area for nearly a year, he had noticed the shop's situation due to his keen observation skills.
In fact, since the day Sato arrived almost a year ago, this area had looked the same. Given that this was the least economically developed part of the city, it wasn't surprising that no one had taken over the closed-down shops.
But Sato had noticed that on certain days, a group of people would come to the area and specifically visit this rundown shop. Judging by their clothing, it was clear that most of them, like him, were impoverished.
Eventually, through deliberate contact, Sato uncovered the truth about the shop: it was a contact point for Team Rocket, the dark organization in Kanto. The people visiting were there to take part in Team Rocket's recruitment tests. And today was one of those specific days.
"Have you thought it through? Once you're in, it's hard to get out." Noticing Sato's presence, the elderly man slightly opened his cloudy eyes and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Please give me the address, sir. I've lost everything and have nothing left to fear," Sato calmly replied.
Sato fully understood his situation. Due to his status as an undocumented individual, he couldn't even legally become a Pokémon Trainer. The League would never accept someone without papers as a Trainer. Worse, they might arrest and imprison him on sight.
So, if he wanted to become a Trainer and obtain the resources needed to further his journey, he had to align with a powerful underground organization. And currently, Team Rocket in Kanto was clearly the best choice.
Based on his memories from the manga, games, and anime, Team Rocket was undoubtedly the most powerful dark organization across regions, especially in Kanto, where its strength and vast resources far surpassed those of other regions' criminal organizations.
For someone as impoverished as Sato, joining Team Rocket was undoubtedly a smart choice if he wanted to become a strong Trainer.
In his memory, Giovanni was an exceptionally capable leader, with charisma and a broad-minded tolerance for people, traits that far surpassed those of other criminal leaders. He was also dedicated to nurturing talent.
Upon hearing Sato's words, the elderly man opened his half-closed eyes and retrieved a device resembling a tablet from a hidden corner. After a few taps and a scan of Sato, a file appeared on the screen, and in the top left corner was Sato Kaede's portrait.
"Hahaha~~, it seems you truly have nowhere else to go. Take this. Time's running out; you'd better hurry. See the mark on that tree over there? Follow the marks, and you'll reach your destination." After glancing briefly at the file, the old man laughed and tossed a small object to Sato. Then, he closed his eyes again.
Sato caught the item and saw that it was just an ordinary-looking black stone, but it was crystal clear. After thinking for a moment, he held the stone up to the nearby streetlight.
Under the light, a blood-red "R" appeared inside the black stone. It was obvious this stone was a token of some sort. Without it, even if he found the destination, nothing would happen.
Sato then followed the direction indicated by the old man and found the tree he had pointed to. After closely examining the tree, he finally found a small, inconspicuous arrow mark on it.
He continued following the direction indicated by the arrows until he reached a large rock. As expected, the rock also had a faint arrow mark.
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Following the chain of clues, Sato eventually arrived at a secluded cabin in the woods outside the city.
By now, the sun was setting in the west, and the moon was slowly rising. A burly man wearing dark clothing was in the process of closing the cabin door.
As soon as Sato appeared, the man's movements stopped, and he turned to face him. At the same moment, the sound of crows cawing echoed through the woods. A group of Murkrow had appeared in the trees surrounding the cabin, glaring at Sato with the same malice as the burly man.
Fortunately, having lived through two lifetimes, Sato had developed strong nerves. Despite the intimidating stares from both the man and the Murkrow, he remained calm, though with a hint of tension on his face. He quickly raised the black stone high.
Although it was dimly lit, the burly man's eyesight seemed exceptionally sharp. As soon as Sato raised the stone, the man noticed it. He waved his large hand slightly, and the Murkrow quickly vanished from sight.
"Go ahead, you're quite lucky kid. If you had been just ten seconds later, even with the token, you'd be dead," the burly man said coldly, opening the door again.
The door was open, but the inside was pitch black, like a black hole swallowing everything. After handing the token to the man, Sato walked into the dark cabin without hesitation. The moment he stepped inside, the door was shut behind him.
