Chapter 5:

The square was awash with commotion, but it didn't take long for the noise to subside. From the far end of the square, a figure emerged. He was a towering, imposing man, nearly two meters in height, with a cruel cast to his features. He wore a military cap and a bright red 'R' emblazoned on the left breast of his shirt. At his heels marched a pack of ten Team Rocket grunts, each accompanied by a fearsome Mightyena. But it was the man's companion that caught everyone's eye - a black dog, with two curling horns of white bone rising from its head and a tail like a demon's.

Cain's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of this man, and a flicker of light flashed across his eyes as he cast a glance at the Houndoom.

Pokemon: Houndoom (Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 28

Type: Dark + Fire

Ability: Flash Fire

Held items: None

Egg moves: Fire Fang, Fire Spin

Basic moves: Inferno, Nasty Plot, Thunder Fang, Leer, Ember, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Beat Up

Taught moves: Foul Play

Technical Machines (TMs): Hidden Power (Rock), Shadow Ball, Flamethrower

Cain knew that this Houndoom was not a part of this man's first-tier pokemon team. It was likely not even part of his second-tier team. A single, casual summons of a second-tier pokemon would likely be enough to decimate everyone present, Team Rocket grunts included.

"156 survivors in this batch," Viper spoke in a casual, almost indifferent tone, as if discussing the weather. "Not bad, not bad at all."

His eyes scanned the crowd, taking in the fear etched on the faces of the trialists. "My name is Viper," he announced, "and I am in charge of this purgatory you call an island. From this day forth, your lives belong to me." And with that, he gave a twisted grin, as if relishing in the power he held over them.

"The trial will last three months," he continued, "and you must report here once a week, or else face the consequences of failure. But I trust you are all aware of what those consequences may be."

He gestured to a boulder in the center of the square. "This is the trial stone, where you will test the strength of your Pokemon's attacks. The top ten in each ranking will earn 100 points, with the number increasing each week. And as for what you may do with these points, well, you'll have to figure that out for yourselves."

In Team Rocket, there exists a valuable currency known as "Team Rocket Points." These points could be acquired only by members of the organization and could be exchanged for almost anything your heart desired. Moreover, they were not limited to use within the confines of this island but could be spent at any Team Rocket base. It was this point system that had propelled Team Rocket to the heights of power it now held. For in this world, there exist certain resources controlled by large families, that cannot be bought with money.

The assembled crowd looked on, eyes alight with greed and determination. Viper stood tall before them, his voice ringing out with the weight of authority.

"The maximum number of people who can pass this trial is fifty," he declared. "The top ten trialists will each be awarded ten-thousand points, the top three will receive a Team Rocket forged 'Association Identity' Card, and the first-place winner will have the honor of choosing any one of the three starter Pokemon from Team Rocket's warehouse."

The crowd hung on his every word, for there were rules in this trial, but they were the rules of the strong, the rules of the ruthless, the rules of Team Rocket. "The only rule is that there are no rules!" Viper shouted, and with a sweep of his hand, signaled the start of the trial.

Under the watchful eyes of ten Team Rocket grunts, the trialists lined up, eager to prove themselves. "Ekans, 'Bite'!" a teenager's voice rang out, as a purple serpent lunged towards the boulder in the center of the square. Its fangs aglow with a hungry light, it bit down hard on the stone. There was a loud 'Peng!' but not a single mark was left behind.

"Attack value: 56!" Immediately afterwards, a line of words appeared above the trial stone.

"Number 34, attack value 56! Next!" the Team Rocket grunt in charge of recording shouted, as he recorded the result in his book. The teenager, numbered 34, scowled, clearly dissatisfied with his score, and walked off to the side.

Next, a timid teenager stepped forward, his face still bearing the innocence of youth, a Zubat perched atop his head. "Zubat, 'Tackle'!" he commanded, with a hint of childlike wonder in his voice. The Zubat slowly flapped its wings and struck the boulder with its back. "Attack value: 19!" The words appeared above the stone, and a low murmur ran through the crowd.

The first teenager to have completed the test looked on with a sneer, his disdain mirrored in the eyes of those waiting their turn. The grunt who recorded the results remained impassive, these raw young boys and girls with their newly caught Pokemon held little interest for him. "Number 13, attack value 19, temporarily second! Next!" he shouted, and the trial continued.

"Number 24, attack value 25, second for now! Next..."

"Number 98, attack value 45..."

"Number 77, attack value..."

The trialists at the top regarded those ranked lower than themselves with disdain, while at the same time gritting their teeth at trialists who happened to have a score higher than theirs. This was what the trial was all about, for only through competition, through struggle, could the strongest among them emerge.

And then, a shocked cry echoed through the square. "Attack value: 98!" The crowd turned to see a slender teenager, his skin pale and his clothes immaculate, standing with an Ekans by his side. Cain recognized this trialist as Xander, the one who in his previous life had won first place and obtained a very talented Bulbasaur, leading to his rapid ascent through the ranks of Team Rocket.

The tension in the air was thick as the numbers were called, but none could match Xander's score.

By the time it was Cain's turn, the majority of the trialists had completed their test.

Cain stepped forward, his eyes locked on the stone before him. He took a deep breath, and with a shout, "Tailwind, Peck!" his Murkrow, surrounded by a pale white airflow, took to the skies, circling above the square, before diving with all the speed it could muster and hitting the stone with a thunderous bang. And with a graceful turn, it landed back on Cain's shoulder, as if it had never left.

Cain smiled softly as he looked at the number above the stone, and then proceeded to walk away.

"Number 234, attack value 97, temporarily in second place!" the recording grunt shouted, and even he couldn't help but take a second look at Cain.

With the current attacking power of Murkrow, it was not possible to score such a high attack value, but Cain had utilized both Tailwind and gravity to their full potential, turning a seemingly ordinary move into something extraordinary. And as the trialists around him looked on, deep in thought, they understood the little trick Cain had used. Small tricks, yes, but they served a big purpose, didn't they? For in the world of Team Rocket, there were no rules, only the rule of the strong.