"Hmph, a useless struggle!" A cold smile appeared on Cassidy's face.
Ekans and Zubat once again sent Meowth flying without any doubt. In the end, it was Jessie and James's turn; both of them, facing the Pokémon, launched a counterattack with all their strength, but it failed to have much effect.
Bang!
Bang!
With the sound of their bodies hitting the ground, both of them were left covered in wounds all over.
Even so, even though Jessie and James were already feeling intense pain throughout their bodies, they did not open their mouths to beg; they only stared fiercely at Cassidy and Butch.
When Cassidy saw the look in Jessie's eyes, she suddenly felt an inexplicable chill in her heart.
Bang!!!
A black leather boot stepped down hard on Jessie's head, pressing it firmly against the ground, while a voice repeated nonstop: "Trash! Trash! Trash!"
As if only by doing this could she relieve the fright she had just felt inside.
"Jessie!!" When James saw Jessie being trampled into the ground, he couldn't help but shout. But all he received was an even more savage beating from Butch, with punches and kicks.
"My name is Butch!! My name is Butch!! Stop getting my name wrong over and over again!!"
The sound of blows echoed through the forest. What had once been Pokémon attacking humans had now turned into a one-sided assault of person against person.
However, none of them noticed that, at that very moment, atop the tree directly above them, there was a figure completely wrapped in a black robe, coldly observing the scene, as if what was happening below were nothing more than a movie to him.
"I... wait..." Suddenly, from Jessie's mouth, still pressed against the ground, a voice came out.
"Oh? You still have the strength to speak?" Cassidy bent down, wanting to hear what Jessie intended to say.
"Let me... let me be... and re... re-lease him... let him go!" Jessie said with great difficulty.
She had lost her mother very early. Perhaps because of the special nature of her mother's work, she had no friends growing up, until she met James, who obeyed her in everything. The two became friends instantly.
And it was from that moment that she learned what her mother's profession was: a member of Team Rocket.
So, without hesitation, she brought James along and joined Team Rocket, determined to become a Team Rocket Officer like her mother.
When she learned that Trial Island was the shortcut to becoming an Officer, and that not long ago someone had emerged from there and had already become one of the top figures in Team Rocket, second only to the leader Giovanni, with a position of absolute power...
Her heart was stirred, and she dragged James to participate in this trial. But she never imagined it would end like this.
"The joke you're telling isn't funny at all," Cassidy said with a cold smile. "I can tell you plainly that today, the two of you must stay here."
"Butch! Do it! So there won't be any trouble afterward!" Cassidy ordered once again.
Hearing this, a cold light flashed through Butch's eyes, and he gave Zubat the order to kill without mercy.
At that moment, James was already crying uncontrollably, not out of fear, but because of the words Jessie had just said.
Just as they were about to carry out the final attack, a black shadow suddenly appeared behind them.
In an instant, it seemed as if everything had stopped. Only James's sobbing and Jessie's labored breathing could be heard.
The two of them, with their eyes tightly shut, prepared to accept any outcome, did not receive the ending they expected.
Trembling, they opened their eyes and saw that Cassidy and Butch had stopped all their movements, as had their Pokémon. In front of them appeared a person completely wrapped in a black robe.
"Not bad, much better than I imagined," said that black-robed figure. It was Cain, who had been observing in secret.
Cain discovered that, although Jessie and James sometimes acted unseriously, they were far better than he had imagined. After all, this was a real world.
James, paying no attention to Cain's words, endured the pain in his body and immediately helped Jessie up from the ground. The two leaned once more against a large tree, but their state of mind was already completely different from before.
Having once come so close to death had greatly strengthened their hearts. Although they still had many shortcomings in various aspects, they already showed the potential to become strong.
"Who... who are you?" Jessie asked with difficulty.
Although she was a girl, compared to James she was more suited to becoming the strategist of this golden trio, and also to bearing the responsibility that role entailed.
Cain shrugged.
"It's quite obvious: I'm someone who has come to save you and who can give you the chance to become stronger."
Upon hearing Cain's words, the confusion in Jessie and James's eyes only deepened. But Cain had no intention of explaining too much.
"Given how you are, you don't seem capable of moving on your own either. These two people will be left for you to deal with yourselves in the future; I won't intervene anymore. For now... get some rest."
After saying that, Cain waved his hand, and everyone—including Meowth—fell unconscious.
Then, with a sweep of his black robe, only Cassidy, Butch, and their Pokémon remained. Cain, Jessie, James, and Meowth disappeared from the place.
...
Inside an office, Viper was reviewing the quality of this batch of trial participants. Suddenly, Cain's voice rang in his ears.
"I'm taking those two kids, Jessie and James."
Viper's expression froze for a moment, then he showed a rather forced smile.
"Alright."
With Cain's current strength and status, the fact that he informed him before taking two people away was already showing sufficient respect.
He wouldn't dare offend Cain just for the sake of two individuals.
Under the instantaneous movement via Slowking's psychic power, Cain quickly took the unconscious Jessie and James away from Trial Island.
The current island was not suitable for them to survive; Cain had a better place.
Using Teleport consecutively made even Slowking feel somewhat tired, but they finally arrived at their destination.
It was also a small island in the sea, but apart from Cain and the three of them, there was no trace of anyone else.
Cain summoned Venusaur and, using the move Grassy Terrain, simply healed Jessie and James's injuries, then woke them up.
Jessie and James looked at Cain with eyes full of doubt.
"The total duration of the trial is three months. Trial Island is not suitable for you; this place is."
Looking at them, Cain continued: "If the two of you manage to survive on this island for three months, I promise that at the end of that time, I'll grant you the position of Captain."
Cain went straight to the point and laid out his conditions.
Giovanni wanted him to play babysitter, but Cain didn't have that kind of patience.
This island was the one where Cain had resolved the Xenon incident. No one lived there, but there were many wild Pokémon, and moreover, Regice was there, who still owed Cain several favors.
He could very well let him handle the babysitting instead.
Being able to survive three months on this island would already be enough to reach strength comparable to that of a Team Rocket Captain.
(End of chapter)