Pokemon Chronicles of Darkness

Chapter 26

The man's gaze fell upon the Pokemon Egg in the testing machine, the flashing light that represented its advanced aptitude, and with a hint of doubt in his voice, he inquired, "How did you come by this Pokemon Egg, my boy?"

Cain, with a respectful air, replied, "I found it in a Beedrill's nest, sir. It appears to be the offspring of the Beedrill's leader. I hope to offer it as a gesture of goodwill."

The man nodded, pleased with Cain's tact.

With a wave of his hand, the man stated, "No need, I shan't take advantage of a young lad like yourself. This Weedle egg is likely worth 18,000 points. Give him 20,000 and deduct it from my card." The first part was addressed to Cain, while the second part was addressed to the staff member who stood respectfully by.

"Yes, sir." The staff member bowed hastily.

Cain stood silently. In the face of such power, if the man had insisted on taking the Pokemon Egg, Cain would have had no choice but to offer it with open hands. For to go against such a powerful figure would be akin to hitting a boulder with an egg.

This overwhelming sense of powerlessness was like a sharp knife being thrust into Cain's heart, suffocating him with an unfathomable feeling.

This is the plight of the weak, only the strong have the right to speak. Since his regression, Cain had never felt so helpless; his pride, hidden deep within him, had been torn from its tightly wrapped shell and exposed to the full light of day.

But the thought of becoming stronger never left him, this time he was more determined than ever.

Everything had gone so well in this life that he had begun to become arrogant, looking down on all his peers, believing that he had a huge advantage and that it was only a matter of time before he became powerful.

But as a true powerhouse emerged, Cain found himself vulnerable.

The mysterious man gazed upon Cain for a moment, then inquired, "Might you be interested in undertaking a task for me?"

Taking a deep breath and pushing aside all thoughts, Cain responded politely, "I would be honored, sir."

"Come find me when you've completed this week's test," the man said, placing a black medallion upon the counter.

"Yes, sir," Cain replied, his eyes flitting to the black medallion on the counter. At the sight of it, his pupils suddenly contracted.

With a nod and one final glance at Cain, who kept his head lowered, the mysterious man disappeared through the secret door. As for the Weedle egg, it would no doubt be delivered to him.

The staff member waited respectfully for the mysterious man's departure before letting out a long breath and wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Cain, too, let out a small sigh of relief and picked up the black medallion, amidst the envious and jealous gaze of the clerk.

He stared at the black medallion, whose overall shape resembled a cloud and whose pitch blackness held not a hint of any other color, with a complicated expression.

The Black Cloud, a special medallion belonging to Team Rocket's top secret force, the Shadow Unit, which took orders only from Team Rocket's boss, Giovanni.

Aside from Giovanni, only the Shadow Unit's leader and two deputies were authorized to award this medallion.

The Shadow Unit was not part of the normal Team Rocket structure and all of its members were hand-picked by the three leaders.

There were no other avenues of entry.

The three leaders of the Shadow Unit were all above Elite level, so the mysterious man must be one of them.