New Military Ranks

The Explorer Association worked alongside the Kanto League, functioning as a separate division of the military that followed military ranks.

The ranks within the military and the Explorer Association were as follows:

1. Cadets

2. Captains

3. Lieutenant

4. Zone Commander

5. Commander

6. Brigadier General

7. General

8. Major General

9. Field Marshal

10. Vice Admiral

11. Admiral

12. Fleet Admiral

Andrew was a general from the Explorer Association, while Axel held the rank of Zone Commander in the military.

Axel entered a small hall where approximately 15 people were present. All of them appeared bulked up, even the women, and they were taller and older than Axel.

"Guys, meet our newest member, Axel Blaze," Andrew introduced him to everyone.

"You seem lost, Axel," remarked a woman.

"This is Amanda, a Zone Commander," Andrew explained.

"Meet Rome and Paris, the Brigadier Generals who will lead the teams," Andrew continued.

"Teams?" Axel asked.

"Yes, you haven't been briefed yet. There will be two teams for this mission. They will start their expeditions at the same time from different directions. Even though the island is small, it is not possible for a single team to complete the mission in a month," Andrew explained.

Axel shook hands with the others.

"Now, you will be under Rome, and he will brief you on the details. I will be the team leader, and if you have any problems, you can come to me. We leave tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. sharp. Dismissed," Andrew concluded, and everyone went their separate ways.

Rome asked Axel to follow him, and together with three other people, they entered a small room. The room had poor lighting, but it was sufficient for the five of them to sit comfortably.

"First of all, let me introduce everyone. We have Amanda, who is a Zone Commander, Adam and Amit, who are Commander ranks, and I am Rome, a Brigadier General. We have known each other for years and formed a team. We had Ankit with us, but he had an accident, and that's where you come in," Rome explained with a somber tone.

"What happened to Ankit?" Axel inquired.

"Being an Explorer is not a safe job. He was heavily injured and couldn't make it here. Anyways, I know you have no knowledge of our operations, so let me start with the ranks of the Explorer Association," Rome continued.

"The ranks are similar to the military, with 12 ranks from Cadets to Fleet Admiral. The requirements are as follows:

1. Cadets and Captains: Must have Rare Rank Pokémon. They undergo training and are not sent on expeditions.

2. Lieutenants: Must have at least one Elemental Rank Pokémon.

3. Zone Commander: Must have one Pseudo-King Rank Pokémon.

4. Commander: Must have at least three Pseudo-King Rank Pokémon.

5. Brigadier General: Must have at least one King Rank Pokémon.

6. General: Must have at least three King Rank Pokémon.

7. Major General: Must have at least six King Rank Pokémon.

8. Field Marshal: Must have a Pseudo-Champion Rank Pokémon.

9. Vice Admiral: Must have at least three Pseudo-Champion Rank Pokémon.

10. Admiral: Must have at least six Pseudo-Champion Rank Pokémon.

11. Field Marshal: Must have at least one Champion Rank Pokémon.

There are also other requirements, such as experience, loyalty, and personal strength. If you possess additional abilities like aura or psychic powers, that can also be taken into consideration. However, I assume you are not applying to be part of the Explorer team, so we can disregard those factors," Rome explained.

"Thanks for the information. That's a lot to take in," Axel responded.

"Yes, now let's move on to our mission. There will be two teams, each consisting of five members. One team will explore from the south side, and the other from the north side. Our team will have the first pick of the discoveries, but the rest must be shared with the league. You can also exchange resources with your team members or the league. Now, I need to assess how strong you truly are. What is your strongest Pokémon, and what rank does it hold?" Rome asked.

Assessing the strength of team members was a basic requirement. They were aware of Axel's reputation and his relationship with Professor Oak, but they didn't hold much hope for his strength. That's why Amanda made the snide comment earlier, missing Ankit, who was a perfect teammate. Now they had to carry the burden.

"My strongest Pokémon is Shedinja, and it holds the Pseudo-King Rank," Axel truthfully replied.

"Shedinja, really?" Amanda questioned. Shedinja was generally regarded as the weakest Pokémon in the world.

"A Pseudo-King Rank?" Adam exclaimed. A 14-year-old possessing a Pseudo-King Rank was unheard of.

Rome took some time to process the information as well. He had reservations about Axel, but he had to follow orders and didn't treat Axel poorly.

"That's good to know. How many Pseudo-King Rank Pokémon do you have?" Rome asked.

"Uh... I have seven of them," Axel replied.

"Seven? Damn, you're stronger than me," Adam remarked.

The room fell silent. They never expected Axel to possess such power. If Rome didn't have a King Rank Pokémon, Axel would likely be the strongest among them.

"Hmm... Axel, I need the details of your Pokémon, including their names and ranks. Don't worry; it's a standard procedure. You will also learn about the ranks and names of our Pokémon," Rome requested.

"I have no problem with that," Axel said, and he began writing down the details.

"Thanks for your cooperation. I want to be fully prepared and develop the perfect strategy for this mission," Rome expressed.

Axel also received the Pokémon details of his team members.