"Damn it, come back, Scyther!"
Xiao Zhen glared at Alex with hatred. How could this Tentacruel be so strong? It was simply outrageous.
Who knew that its Reflect could be used in such a way, trapping Scyther and rendering it unable to move? This way, Scyther lost its speed advantage and was no match for Tentacruel, especially since it was also weak to Poison-type attacks.
"We are both beginner Trainers; why are you so incredibly strong and impressive?"
"Please send out your last Pokémon, Xiao Zhen," Apollo instructed.
"If you really don't want to fight, surrendering is also an option," he added with a sneer.
"Get lost, you bastard!" Xiao Zhen shot a glance at Apollo, cursing without reservation.
Then he turned back, looking at Alex with a meaningful gaze, a strange smile creeping onto his face. "Do you know? This is a Team Rocket base. There's no rule that says we can't attack a Trainer."
Alex's eyebrows twitched at this. Before he could respond, the ground suddenly began to shake.
"Onix, use Dig!" Xiao Zhen's tone was sinister, as if he was intent on taking Alex down.
The ground vibrated even more intensely; danger was imminent.
However, Alex remained unfazed, calmly looking at Xiao Zhen, making him feel flustered.
"Team Rocket rules? Do you think only you understand them?" Alex smiled. "You underestimate me too much."
As he spoke, Tentacruel suddenly coiled around Alex.
"Gyarados, use Hydro Pump on the ground below."
Alex smiled and threw a Poké Ball from his waist.
"Roar!!!"
As soon as Gyarados appeared, it unleashed its terrifying rage.
It opened its mouth, and a deep blue wave of energy gathered within, rushing towards the ground with a mighty roar.
Using this impact, Gyarados instantly carried Alex into the air.
The rocky ground below quickly transformed into a large puddle.
"Oh no!" Xiao Zhen was terrified. Under such a powerful attack, if his Onix emerged from underground and faced it head-on, it would be hit by a double-weakness Water-type move, with no chance to resist.
"Hmph, Tentacruel, don't give him any chance or hope—Water Pulse!"
At that moment, Tentacruel ascended into the air, grabbing Gyarados's body with its tentacles and climbing up.
Then it extended two tentacles in front of it, and circles of blue energy waves appeared before its body, sweeping directly downward.
"Boom~"
With a loud explosion, Onix below didn't even have the chance to scream.
After a while, the surging waves on the field slowly receded, leaving behind a chaotic scene.
In the center of the arena, Xiao Zhen's Onix lay silently, completely incapacitated and appearing severely injured.
"I... I lost."
Xiao Zhen slumped to the ground, his face pale.
He couldn't even defeat one of his opponent's Pokémon. He had thought victory was within his grasp; even if he couldn't secure first place, getting into the top four seemed likely.
But as soon as he entered the arena, Alex, this novice Trainer, had delivered a resounding slap in the face.
It made him realize that there's always someone better, and he shouldn't be arrogant.
"Alex wins this battle. The next battle will begin immediately." Apollo waved his hand expressionlessly, signaling Alex to step down, then gave him a meaningful look.
"Come back, Gyarados, Tentacruel," Alex said without looking back.
After recalling his Pokémon, he lazily walked off the stage. People along the way made way for him, their eyes filled with awe.
This was a privilege only the strong possessed.
And Alex thoroughly enjoyed this privilege.
The subsequent battles resembled the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displaying their unique abilities. The strong continuously advanced, while the weak were eliminated.
Alex found it very enjoyable to watch, and he was, of course, one of those strong few.
The Trainers who encountered him either surrendered directly or were beaten by his Pokémon to the point of doubting their own abilities.
It must be said that each of Alex's Pokémon was incredibly powerful, with attack power not inferior to intermediate Trainers, making it difficult for him to encounter opponents on his level.
Thus, Alex advanced all the way.
The elimination rounds continued for a long time because there were so many participants. It wasn't until noon the next day that the top four emerged.
Alex was naturally one of them. The other three—two men and one woman—were all very strong.
Alex didn't intend to take them lightly because he felt that even in a one-on-one match, it wouldn't be easy to win effortlessly.
After all, he had witnessed their strength over the past two days.
Especially the woman, who had a very powerful Charizard. Like Alex, she could crush enemies and make people doubt their abilities with her overwhelming strength.
The remaining two men, though not as terrifying, were not to be underestimated. Who knew if they had any hidden powerful Pokémon?
"Alright, now that our top four have emerged, this afternoon will determine the victor. First, I want to congratulate you all. The top four will receive special rewards: you can directly become Team Rocket reserve executives."
"What?!"
As soon as Apollo's words fell, the entire venue erupted in an uproar, filled with disbelief.
Even a reserve executive was enviable, constantly receiving various bonuses and a salary. Moreover, it was a direct path to achieving great things after being promoted from a reserve position.
The internal structure of Team Rocket was not as chaotic as it seemed; it had always been a strictly hierarchical organization. Conflicts only arose because everyone harbored their own ulterior motives.
There were ordinary Team Rocket members, squad leaders, team leaders, and above them, the executives. Above the executives were even higher-ranking individuals, who served as assistants to the bosses.
A reserve executive was someone who could take on a mission in a crisis when an executive encountered an issue, thus serving as a direct path to becoming an executive within Team Rocket.
Suddenly, gazes of envy, jealousy, and hatred pierced the four people on the field. Everyone's eyes flickered fiercely, seemingly deep in thought.
Facing the wolf-like gazes of those below, Alex merely smiled calmly.
Team Rocket was indeed ruthless and brutal; this had always been true.
Which Team Rocket executive hadn't shed blood on their hands? They all fought their way up. If one wanted to achieve something within Team Rocket, such things were unavoidable.
It was a pity that Alex didn't intend to join Team Rocket just like that, especially not as a mere executive. He simply didn't care for such a position.
His father was also a prominent figure.
In this competition, Alex only aimed to win first place and obtain the Mega Evolution bracelet and Mega Evolution stone. As for anything else, he truly had no interest.
If the others on the field knew Alex's thoughts, they would probably be so angry they'd vomit blood.
Such a great opportunity, and Alex just dismissed it.
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