Chapter 17: Assessment and Planning
2:14 PM – Rocket Team Base, Training Compound
Jayden woke to someone kicking his bunk.
"Inspection in twenty minutes, Cross. Get your ass moving."
He opened one eye, squinting against the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. The voice belonged to a senior recruit whose name Jayden couldn't remember and didn't care to learn. The guy was already moving down the line, kicking other bunks with the same mechanical efficiency.
Jayden sat up slowly, every muscle in his body screaming protest. Twelve hours of sleep apparently wasn't enough to fully recover from yesterday's nightmare trek. His legs felt like they'd been beaten with hammers, and his shoulders ached from carrying gear through rough terrain.
Nincada stirred in the corner where it had curled up, compound eyes blinking sleepily. The Ground-type looked as exhausted as Jayden felt, which was saying something considering Pokémon generally recovered faster than humans.
"Come on, partner," Jayden muttered, swinging his legs off the bunk. "Time to pretend we're functional human beings. Or functional organisms, in your case."
Nincada chirped something that sounded distinctly unenthusiastic.
Jayden grabbed his jacket, noting the tears from yesterday's brambles with mild irritation. He'd have to patch those later, or trade for a new one if the damage was too extensive. The Rocket Team didn't hand out free replacements, and buying another jacket would eat into his contribution points.
Speaking of which, he still had those energy crystals to sell.
He fished the leather pouch from his pocket, checking that all six crystals were still intact. They glowed faintly even in daylight, pulsing with stored energy. Fifty contribution points, according to Marcus's note. That would buy a lot of necessities, or fund some actual training resources instead of just surviving day to day.
...
The inspection turned out to be routine: a sergeant walking down the barracks checking that recruits hadn't died overnight and counting heads for the daily report. Jayden passed without comment, just another face in the sea of exhausted teenagers trying not to get killed on Murder Island.
Once dismissed, he headed straight for the quartermaster's office. The building was a squat concrete structure near the base's center, perpetually crowded with recruits trading loot for points or points for supplies. Today was no exception. At least twenty people stood in various lines, haggling over equipment or arguing about exchange rates.
Jayden found the shortest line and settled in to wait. Nincada pressed close to his leg, clearly uncomfortable with the crowd. Ground-types preferred open spaces and earth beneath their feet, not concrete floors and packed bodies.
"Almost done," Jayden murmured. "Then we'll find somewhere quiet."
Fifteen minutes of waiting brought him to the counter, where a bored-looking clerk sat examining a clipboard.
"Name and what are you trading?" the clerk asked without looking up.
"Jayden Cross. Six energy crystals, mid-grade."
That got the clerk's attention. He looked up, eyes narrowing slightly. "Let's see them."
Jayden poured the crystals onto the counter. They clinked softly against the surface, their glow immediately attracting glances from nearby recruits. Energy crystals were valuable, and everyone in line was calculating whether Jayden looked like an easy target.
The clerk picked up one crystal, examining it under a magnifying glass. He tested its weight, held it up to the light, then nodded slowly.
"Authentic. Mid-grade quality, like you said." He pulled out a calculator and punched in numbers. "Standard rate is eight points per crystal. That's forty-eight total. Rounded up to fifty because I'm feeling generous."
Jayden had expected some negotiation, maybe an attempt to lowball him, but the clerk's offer matched Marcus's estimate exactly. Either the note had been accurate, or the clerk was actually being fair for once.
"Deal," Jayden said.
The clerk made a notation in his ledger, then pulled out a small device that looked like a modified Pokédex. "ID number?"
"Recruit 847."
The clerk entered the number, pressed a button, and the device beeped confirmation. "Fifty points credited to your account. Next!"
Jayden stepped aside, ignoring the stares from other recruits. Fifty points was enough to attract attention, but not enough to make him a priority target. Anyone desperate enough to rob him for fifty points was probably already dead or would be soon.
He had business to finish anyway. The silver box with the mystery TM was still in his storage space, and he needed to identify what move it contained.
...
3:47 PM – Rocket Team Base, Technical Wing
The TM identification station was located in the technical wing, a climate-controlled building that housed the base's limited computer equipment and analysis tools. Jayden had only been here once before, during orientation, when they'd explained how to use the basic systems.
The identification terminal was free, which was a minor miracle. Usually these things had waiting lists. Jayden sat down at the terminal, pulled out the silver box, and carefully extracted the TM disc.
The disc was palm-sized, lightweight, with a faint white glow emanating from its surface. White typically indicated Normal-type moves, which was both good and bad. Good because Normal-type moves had broad utility and most Pokémon could learn them. Bad because they weren't particularly rare or valuable.
He inserted the disc into the terminal's reader slot. The machine hummed for several seconds, scanning the data encoded in the disc's structure. Then text appeared on the screen:
[TM ANALYSIS COMPLETE]
[MOVE IDENTIFIED: Protect]
[TYPE: Normal]
[CATEGORY: Status]
[POWER: N/A]
[ACCURACY: N/A]
[PP: 10]
[DESCRIPTION: Enables the user to evade all attacks. Its chance of failing rises if used in succession.]
[COMPATIBLE POKÉMON: Universal compatibility]
[MARKET VALUE: 180-220 contribution points]
Jayden stared at the screen, processing the information. Protect. One of the most universally useful defensive moves in existence. Any Pokémon could learn it, and it provided complete invulnerability for a brief moment, allowing the user to evade attacks that would otherwise be unavoidable.
