Chapter 6: Gastly and Potential

In the dimly lit corridor, the Blue-rank assassin, Kalo, led the group, followed closely by the now-silent Red-rank assassin. Behind them, the twenty recruits who had passed the trial walked in step—not one more, not one less.

Sato kept his Dark Energy flowing without pause. Zorua's condition was poor; the blood it had consumed earlier served as internal nourishment, and now the external application of Dark Energy was accelerating its recovery, ensuring it could regain combat strength as soon as possible.

There was no telling when the assassin who had kidnapped him would appear again, but even the Red-rank assassin before him wouldn't hesitate to eliminate him if given the chance.

"Zor…"

Zorua whimpered softly. The way Dark Energy accelerated its healing was by fueling its cells, forcing them to regenerate faster.

But it didn't remove the pain.

The process was just as agonizing as any normal recovery.

Fortunately, Zorua trusted Sato enough and could feel the clear improvements in its body. So, it endured.

The walk wasn't long—just a few minutes—before the group arrived at a spacious room.

Bright fluorescent lights.

Cool, dry air.

Cold, gray walls of reinforced steel.

A workbench brimming with high-tech equipment.

Everything here signified that they had stepped into the core of the organization.

Atop the workbench, hundreds of Poké Balls were neatly stacked.

The recruits' breathing became noticeably faster.

A daring thought surfaced in their minds, and their eyes burned with anticipation.

"Alright, recruits, congratulations on passing the second trial. Now, you may each step forward and choose a Pokémon. Remember, you cannot open the Poké Ball—your selection will be based purely on luck."

Perhaps due to Kalo's silent pressure, the Red-rank assassin immediately stepped aside after speaking, saying nothing more.

The recruits could barely contain their excitement. The moment they had seen Sato already possessing a Pokémon, their jealousy had been unbearable.

Without hesitation, all 19 recruits rushed forward, each grabbing a Poké Ball. Their eyes gleamed with excitement.

Sato also stepped forward, cradling Zorua in his left arm while his right hand swiftly reached into the pile, selecting one specific Poké Ball with precise movements before turning and stepping back into formation.

Some recruits wanted to question why Sato was allowed to take another Pokémon when he already had Zorua. But seeing that neither Kalo nor the Red-rank assassin objected, none dared to speak up.

"Now, I will explain the third trial. For the next three months, you will undergo training in five areas: physical endurance, combat techniques, disguise, reconnaissance, and Pokémon battles. Three months later, you will be tested in all five. Fail even one… and…"

The Red-rank assassin trailed off with a meaningful smile, one that sent a chill deep into the recruits' bones.

The rest of the process involved receiving basic supplies, securing living arrangements, and other trivial matters.

The two assassins left without another word.

Surprisingly, the Red-rank assassin didn't give Sato any trouble before leaving.

Inside the organization, only Gold-rank assassins and above were considered high-ranking members.

Everyone else—regardless of status—wore black uniforms, with their rank identified only by the color of their belt insignia.

Once the two left, a group of twenty workers, each wearing a white insignia, filed in.

A massive organization wasn't just made up of combat personnel.

The existence of a vast logistical network was a true indicator of an organization's strength.

Even new recruits who had only passed the second trial were assigned a personal assistant for daily affairs.

Of course, whether these assistants also served as informants was another matter.

The origin of these white-rank assistants?

Those who failed the trials but survived.

However, this wasn't something new recruits would discover until later.

So, when Sato quietly took his assigned supplies from a girl about his age, he wasn't surprised in the slightest.

White-rank attendant, Rika.

Sato remembered her name.

In his past life, for a long time, Rika had handled everything unrelated to his training.

"This is your identification badge. Until you officially pass the third trial, your default codename is HL20."

Rika tried her best to sound mature, but she was still just a ten-year-old girl.

Her voice carried a hint of nervousness.

Sato, being a naturally quiet person, simply listened as she explained the badge functions and basic organization rules.

After about half an hour, Rika led him to his assigned quarters before leaving.

Once inside, Sato inspected the room thoroughly.

Only after confirming there were no surveillance devices did he finally relax a little.

Zorua immediately leaped from his arms and began exploring the small 20-square-meter room.

Compared to its time in the cage, it now looked far more energetic and lively.

The effects of Blood Nourishment were undeniable.

"Zorua, come meet your new teammate."

"Zor!"

Zorua obediently jumped to his side, staring at the red-and-white Poké Ball in Sato's hand with an expression of deep focus.

"Pong!"

The Poké Ball burst open.

A gaseous Pokémon slowly emerged, its purple mist-like body spreading as it hovered.

At its center was a black orb, with large eyes covering half its body and a wide mouth revealing two small fangs.

Gastly.

The Gas Pokémon.

A Ghost/Poison-type Pokémon with a three-stage evolution and high potential.

Mischievous and cunning, Gastly cared little for life and often took its pranks too far—sometimes even scaring people to death.

"Kehehe~"

A chilling laugh echoed through the room as Gastly grinned at Sato, making a spooky face.

But before it could finish—

A hand suddenly grabbed its body.

It caught it.

Gastly's expression froze.

It suddenly realized that its entirely gaseous body had just been firmly caught—and it couldn't escape!

For several moments, it struggled in vain.

Sato then let go, and Gastly immediately shot backward, darting behind Zorua.

Its eyes now held genuine fear as it peeked out cautiously from behind Zorua's fur.

It no longer dared to make jokes.

"Not bad."

Sato smirked.

This wasn't a random selection—he had chosen Gastly intentionally.

Using Dark Energy's ability to detect energy, he could gauge a Pokémon's potential based on the intensity of its emotional feedback.

Just like Zorua—when observed through Dark Energy, the response had been one of immense excitement.

In his past life, Sato had conducted extensive experiments—even secretly traveling to Hoenn to study Elite Four Sidney's Dark-type Pokémon.

After analyzing and compiling the intensity levels of emotional feedback, he had classified them into five tiers, which conveniently aligned with Pokémon strength categories: Ordinary, Elite, Pseudo-Elite Four, Elite Four, Champion.

Zorua's feedback had matched the fourth tier—Elite Four-level potential!