Chapter 4: The Death Tournament

"Hehehe~ Very good. I accept your submission, Ekans. Don't worry, I will train you well. I know you're resentful, but it's okay. If you ever feel I'm unworthy of being your trainer, feel free to attack me. I'll be ready anytime. But remember, you only get one chance. Fail, and you know the consequences," Noah said, his face contorted with a sinister smile.

Seeing Ekans finally offering its vulnerable spot to him, Noah smiled in satisfaction. It had taken him a full two years to tame this snake, which was adept at killing.

Noah removed his foot from Ekans's head, squatted down, grabbed Ekans's head, and placed the Toxic Orb into its mouth.

Ekans swallowed the Toxic Orb, its eyes widened, and its body emitted a bright purple glow. Its lower body quickly grew back to the same size as the upper body. This wasn't the end; Ekans's body continued to grow. After about two minutes, Ekans couldn't withstand the Toxic Orb's energy and spat it out.

"Ekans~" Ekans let out a loud cry, drenched in cold sweat.

With a crackling sound, Ekans began to shed its skin. It emerged as a 3-meter-long purple snake, half a meter longer than before, and respectfully coiled itself before Noah.

"Not bad, enduring for two minutes right from the start. Don't worry, as long as you obey and grow stronger, I'll give you more opportunities to absorb the Toxic Orb's energy," Noah said, pleased with Ekans's display of obedience. After taking the Toxic Orb back from Ekans, he extended his right hand.

"Ekans~" Ekans obediently coiled around Noah's right hand, then wrapped its body around him, its head resting on his left shoulder.

Once Ekans settled, Noah carefully stored the Toxic Orb and then turned on his old computer. Using his account and password, he logged into Team Rocket's internal network.

In Team Rocket, hard currency was points. With points, you could exchange for anything in the Team Rocket treasury, even pseudo-legendary Pokémon. Team Rocket had deeply rooted itself in various industries across the Kanto region. Though their resources might not match the Pokémon League, they were on par with any major family, and in some areas, they far surpassed them.

Currently, Noah had 1500 points, down from 1800 after spending 300 on medical treatment. A full-body treatment wasn't cheap, costing almost as much as a low-level mission's reward.

There were three main ways to earn points in Team Rocket: monthly salary, missions, and private transactions. The second method, missions, was the primary way to earn points. Missions were categorized into five levels: low, intermediate, high, special, and compulsory, with increasing difficulty and rewards.

To date, Noah had completed 51 low-level missions, 6 intermediate-level missions, and 2 compulsory missions. He had obtained the Toxic Orb during his last compulsory mission. Each compulsory mission was a near-death experience, weeding out those who couldn't keep up.

Indeed, Team Rocket didn't keep slackers. Compulsory missions ensured a constant influx of fresh blood, leaving only the strong behind. Weaklings were eliminated.

Noah had completed two compulsory missions. According to Team Rocket's rules, completing a third would automatically promote him to elite status. However, he couldn't wait that long. Compulsory missions occurred every four years, and it had only been one year since the last one. Waiting for the next one would take another three years.

This year, Noah was 19. Three years later, he would be 22. There was an unwritten rule in Team Rocket: if you hadn't become an elite by 20, you never would. Members joined as young as 10, making the rule of promotion after three compulsory missions an unattainable goal, meant to control those without connections.

Noah's investigations revealed no one in his base had ever completed three compulsory missions and survived to become an elite. Those who tried were conveniently "sacrificed" in the third mission. The rules were designed by those in power to prevent independent minds from gaining strength and claiming a share of the rewards.

However, the current Team Rocket leader, Giovanni, was an ambitious man. To address the factionalism within Team Rocket, he introduced an annual event called the Death Tournament. Initially a means for Giovanni to recruit talent, it evolved into a way for factions to resolve conflicts and divide interests.

Faction leaders sent promising recruits to the tournament. The participants' rankings determined how benefits were distributed. Despite its corrupted purpose, the tournament retained its original function. The top fifty contestants were automatically promoted to elite status, earning significant points and invitations from major factions, gaining both fame and fortune.

This year's Death Tournament was a month away. Noah had signed up two days ago and needed to prepare. With over 1300 participants, getting into the top fifty wouldn't be easy.

Noah carefully searched the points exchange and trading platforms for what he needed. Gritting his teeth, he spent 1000 points on an abridged version of the Pokémon Encyclopedia.

The tournament took place on an uninhabited island, where the initial threat was wild Pokémon. This encyclopedia, though abridged, provided basic descriptions of Pokémon behaviors, allowing Noah to avoid most territories and reduce encounters with wild Pokémon. Despite the inflated price, Noah knew it was necessary.

Besides the encyclopedia, he spent his remaining 500 points on essential survival items: compressed nutrition bars, Pokémon food, insect repellent, antidotes, a tent, and an oversized backpack. Though the items were cheap, their quantity drove up the cost. He could only afford half of what he needed, leaving the rest for later.

"Dammit, such extortion. Prices have risen by over 50%. A tent that used to cost 4 points now costs 10," Noah fumed, punching the table.

Two minutes later, he regained his composure, returning Ekans to its Poké Ball before leaving his room.

With insufficient points, Noah had to take on a mission. Estimating the cost of remaining supplies, he needed over 1000 points, requiring at least an intermediate mission, assuming no injuries.

Noah headed to the mission hall, going straight to the intermediate mission section. Scanning the list, he focused on a blue mission slip at the bottom: capturing the leader of the sewer Grimer, Muk, with a reward of 2000 points.

"Such a high reward for an intermediate mission? Hmph, whatever the catch, this mission suits me perfectly," Noah thought. He took the mission slip and submitted it to the mission hall staff, who informed him that the mission leader would gather participants tomorrow.

To be continued...