The fierce wind carried raindrops as big as beans, smashing crazily against the pitch-black reefs and kicking up white foam.
The waves were like angry giant beasts, lunging at the solitary island again and again, letting out deafening roars.
Laic rode his Crobat all the way, following the Pirate Leader, and finally arrived at this uninhabited small island.
He stood in the center of the storm, letting the cold rain wash over his expensive suit and soak his meticulously styled hair.
He looked expressionlessly at the still-warm corpse at his feet.
The Pirate Leader, the guy who had just commanded the pirates to attack the 'wave chaser' and claimed he would remember him.
At this moment, his eyes were wide open, his face frozen in the terror and resentment he felt before death. He lay hideously on a sharp rock, a bloody hole in his chest still seeping dark red blood that mixed with the rain.
High in the sky, a giant Crobat was circling. Its purple wings were as steady as a rock in the gale, and its sharp eyes looked down indifferently at everything, staying alert for any dangers that might appear around them.
Rainwater dripped from the tips of Laic's hair. He irritably tidied his completely messed-up hairstyle with his hand.
"It seems I really need to buy some strong waterproof hair gel."
He muttered in a low voice. There wasn't a hint of discomfort at the bloody scene before him in his tone, only a trace of dissatisfaction that his image had been ruined.
After saying that, he bent down and skillfully searched the Pirate Leader's corpse. Soon, he found the red-and-white Poké Ball belonging to the Gyarados.
Laic casually tossed it high into the air.
"Cro!"
The circling Crobat let out a shrill screech as an invisible Air Cutter sliced through with precision. The Poké Ball exploded into fragments in mid-air with a 'bang'!
Laic turned his gaze to the side.
There, a massive Gyarados lay dying, its body covered in deep wounds that exposed its bones, its breathing becoming faint.
This was the Pirate Leader's true trump card and the source of his wealth.
Unfortunately, before Laic and his Crobat, it was still vulnerable.
Laic walked over slowly, his leather shoes stepping on the slippery rocks without making a sound.
The Gyarados seemed to sense his approach. It struggled to lift its head, its red pupils filled with tyranny and defiance. It opened its large mouth, wanting to let out a roar, but could only squeeze out a few weak hisses.
Laic showed no pity, only calmly taking out an empty Poké Ball.
He appreciated this 'death before surrender' attitude, but that didn't stop him from taking it for his own use.
A flash of red light, and the half-dead Gyarados was sucked inside without any suspense. The Poké Ball shook slightly twice in Laic's hand before becoming completely still.
A decent thug.
Laic clipped the Poké Ball to his waist and then pulled a black communicator from his pocket.
The screen lit up, showing an encrypted message just received. The sender was Jiang Han.
After confirming Jiang Han's safety, Laic's fingers slid quickly across the screen, dialing a number he knew by heart.
A few faint static noises came from the communicator, and soon, a cold female voice without any emotion rang out.
"Speak."
Only one word, but it carried an unquestionable majesty.
"Lady Athena."
Laic's voice instantly became incredibly respectful, and his back subconsciously straightened up,
"Jiang Han, whom you favored from the 15th term training camp, chose to come to the Hoenn region. I was subsequently dispatched by you to the Hoenn region as well. Now, Jiang Han has successfully become my subordinate."
He paused, organized his words, and continued to report:
"We encountered an unexpected situation on the return trip—a group of pirates. However, this kid performed very well. His actions were clean and decisive, and his mindset was calm enough. He is a talent worth molding."
Recalling Jiang Han's performance in battle, Laic gave his evaluation without hesitation: "I believe he can be cultivated as a core member."
The other end of the line was silent for a moment. The sound of the wind and rain transmitted through the receiver, sounding particularly noisy.
"No rush."
Athena's voice came slowly, still in that calm and unruffled tone,
"Just a bunch of insignificant pirates; they can't test his true depth yet. Continue to observe and make a decision based on his subsequent performance."
"Yes!"
Laic immediately responded, not daring to have any objections.
Laic, an Intermediate Cadre of Team Rockets. It might not sound like a top position, but he was a direct subordinate of Athena, one of the four Special Cadres of Team Rockets.
In his daily work, besides completing various tasks assigned by the organization, the most important thing was to act as Athena's eyes, discovering and screening newcomers with great potential for her.
Team Rockets, like the League, spared no effort in secretly cultivating their own young talents.
After all, this fresh blood, full of vitality and ambition, was the foundation for an organization's long-term prosperity.
Within Team Rockets, competition was far more cruel than the outside world imagined. Some newcomers with extreme potential would be favored by certain high-level big shots, thereby obtaining secret resource tilting and support.
And Athena, as one of the four people at the top of the Team Rockets power pyramid, wanted to cultivate not just a capable subordinate, but her future—successor!
Hanging up the communication, Laic opened another encrypted file on the communicator, and a detailed report immediately popped up on the screen.
Laic's fingers slid gently across the screen, his gaze sweeping over the cold records one by one.
"Second year of the 15th term training camp: Colleague A, due to jealousy over Jiang Han's rising rank, provoked him multiple times. Later, during a field collection mission, Colleague A accidentally ate poisonous mushrooms, leading to permanent nervous system damage and elimination. Post-incident investigation found no signs of struggle at the scene; it was judged an accident. Note: Poisonous mushrooms are extremely rare in that area and had clear warning signs."
"Third year of the 15th term training camp: Colleagues B, C, D, and E cornered Jiang Han in the rest area late at night. Ultimately, an unknown gas leak occurred in the rest area, causing a violent explosion. B and C died on the spot, while D and E were seriously injured and became mentally unstable. Jiang Han left the scene one minute before the explosion because he 'noticed an abnormality in advance' and was unharmed. It was ultimately classified as an accidental incident caused by aging facilities."
...The report clearly recorded Jiang Han's various glorious deeds during his four years in the training camp, including but not limited to how he precisely set traps for colleagues who targeted him, how he completed counter-kills while surrounded by several people, and how he could disguise the scene as a seamless accident every time.
At the end of the evaluation report, these records were marked with a summary in red font by the reviewer:
"This individual is meticulous in thought and ruthless in methods. Extremely dangerous. Suggestion... priority observation."
Laic closed the report, a smile of appreciation appearing on his face.
Dangerous?
In Team Rockets, 'dangerous' was never a derogatory term, but rather the highest form of praise.
This was exactly why he had taken a liking to Jiang Han at first sight.
That disregard for rules and coldness toward life that seeped from his bones was very much like his younger self, or even... more pure than he was back then.
"Genius..."
Laic softly uttered the word, his gaze looking toward the distant horizon, in the direction of the Hoenn continent.
The storm had somehow lessened significantly. Through the gaps in the dark clouds, moonlight faintly spilled down, plating the pitch-black sea with a cold silver edge.
"So, genius of the 15th term, just how far can you go on this path?"
"I hope you don't disappoint Lady Athena's expectations."
His voice was scattered by the sea breeze as Crobat quietly descended from the sky and hovered by his side.
Laic flipped onto Crobat's back and took one last look at this lonely island that would soon be submerged by the tide, and at that corpse that no one cared about.
"Let's go, back we go."
The purple figure instantly merged into the sky, flying rapidly in the direction completely opposite to Jiang Han...
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