Chapter 46: Assembly

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Over these five days, aside from Zubat making significant improvements, there was another important event: the Nidoran egg finally hatched with the help of the super incubator. On the third night, a very healthy young Nidoran joined Sato's team.

The newly hatched Nidoran was about the size of Sato's palms, very small and adorable. Because Sato was always by its side and was the first person Nidoran saw after hatching, it immediately regarded Sato as its closest companion. Nidoran stuck to him constantly, crying whenever Sato took even half a step away.

During these two days, aside from training Zubat, Sato spent most of his time caring for the newborn Nidoran. Interestingly, Nidoran displayed all the behaviors of a normal human baby, and due to its much faster metabolism, it ate, drank, and needed attention far more frequently.

Now, Sato had to keep part of his attention on Nidoran at all times, or else it would make a mess of the entire dorm room, along with loud, piercing cries.

For this reason, Sato had been playing the role of a full-time babysitter for the past two days. To cover the cost of Nidoran's milk and future expenses, Sato had no choice but to make and sell PokeBlocks again. This time, he made 2,000 PokeBlocks and sold 1,200 of them, earning 5,400 points.

The materials included 300 Oran Berries, which cost 120 points after a 20% discount, and 50 Nanab Berries and 50 Razz Berries, costing a total of 160 points, with a discount of another 20%. He used the Berry Mixer 100 times, which cost 1,000 points. So, the total cost of making the PokeBlocks was 1280 points.

According to Dr. Fiyali, a professional Pokémon doctor, Nidoran's infant stage lasts one week. Thus, Sato spent 210 points to buy enough high-quality Miltank Milk for Nidoran for a week (each bottle costing 10 points, with three meals a day). He also spent 300 points on three boxes of high-grade food that Poison-type Pokémon like (each box containing 10 cans).

In addition, to provide Nidoran with proper physical training during its infant stage, Sato spent 100 points on a small running wheel, allowing Nidoran to exercise and burn off some energy.

Moreover, Sato spent 4,000 points on four TM discs from Team Rocket's points exchange system: Hone Claws (500 points), Water Pulse (1,000 points), Steel Wing (1,000 points), and Poison Jab (1,500 points). He used a Learning Machine to teach Nidoran the Hone Claws, Water Pulse, and Poison Jab moves, while Zubat learned Steel Wing.

Finally, in preparation for potential jungle training, Sato spent 500 points on jungle gear, which included items like tents and dried rations for outdoor use.

In addition to these expenses, there were also daily food costs and training ground rental fees. Sato's daily meals remained the same, with three meals costing 5 points each. Due to Zubat's abnormal growth, it now consumed at least 40 liters of fresh blood per day, costing 10 points. The training ground was rented for 6 hours a day at 30 points. Altogether, these expenses amounted to 275 points per day.

After accounting for income and expenses, Sato had 660 points remaining.

Thus, the one-week rookie trial period came to an end. Now, on the morning of the eighth day, Sato received orders to assemble once again at the same Team Rocket underground base square in Pewter City where he had first arrived.

This time, the square appeared much more empty than the first time. Out of the 99 other rookies who were also under Caesar's leadership, only 23 had successfully tamed their Pokémon. Therefore, only 24 people, including Sato, were eligible to stand in the square.

At that moment, Sato was sitting against a wall, feeding Zubat while enjoying his hearty breakfast, occasionally glancing at the others scattered across the square.

The assembly announcement had come very suddenly at 5:50 AM, with the order to gather in the square within 10 minutes. As a result, most people hadn't had time to eat breakfast. It was now 7:12 AM, an hour and twelve minutes past the scheduled gathering time.

Perhaps the free time given during the past week had caused many successful rookies to develop the habit of sleeping in. Many were still rubbing their tired eyes and yawning, and a few had even fallen asleep leaning against the wall.

Moreover, maybe because it was so early and they had been waiting for too long, the entire square was now filled with the sounds of growling stomachs, creating a symphony with hunger as its theme.

Sato, however, was different. Due to taking care of Nidoran, his daily routine had been in disarray these past two days. When he received the assembly notification, he was in the middle of feeding a hungry, crying Nidoran. This gave him enough time to head to the cafeteria and buy his breakfast—a large, portable double cheese beef burger.

'Tastes really good,' Sato thought to himself, poker faced on the outside but feeling pleased on the inside. He glanced around at the different reactions of the others and listened to the occasional sound of stomachs growling, all while taking his last bite of the burger along with the last gulp of Milk.

After a week of nutritious meals, Sato had finally gained some weight, and his complexion had become much healthier. No longer did he look as pale and sickly as he had when he first joined Team Rocket. Now, Sato appeared as a handsome young man with delicate features, though the large dark circles under his eyes took away from his looks.

In the square, few people had breakfast like Sato, and none of them had anything as hearty as his meal. This made Sato stand out even more in the crowd.

Of course, what really drew attention was the delicious smell of the burger and the Milk he had. As Sato slowly devoured his meal, the sound of people gulping could be heard around him.

Unfortunately for them, Sato acted as though he didn't notice the hungry stares directed at him, completely ignoring the intense desire in their eyes. Meanwhile, those people were doing their best to restrain both their hunger and the urge to punch Sato.

However, it wasn't just the smell of food that made people keep their distance. There was also another scent in the air, one that hinted at danger. This scent came from something in a large basin near Sato.

At that moment, a well-developed and large bat was perched beside the basin, drinking the fresh blood inside with great relish.

Whenever someone got within 10 meters of Sato, the bat would immediately turn its head to scowl at the intruder. Its bloodstained mouth, in those moments, looked especially menacing, making anyone approaching think twice before continuing.

While most of the newly promoted grunts were struggling with hunger in the square, Caesar, the one responsible for this assembly, was relaxing in his spacious, luxurious room. He was enjoying a lavish breakfast spread on the table in front of him, alongside his trusted aides—Sophia, Alice, and Ryo Sakata. They were leisurely watching the images displayed on a large screen before them.

The screen showed scenes from the square where Sato and the others were gathered. It was divided into several smaller images, constantly switching between different angles and individuals. Among these, Sato appeared the most frequently.

"It's time. Proceed according to the plan," Caesar said after checking the time on his Team Rocket watch. He spoke to Ryo Sakata, who was standing at attention behind him.

The next second, following the command, Sakata immediately pressed a red button on the remote hidden in his hand.

Simultaneously, a colorless, odorless gas began to quietly seep into the square through the vents.