Chapter 13: Promotion

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Just as Sato Kaede was about to reach the entrance of the new recruits' dormitory, a loud "boom" echoed from a dormitory in front of him, and he could clearly see the flash of the explosion.

"Amen." After witnessing the explosion, Sato Kaede immediately stopped in his tracks, looking up in a daze at the floor that was billowing thick smoke. When he realized that the dormitory where the explosion occurred was right near his own, he couldn't help but offer a silent prayer.

Without needing to think too much, Sato knew exactly what had happened; it was definitely a failed attempt by his neighbor to capture a Pokémon, and the likelihood that it was a Koffing was eighty percent. Luckily, he hadn't been in the dormitory earlier, or he might have been caught in the chaos.

Thick smoke began pouring out of the new recruits' dormitory where the explosion had occurred, and flames quickly spread to the surrounding dormitories, putting Sato's own dormitory in imminent danger.

Before long, many new recruits still inside the dormitory rushed out in a panic, wishing they had more legs to run faster, their faces displaying anxious expressions. Meanwhile, several Team Rocket grunts charged into the fire scene with their Water type Pokémon to help extinguish the flames.

With the assistance of numerous Water type Pokémon, the fire was quickly brought under control and extinguished. The incident was easily suppressed, and soon, the Team Rocket members began to leave the fire scene, taking away several black plastic bags containing unidentified objects.

Watching the black plastic bags pass by, the recruits who had narrowly escaped the disaster looked pale, especially those holding Poké Balls containing Koffing or Geodude. A hint of despair appeared on their faces.

"Good luck on your journey. I hope you can be born into a wealthy family in your next life," Sato thought sadly as he observed the bags being carelessly tossed onto a garbage truck.

Amidst this sadness and sympathy, Sato's desire for power grew stronger. The harsh reality was evident: life is so fragile, and to survive resiliently, one must become strong.

"Listen up, you new recruits. I advise you to avoid trying to capture Pokémon here. You've all seen the consequences of that—it's harmful to both you and others. Go to the public training grounds instead; trying to capture Pokémon there will be much safer, and at least you won't lose your lives," a Team Rocket member in a squad leader uniform said to the group of new recruits, clearly looking annoyed.

Hearing the squad leader's disdainful advice, many recruits suddenly had their eyes opened, showing thoughtful expressions. Sato, among the crowd of new recruits, nodded slightly and made a mental note of the kind warning from the squad leader.

After the fire was perfectly dealt with, Sato followed the group of recruits back into the dormitory and entered his room.

Fortunately, the only damage to his dormitory from the fire was a slightly charred door; it hadn't been affected much at all.

As soon as Sato opened his door, he realized he had hit the jackpot—there were three sets of Team Rocket grunts' uniforms quietly laid out on his bed.

In addition to the three sets of uniforms, on the desk in his room, there was a stylish Team Rocket watch, a black card printed with a red "R," and six Poké Balls.

Sato wasn't surprised that others knew he had captured Zubat, despite not having told anyone. If he wasn't mistaken, everything the new recruits did was under Team Rocket's surveillance.

"The efficiency is truly astonishing! It seems I'm one of the first ten recruits to complete the trials," Sato thought with a radiant smile as he looked at the additional items in his room.

Aside from the PokeBlock situation, the most valuable information he gained from Baron was about the Outstanding Rookie Award and the rookie battle competition.

As the name implies, the Outstanding Rookie Award is given to some excellent new recruits, typically awarded to the first ten who successfully capture their Pokémon each year.

The rewards for the Outstanding Rookie Award are as follows:

First Place: 2000 points and a starter Pokémon egg.

Second Place: 1500 points and one month's worth of Pokémon food (standard amount for one Pokémon).

Third Place: 1200 points and six Great Balls.

Fourth to Fifth Places: 500 points.

Sixth to Tenth Places: 200 points.

It's worth noting that unfortunately, Sato was not the earliest recruit to capture a Pokémon. Among the 302 recruits this year, he was the third to capture a Pokémon on the first day.

However, he was the first to successfully capture a Pokémon among the recruits led by Caesar.

The new recruits for Team Rocket in Pewter City were divided among three instructors. Since Caesar had only recently arrived in Pewter City, he held the least power within Team Rocket and was the last to select recruits.

Being the last to pick, Caesar was naturally at a disadvantage. Those recruits who showed potential on paper had already been picked clean by the other two instructors, leaving only those who were not favored.

To explain, Team Rocket instructors have five opportunities to lead new recruits. If the recruits they lead perform well, they not only gain a chance for promotion but also have the right to select a few of their recruits as personal guards.

Originally, Caesar had low expectations for this batch of recruits, thinking he was just picking the best among the worst. After all, as a new instructor, he had to make do with what was left over by the other two. He would only get a chance to prioritize selections once their terms ended.

Sato was picked last because he joined later, so he was unexpectedly chosen by Caesar. It was a pleasant surprise for Caesar to discover that one of the recruits he led was among the top ten to receive the Outstanding Rookie Award.

Caesar was very pleased about this. Upon receiving the news, he immediately ordered that the Outstanding Rookie Award's reward to be given to Sato Kaede and officially promoted him to Team Rocket Grunt, providing him with the uniform and the latest Team Rocket watch.

Sato didn't immediately pay attention to the uniform on the bed. Instead, he hurried to the desk to grab the new Team Rocket watch, pressing the button to check his points. When he saw that his account had increased by points, a joyful expression spread across his face.

In addition to receiving the grunt uniform, the new Team Rocket watch in his hand was also crucial for him.

In fact, Team Rocket watches come in nine different types, each representing not just status but also authority.

Only by obtaining the corresponding Team Rocket watch could Sato gain the associated privileges, allowing him to redeem more items within the Team Rocket points exchange system and receive additional benefits.

Compared to new recruits and support staff, higher-ranked Team Rocket grunts were officially accepted as part of Team Rocket. The biggest benefit was access to treatment in the Team Rocket medical room and a fixed monthly salary of 300 points.

'This is great! Now I have what I need to make PokeBlocks, but first, I need to move,' Sato thought as he put on his new Team Rocket watch and picked up the black card from the desk.

Flipping the black card over, he saw the red letters inscribed with "Room Number 304." Clearly, this black card was his room key for the new quarters.