To put it bluntly, this Electivire alone could suppress all of their Pokémon.
Type advantage aside, its strength was overwhelming.
Most of their Pokémon hovered around levels 41 to 43. Electivire, however, was nearing level 60.
The gap was simply too large.
Golden light exploded across the beach.
Electric arcs crackled violently as Electivire stood at the center, its entire body wrapped in surging lightning. In the next moment, several chains of electricity shot out, binding every Pokémon present.
The air itself seemed to tremble.
Lightning surged like wild serpents, constantly leaping and flashing.
One by one, the Pokémon were forced into position, lined up across the shore, each restrained by a glowing electric chain.
Then The current surged.
Violent electricity coursed through the chains and into their bodies.
Nidoking.
Nidoqueen.
Gyarados.
Golduck.
Venusaur.
Pidgeot.
And Silas's Crawdaunt and Sharpedo.
Painful cries echoed across the coastline.
Among them, Nidoking and Nidoqueen fared slightly better. Their Ground typing granted partial immunity, but the level gap was too large to ignore.
They still suffered.
Not fatal but the pain was real.
The rest had it worse.
Water-types ,Flying-types were Naturally weak to electricity. Now forced to endure it head-on.
This wasn't just physical training.
It was mental torture.
.....
From the cliff above, Silas and the others watched in silence.
There was a hint of discomfort in their eyes.
They cared ,Even in Team Rocket, that much remained true. Very few trainers were truly heartless.Most ,no matter how deep they walked into darkness still shared a bond with their Pokémon. Yet at the same time They all wanted strength.
Not just for themselves.But for their Pokémon too.
Because in this world, the instinct to grow stronger was carved into every Pokémon's very being.
...
"Now it's your turn."
Lucian's voice cut through the moment.
"Relax. Your Pokémon won't die."
"My Electivire knows how to control its output."
Before anyone could respond He moved.
Fast.
In an instant, he stepped forward and kicked one of the twins ,The attack came out of nowhere.
The twins tried to block, but within a few exchanges, both were already on the ground.
Silas's eyes narrowed But before he could react, Lucian was already in front of him. Rose cursed under her breath and instinctively reached for a Poké Ball.
"Don't use Pokémon."
Lucian's voice was sharp.
"Close combat."
Only then did everyone understand.
This was also part of the training.
People like them, who lived in the shadows, weren't weak in close combat But they weren't exceptional either ,Because this world belonged to Pokémon.
Human combat ability was often neglected training ,trained only enough to avoid being a weakness.
After all A chain was only as strong as its weakest link.
...
Lucian demonstrated briefly And then Defeated all four of them.
Effortlessly.
After that, he pointed toward a factory in the distance.
"Your next training ground is there."
"This will be the most unforgettable week of your lives."
His tone carried meaning.
Something deeper.
A roar suddenly echoed from within the factory.
A Pokémon's roar.
Silas's expression changed slightly ,He had a bad feeling.
....
The group approached the factory.
The large iron gates creaked open slowly.
Inside were Rows of cages. Pokémon Locked inside. Most were low level, still Around level 20 or below But Silas's expression darkened instantly.
Rose noticed and smirked.
"What's with that face?" she said. "They're just a few Pokémon."
Silas didn't argue.
He only replied calmly,
"I hope you can still say that later."
...
Next Lucian collected everyone's Poké Balls.
Naturally, no one liked it.
Entrusting their Pokémon to someone else was dangerous. Until Lucian took out a locked case and said coldly,
"You think I care about your Pokémon?"
"If you don't like it, leave."
"I'll find someone else to replace you."
That ended the argument.
Everyone complied But Silas kept one thing hidden.
A Poké Ball.
Sandile.
Stored quietly in his space ring.
A habit.
He never entrusted his life entirely to others.
Then Without warning One of the cages opened.
"Raticate!!!"
A Raticate burst out Eyes bloodshot Killing intent clear. It rushed forward at full speed.
Nearly 0.7 meters tall Not small at all.For an unarmed human, a direct hit could be fatal, Its front teeth gleamed sharply as gray-brown energy gathered.
Hyper Fang.
For a brief moment Everyone froze.
Then they understood.
No Pokémon means No backup and They had to fight it themselves.
Silas reacted first.
He retreated instantly, pulling out a hand crossbow and firing multiple shots But "Crack." Every bolt was crushed mid-air by Raticate's fangs.
Fragments scattered across the ground.
That snapped everyone back to reality ,The others quickly spread out, drawing daggers and throwing blades.
Normally, a Pokémon at this level wouldn't even be worth their attention But now Without their own Pokémon ,It was deadly.
One mistake And they could die here.
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(End of chapter)