In the next second, Sato Kaede realized that the wooden floor beneath him had mysteriously disappeared, and he was plunging into a deep darkness.
During his fall, a terrifying sound soon caused Sato to lose consciousness.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a bright, open square. Surrounding him were several people, some standing and others sitting.
These people briefly glanced at him as he woke up, then quickly lost interest and refocused their attention on the platform in the middle of the square.
"So this is where Team Rocket recruits newcomers? They sure leave no trace. Now, I don't even know how to get back. I'll just have to accept whatever they throw at me from now on," Sato thought, his expression darkening as he recalled the events that transpired after entering the forest cabin.
Time passed quietly, and during this period, Sato counted the number of people in the square—exactly 50. However, the square was so large that the individuals appeared sparsely spread out.
Sato tried to initiate contact with others, but he found that everyone was highly guarded, ignoring his attempts to approach. After several fruitless efforts, he gave up and leaned against a wall, observing and waiting in silence.
About an hour later, Team Rocket members finally arrived. Suddenly, doors appeared along the previously sealed walls of the square, save for a single ventilation duct.
A group of Team Rocket members, dressed in their uniforms, swiftly entered through the doors. They rudely pushed those on the edges of the square inward, then positioned themselves methodically around the perimeter, forming a tight encirclement around the newcomers.
At the same time, they released their Pokémon from their PokéBalls, adding them to the encircling formation.
Once the perimeter was established, a man wearing an elite Team Rocket uniform appeared on the platform, sitting leisurely in a chair.
This was a well-built middle-aged man, with several menacing scars across his face. His sharp, hawk-like eyes radiated a cold, oppressive aura, and his powerful presence made it clear that he was someone not to be trifled with.
As his gaze swept over the crowd, both the Team Rocket grunts and the newcomers, including Sato, couldn't help but shiver. The atmosphere in the square immediately became tense and silent, with no one daring to make a sound.
"Good, I welcome you all," the man said loudly, his voice full of authority. "My name is Caesar, and I am your instructor. Now, listen carefully. I won't repeat myself. Bring them out."
After he finished speaking, Caesar clapped his hands, and several Team Rocket members hurriedly wheeled out large racks, placing them in the open space in front of the platform. The racks were neatly filled with red-and-white PokéBalls.
"I won't waste time with small talk. You see these? These are the initial benefits we give to newcomers. Go ahead, choose one. But remember, you are not allowed to release the Pokémon inside, and once you make your choice, you cannot change it." Caesar said, continuing to watch the group with a cold expression.
Under Caesar's gaze, and that of the surrounding Team Rocket members, the newcomers hesitated briefly, though their faces were filled with excitement.
When the first few at the front stepped forward and successfully retrieved their PokéBalls without incident, the rest of the group quickly descended into chaos, rushing forward to claim their own, hoping to get the best starter Pokémon.
Standing at the back of the group, Sato was tempted, but seeing the crowd at the front growing dense and even causing some trampling incidents, he wisely chose to stay put and patiently wait for the others to finish selecting.
When the racks filled with PokéBalls had first been brought out, Sato had noticed that each rack held at least 100 PokéBalls, and there were a total of 10 racks placed in front of the platform. Since each person could only select one PokéBall and could not release the Pokémon inside, there was no reason to rush.
After a few minutes, most of the newcomers had chosen their Pokémon, and only then did Sato, along with a few other patient individuals, slowly step forward to make their selections.
Upon approaching, Sato couldn't help but smile bitterly. In fact, Team Rocket was only offering six types of Pokémon for the newcomers, and four of them were extremely common in the areas around Pewter City.
The six Pokémon available were Rattata, Spearow, Geodude, Zubat, Koffing, and Ekans.
In terms of battle strength, Ekans was undoubtedly the strongest of the six, followed by Koffing and Spearow.
Judging by the number of missing PokéBalls, most people had chosen Ekans or Koffing, followed by Spearow and Geodude. Very few people opted for Rattata or Zubat.