For a Bug/Ground-type like Nincada, Protect would be invaluable. It could compensate for defensive weaknesses, buy time to set up strategies, or allow safe switches in team battles. And once Nincada evolved into Ninjask, the move would become even more powerful combined with that species' incredible speed.
Market value was listed at 180 to 220 points, which meant the Rocket Team would buy it back for around 126 to 154 points at their standard seventy percent rate. That was good money, more than triple what the energy crystals had brought in.
But Jayden wasn't planning to sell it.
He ejected the disc from the terminal and pocketed it carefully. Teaching Nincada this move would be a long-term investment that paid far better dividends than a temporary point boost. Besides, he'd already gotten fifty points from the crystals. That was enough to fund immediate needs.
"Come on," Jayden said to Nincada, who had been watching the terminal screen with what looked like interest. "Let's find somewhere to actually teach you this thing."
...
5:23 PM – Training Grounds, Sector C
The training grounds occupied a large section of the base's southern perimeter, divided into sectors based on terrain type. Sector C specialized in defensive training, with reinforced walls and barriers designed to withstand repeated attacks.
Perfect for learning Protect.
Jayden found an empty training circle, checked that no one else was waiting, and entered with Nincada. The Ground-type scuttled to the center of the circle, antennae twitching with anticipation.
Teaching a TM wasn't like installing software in a computer, despite what some people thought. The disc contained compressed battle data, movement patterns, and energy manipulation techniques encoded in a format Pokémon instinctively understood. But translating that data into practical application required practice, repetition, and patience.
Jayden inserted the TM disc into a specialized training device mounted at the circle's edge. The device projected a holographic display showing the proper stance, energy flow, and timing for executing Protect.
"Watch carefully," Jayden instructed Nincada. "This move is about timing and energy control. You're creating a barrier that deflects incoming attacks. The key is channeling your energy outward at the exact moment of impact."
The hologram demonstrated the technique: a Nincada raising its front legs slightly, energy gathering around its body in a translucent shield just as an attack connected. The shield flashed, the attack dissipated harmlessly, and the Nincada remained unharmed.
Nincada watched intently, compound eyes tracking every movement. Then it tried to replicate the stance, raising its front legs and concentrating.
Nothing happened.
Jayden had expected this. First attempts rarely succeeded. Learning a new move was like learning a new language, you had to build the neural pathways before fluency developed.
"Again," Jayden said. "Focus on gathering energy first. Don't worry about the barrier yet. Just feel the energy moving through your body."
Nincada tried again. This time, a faint shimmer appeared around its carapace, barely visible. It lasted less than a second before dissipating, but it was progress.
They practiced for two hours straight, with Nincada attempting Protect over and over while Jayden provided feedback. The shimmer gradually grew stronger, more stable, lasting longer each time.
By the time darkness fell and the training grounds began closing for the night, Nincada had successfully maintained a partial barrier for almost three seconds. Not enough to block a serious attack yet, but the foundation was there.
"Good work," Jayden said, genuinely impressed. Most Pokémon took days to reach this stage. Nincada's progress was exceptional, a testament to both its natural talent and their growing bond.
Nincada chirped happily, clearly pleased with itself despite obvious exhaustion.
They left the training grounds and headed for the mess hall. Jayden's stomach had been growling for the past hour, reminding him that he'd skipped both breakfast and lunch in favor of sleep and errands.
...
7:45 PM – Mess Hall
The mess hall was packed, as usual during dinner hours. Recruits crowded around tables, eating whatever slop the kitchen was serving today. The food was nutritionally adequate but barely qualified as edible, heavy on calories and protein but light on anything resembling flavor.
Jayden grabbed a tray, accepted his portion of mystery meat and overcooked vegetables, and found a relatively empty corner table. Nincada received its own meal, a bowl of specialized Bug-type nutrient paste that looked and smelled like wet dirt.
The Ground-type didn't seem to mind, digging in enthusiastically.
Jayden ate mechanically while his mind worked through plans. Fifty contribution points in the bank, a valuable TM being learned, and Nincada growing stronger daily. Progress was being made. But the trial would last another two months, and survival required more than just day-to-day scraping by.
He needed a comprehensive training plan. Something that would push Nincada's growth while minimizing risk. The treasure hunt had been profitable but dangerous, too dangerous to repeat regularly. What he needed was a sustainable training ground that offered good experience without excessive mortality risk.
The Weedle and Caterpie territories came to mind. Bug-types were everywhere on the island, and Nincada had type advantage against them. The Kakuna swarm had been terrifying, but that was an exceptional situation, a colony on the verge of mass evolution. Most Bug-type territories would be far more manageable.
Flying-types countered Grass and Bug types, and while Nincada wasn't Flying-type yet, its eventual evolution into Ninjask would be. Training against Bug-types now would build skills that would pay off exponentially after evolution.
More importantly, Bug-types grew fast and bred prolifically. There would always be fresh targets, always new challenges, without the territorial complications of dealing with more intelligent species like Primeape or Machop.
Jayden finished his meal and stood, mind made up. Tomorrow he'd scout the surrounding territories and identify the safest Bug-type colonies for regular training runs. Then he'd establish a rotation, maximizing experience gain while minimizing travel time and risk.
It wasn't glamorous. It wasn't going to earn him any glory. But it would keep him alive long enough to actually complete the trial.
And in the end, survival was the only metric that mattered.
End of Chapter 17
"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."