A weak voice called out to Tetsuya. Tetsuya turned his head slightly with some confusion.
"I-It's me, Takuya. The one next to me is Haruto. At the Bell Tower, you helped us catch a Pokémon…"
Tetsuya sorted through his thoughts and finally had a bit of an impression. At that time, he had only helped them catch a Ghost-type Pokémon in order to create trouble for Raine, so he did not have much impression of them personally.
Now that they appeared here at the same time, it meant they had also been abducted. Since there were two "helpers", there would naturally be some advantages. After arriving at the island, forming small groups would begin.
First of all, being alone in the wilderness was very dangerous. Not only did one need to raise their own Pokémon, but also guard against attacks from wild Pokémon. At night, someone had to take turns standing watch.
Moreover, if someone was alone, the resources on their body would definitely be robbed by small groups. When the food was taken away, it would count as being eliminated early. Of course, this was a phenomenon that would appear in the "middle stage". Right now, everyone here was still ignorant youths. Without a year of life-and-death tempering, they would not yet learn how to seize resources to protect themselves.
'Hmm… these two people might be useful.'
Tetsuya nodded and said, "I am Tetsuya."
"Do you… do you think we can leave here?" Takuya asked with some hesitation.
Tetsuya did not respond. Takuya also understood the answer. Asking this was only to seek some psychological comfort. Since Tetsuya did not want to answer, he naturally knew that this was just a beautiful illusion.
"Hmph! He's only showing off in front of us. Do you think someone like him can escape from a place like this!?"
A sharp voice made Tetsuya feel very familiar…
It turned out to be the girl who had used her father's Drapion to participate in Ecruteak Gym before. Looking at her messy hair, one could imagine how much she had suffered here.
Even now, she was still so arrogant and domineering. It seemed that the lesson she had received was not enough. Once she arrived at the "Shadow Island", she would definitely be among the first to be eliminated.
"Aurora, the four of us from Ecruteak City must unite…" Takuya acted as a peacemaker. At least he could see his current situation clearly and was not too foolish.
"Ptoo~ Even if I die, I won't stay with that annoying guy!"
Letting them continue their boring conversation, Tetsuya quietly closed his eyes.
Having come to a place like this, what awaited them next was the initial trial of "Shadow Island". Out of one hundred people, only ten could pass within three years. Moreover, Haunter's whereabouts were unknown, Piloswine and Golett were in the hands of the Shadow Team, and Ditto in the backpack would naturally not be easily returned to him.
If he wanted to regain these things, he would have to give more to the Shadow Team. However, most people would have no way to obtain them again.
Thinking of this, Tetsuya could not help but touch the Eternal Ice in the Spatial Pouch inside his sleeve. 'Fortunately, it was still there…'
What about Haunter?
Tetsuya could not help but feel worried. The road ahead was unknown. Whether he could meet Haunter again was already uncertain.
For the sake of even a chance of survival, Tetsuya tore off a piece of his pant leg and stuffed it into the vent behind him. Although such a chance was very slim, Haunter had stayed in his shadow for such a long time. Hopefully, it could find him through this trace.
As long as he advanced step by step and proceeded steadily within three years, with his vast experience of surviving in the wilderness, becoming one of the top ten should not be a big problem.
The place he was in belonged to a Shadow Team sub-island under the Johto region. There were also four other sub-islands under Kanto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova. At that time, the top ten from the five sub-islands would gather at the "main Shadow Island" for another round of competition. The top five could become low-level "Admins" of the Shadow Team, and the top twenty could become members of the Shadow Team.
However, the island was a primitive forest, and for twenty people to survive there was already not easy.
This information was naturally learned from Catherine's story.
If he arrived at Shadow Island according to the timeline, he would definitely be able to meet Catherine.
Of course, what he wanted to understand more was the reason why the trees on the Island withered, collapsed, and were eventually swallowed by the sea. If he did not investigate this clearly, he would not be at ease. If everything was the same as what Catherine had described in his previous life, then in his second year after entering Shadow Island, the island would be swallowed by the sea.
So before that, he not only had to investigate and understand the cause so that he could have a clear idea in his mind, but also had to make Ditto adapt more to Lapras's body, and Golett had to evolve into Golurk. In that way, he would have both sea and air protection, and only then would he have a chance to escape safely.
However, even if he managed to escape successfully, it would already be five years later, and he would be thirteen years old.
His original plan had been to stay at Ecruteak Gym until the age of ten, then become a Pokémon Hunter for ten years, which would be the year before League Year 700, earning enough money to raise his Pokémon. Now, his plan had completely fallen through…
Man proposes, but Arceus disposes. The trajectory of his life in "this life" would also change because of his own actions. He had still been too naive…
Everything had come so suddenly. He had no preparation, nor any time to hesitate or be afraid. Only by being strong and facing the coming destiny could he have a chance to strengthen himself. In his previous life, even Catherine, a "spoiled rich girl", had managed to escape the clutches. Not to mention that he now had so many inherent advantages.
Tetsuya's mind wandered freely, with scenes from his previous life and this life, including certain experiences from Earth, appearing one by one before him.
There was a sentence he had once seen that best comforted him now…
In a person's life, they will meet many people. Some make you cry… some make you laugh~ some make you gnash your teeth in hatred! and some make you love with joy…
But only a few will accompany you all the way, whether parents, lovers, close friends, or brothers. Most people gradually leave you while walking and chatting alongside you.
Those who fade from our lives have not truly left. They have merely completed the mission given to them by "God", and then exist in our lives in another form. Their influence will accompany us for the rest of our lives.
Everyone who appears in our life is a careful arrangement by "God".
The people we meet and the things we experience always go hand in hand. Are not the things he had experienced also carefully arranged by… Arceus?
Since such things had happened to him, unless he died now, he had to face them!
Tetsuya suddenly opened his eyes. Treat this as his own training. What was there to feel troubled about!? Because he had to survive…
The food here was only a portion of rice and a boiled vegetables. Tetsuya quickly finished all the food. Of course, most people here were children from poor families. Although such plain rice and vegetables were not good, they could not withstand the torment of hunger.
A few people felt as if they were chewing wax. After taking a few bites, they put down their plates. Aurora was one of them.
Tetsuya shook his head slightly. Now there was still rice to eat. Once they went to the island, if they did not catch Pokémon to exchange for food, they would probably have to live on Berries.
When night fell, everyone had their eyes covered and were sent onto different trucks. As the trucks started, no one knew what awaited them ahead…