Chapter 134:

Team Rocket's Lake of Rage research base was a place Cain had visited countless times in his past life, and he was intimately familiar with its terrain. However, the layout had changed drastically since then. The base's facilities were now well-maintained, having not experienced any surprise attacks from the Association, giving the place a brand-new appearance.

When Cain had visited in his previous life, the base had been in a state of disrepair, its facilities severely damaged, with traces of battle visible on the walls, floor, and in every corner. Back then, he had been assigned to clean up the debris so that Team Rocket could reestablish its research base. As a result, Cain had committed the base's layout to memory.

He closely followed the young man, bypassing various checkpoints and venturing deeper into the base. Cain clearly remembered that there were five levels underground, with each level requiring higher clearance to access. The young man had already reached the third level, which required at least a captain's level of clearance.

Upon reaching the entrance to the fourth level, the young man finally stopped and entered a series of numbers on a keypad. Moments later, a screen above the keypad displayed an image of a middle-aged man with a mustache.

"Sir, that person has arrived," the young man respectfully informed the man on the screen.

"Ah, bring him in," the mustached middle-aged man said, squinting slightly as he caught sight of Cain behind the young man. The door, which required a certain level of clearance to open, swung open, and the young man led Cain further inside.

The middle-aged man on the screen was likely a senior officer, possibly the person Umbra had arranged for Cain to meet.

Team Rocket's senior officers typically had the strength of a quasi-elite trainer, with a few powerful individuals reaching the level of an elite at their peak. In his previous life, Cain's highest achievement was around that level. To climb higher, one needed both strength and significant contributions to the organization.

Before long, under the young man's guidance, Cain arrived at an office. A large desk sat in the center, behind which sat a middle-aged man wearing a white lab coat and sporting a small mustache. He was the same person who had granted Cain and the young man access earlier.

Upon seeing Cain enter, the middle-aged man's eyes lit up. "So it's this young fellow?"

The Team Rocket youth lowered his head respectfully and replied, "Yes, sir. I have seen his badges."

Receiving confirmation from the young man, the middle-aged man appraised Cain from head to toe, his gaze lingering on the Murkrow perched on Cain's shoulder.

Suddenly, Murkrow felt as if it were being watched by a predator, and its feathers bristled. The middle-aged man chuckled to himself before pressing a yellow button on his desk. Accompanied by a series of clicking sounds, a wall to the side split open, revealing a secret room resembling a training area.

The middle-aged man stroked his mustache, his eyes narrowing in amusement. "Milan, test his strength, will you?"

"Yes, sir!" replied Milan, the Team Rocket youth who had guided Cain.

What did he mean? Was testing his strength a part of Umbra's mission? Cain, puzzled, stepped into the secret training room.

The room was spacious, filled with various training equipment. In the center, there was a moderately-sized battle arena made of sturdy material. "Show me your strength. Pass the test, and you'll get what you want," the middle-aged man said with a teasing smile, as he lounged in his comfortable chair.

Test his strength? Against an opponent who was clearly a captain? Cain couldn't help but feel somewhat helpless. How was he supposed to fight someone like that?

"Hmm, it wouldn't be much of a challenge if the difference in power is too great. Milan, use just one Pokémon. As for you, kid, you have no limit on the number of Pokémon or battle rules. Just let loose," the middle-aged man said, as if he had read Cain's thoughts.

Cain's eyes narrowed. He couldn't show off some of his Pokémon, but if his opponent only had one, there was a chance he could win. Most importantly, there were no battle rules! Furthermore, Cain didn't believe his opponent would risk killing him. Though he wasn't strong yet, he represented one of the two Deputy Leaders of Team Rocket's Shadow Unit - a senior elite-level figure.

Even if Umbra wouldn't raise a fuss over someone as insignificant as Cain, the middle-aged man watching from the sidelines probably didn't want to create a bad impression with Umbra over such a trivial matter.

Milan took a Poké Ball with the Team Rocket emblem from his belt and threw it onto the battlefield. A Golbat emerged. A glint appeared in Cain's eyes as he assessed the information about the Golbat.

Pokémon: Golbat (Light Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 32

Type: Poison/Flying

Ability: Inner Focus

Held Items: None

Egg Moves: Gust, Feint Attack

Basic Moves: Absorb, Supersonic, Astonish, Bite, Wing Attack, Confuse Ray, Air Cutter, Swift, Poison Fang, Mean Look

Taught Moves: Snatch, Defog

Technical Machines (TMs): Hidden Power (Water), Shadow Ball, Sleep Talk, Substitute

A captain's Pokémon typically had levels above 30. The level 32 Golbat in front of Cain was likely Milan's weakest Pokémon. He hadn't used his strongest Pokémon, partly because he felt it was unnecessary, but probably also because he feared Umbra finding out he was bullying a weaker opponent, which could harm his future prospects.

Though Umbra wouldn't target a Team Rocket member of his level, even a hint of dissatisfaction from Umbra would encourage countless people to bring Milan's head as a trophy to get Umbra's attention.

Since his opponent was holding back, Cain knew he had more room to maneuver.