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After Maya finished telling Sato everything she knew about psychics, she casually ca up with an excuse and quickly left the café.
Sato, on the other hand, remained in the quiet café a while longer. He read through the books on psychic abilities that Maya had left behind for about half an hour, then placed a 500 PokeDollar bill on the table before also taking his leave.
Afterward, Sato and his Pokemon enjoyed a hearty late-night al. Following a quick wash-up, he collapsed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The night passed uneventfully.
By noon the next day, Sato stepped out of a private bank in the center of Cinnabar Island. As soon as he ca out, he released Crobat and had it take him up into the sky, flying swiftly eastward.
The reason Sato had gone to the bank was simple: he wanted to store his storage backpack—containing a large number of valuable items—there for safekeeping. He just didn't trust Team Rocket's so-called "secure storage" enough to risk it.
That morning, Sato had received an assembly notice through his Team Rocket-issued watch. It ordered him to arrive at the third uninhabited island east of Cinnabar Island before 5 p.m.
In other words, the second phase of the Rookie Competition would officially begin after 5 p.m. According to the rules, Sato had to submit most of his belongings to the organization for safekeeping, leaving only a few essentials.
So, to prevent any potential exposure of his secrets, Sato chose to entrust the bank with his valuables instead.
After all, that oversized space backpack currently stored at the bank contained so extrely rare and expensive items: the two invaluable TMs gifted by Professor Oak, a hoard of treasure looted from the Sea Serpent Gang's Haiduo and others, and even the recently acquired Key Stone.
While Sato wasn't the type to assu the worst of people, it never hurt to be cautious. If so Team Rocket mbers saw those treasures, there was no guarantee they wouldn't be tempted.
Losing any of those would be a heartbreaking blow—those items were crucial assets for Sato's future rise to power.
At the mont, the only things left in his storage equipnt were the mutated Fire Stone for evolving Growlithe, a set of clothing made from special fabric, a pair of high-tech running shoes, and a high-tech sleeping bag. The rest were all cheap daily-use items.
Unfortunately, despite his efforts all morning, Growlithe's level remained stubbornly at 42—a fact that left Sato sowhat disappointed.
But there was no helping it. After level 40, Pokemon needed massive amounts of battle experience to level up. The rapid gains of the 20s and 30s were long gone. Sato had no choice but to let Growlithe complete its evolution on that perilous, mysterious island.
It was just past 4 p.m. when Sato set off. Though it was a bit early, he'd always been cautious by nature. Arriving ahead of ti was a way to prepare for any unforeseen events.
With Crobat's help, Sato reached the designated assembly point half an hour early.
By then, a few others had already gathered on the beach of the uninhabited island. Judging by the Team Rocket watches on their wrists, these casually dressed individuals were all participants in the second phase of the Rookie Competition, just like Sato.
Most of them didn't know each other. Given their status as competitors, they maintained a guarded distance, watching each other warily.
Sato's arrival quickly drew attention. Multiple pairs of hostile eyes locked onto him the mont he stepped onto the beach.
Even with his solid composure, Sato couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine under the weight of that collective hostility.
To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, he promptly raised his right hand and revealed the Team Rocket watch on his wrist.
Only then did the other mbers withdraw their aggressive stares, signaling to their Pokemon to stand down while continuing to stay alert.
The beach was spacious. Sato picked a shady coconut tree at random, pulled a small wooden chair from his space bag, and sat down beneath it.
Then, putting on a show, he pulled out a fashion magazine and pretended to read, though in reality he was secretly observing the others nearby.
Unfortunately, he didn't spot anyone he recognized—no Maya, or anyone else he knew.
In fact, after receiving the notification that morning, Sato had contacted Maya to ask about her situation. It turned out that she had also been summoned, but their eting tis and locations didn't align.
Still, it didn't take much thought for Sato to understand why. According to Maya—who had access to so inside information—there were a total of 1,521 rookies who had made it through the first phase.
With that many people, gathering everyone at once would be far too conspicuous. Sato guessed that Team Rocket leadership had planned to ferry the participants to the mysterious island in batches.
Maya's group had been called two hours earlier than his. By now, she was probably already far out at sea.
As the appointed ti drew near, more and more Team Rocket mbers gathered on the beach. Among the late arrivals, Sato unexpectedly spotted a familiar face.
It was Tanya, who had joined the Pewter Branch of Team Rocket the sa ti as he did. They'd interacted a few tis, so Sato had a deep impression of her.
She arrived riding a well-developed Blastoise. According to Sato's system analysis, this Blastoise was level 39 and had quite a number of moves installed via TM.
If he wasn't mistaken, Tanya had been the first in their batch to ta a Pokemon. The starter egg she received was likely a Squirtle egg—which had now evolved into this purple-grade Blastoise with an impressive individual value of 157.
Team Rocket had always been strict about discipline. If they said to gather at 5 p.m., it would definitely happen precisely at 5 p.m.
Sure enough, when the watches of everyone on the beach hit 5:00, a man in an elite Team Rocket uniform descended from the sky on a majestic Pidgeot.
This elite mber was clearly a powerful Trainer. His Pidgeot, level 52, radiated a powerful presence that quickly silenced the chatter on the beach.
"I won't waste ti with introductions," the man said, wearing windproof goggles and exuding a cold deanor. "From here on out, just keep up with , rookies."
With that, he directed his Pidgeot eastward and soared into the sky.
In the blink of an eye, he was already far ahead, leaving behind a beach full of stunned and silent Team Rocket recruits.
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