Over the next three months, it gradually entered the late autumn and deep winter season.
Every so often, Tetsuya would bring his Pokémon out of the mountain hollow to hunt Pokémon such as Tauros and Stantler. With beef and venison soup to warm them up, training became even more energetic and was not delayed because of the harsh weather.
On the contrary, this kind of weather made it easiest to obtain results in training, especially for Piloswine, which liked the cold.
As fewer and fewer people remained on the island, Tetsuya also passed through a relatively peaceful winter, spending almost all of it in training.
Koffing could now float normally within the Gravity field, and it had also learned several more moves.
The original Poison Gas, Smog, and Clear Smog were all "gaseous spray-type moves", and they had very easily merged into a single move. As long as it sprayed Poison Gas, it became an offensive gas that could also reset the opponent's stats modifiers.
Sludge and Toxic were almost integrated as one as well. Koffing's toxicity was intense. Any Poison-type move was enough to poison the opponent. Even Steel-or Poison-type Pokémon with slightly lower resistance would have their bodies corroded by the poison.
Beedrill's "Focus Energy" speed assault had also been trained to near completion, and its Speed had improved to a certain extent.
Golett had also completed the full coverage of the third layer of energy. Its various punching moves had become flexible and skillful in use, and when it swung them, they carried fierce momentum!
Ditto, Piloswine, and Houndoom were all undergoing strengthening training, and through constant exercise, their strength steadily improved.
Tetsuya returned to the Shadow Team's base once again, preparing for the fourth elimination round.
He had already been away from the mainland for exactly two years. After this New Year, he would also turn ten years old.
In this world, ten years old was such a sacred age…
At that age, many children would go out traveling, maybe becoming a member of a Trainers team, while also being full of longing for their future, all striving toward the same goal, becoming a "Pokémon Master."
In his previous life, when he was ten years old, Tetsuya had left the orphanage. Alone in the world, destitute on the streets, without a single Pokémon, he did not even dare set foot in the wilderness.
In this life, although he was trapped on Shadow Island, he already had seven Pokémon: Ditto, Gengar, Piloswine, Golett, Beedrill, Houndoom, and Koffing.
Moreover, Tetsuya had established a [Shadow Contract] with Gengar, and he also possessed now psychic powers. With the powerful "weapons" that were Ditto and Gengar in his hands, he did not fear anyone standing opposite him at all!
Although his current situation was not good, it was unknown how many times better than his previous life…
Now, with the protection of the [Shadow Contract], he did not fear even Raven himself at all.
Give him another year, and Tetsuya absolutely had to surpass Raven in terms of Pokémon level. Then one year later, he would be able to act without restraint on the main island.
In any case, that island only had a little more than two years of life remaining. Tetsuya was already planning in his heart to at most join forces with three or four ruthless and like-minded relatively strong individuals, and during the final half year before the island collapsed, kill everyone on the island.
If possible, they could also take away some rare Pokémon. Then after returning to the mainland, Tetsuya would at least save himself three or four years of struggle, because here he could capture Pokémon without restraint, whereas after returning to the mainland, all sorts of Rangers and Investigators would come, making it far too difficult to capture some rare Pokémon.
Therefore, if Tetsuya operated properly once he reached the main island, he could completely make up for the time he had lost over these past three or four years.
---◓---
This time, nineteen people had gathered at the Shadow Team's base. Aside from Kanta, whom he had personally killed, there had not been any other deaths. Now the combat power of these nineteen Trainers had all become very strong.
It could be said that no matter who won or lost, it would be reasonable!
…Of course, except for Tetsuya.
Kurusaki Sō's ship had not yet arrived, but Raven had already begun introducing the battle rules for this round, because this time he was preparing to select the final ten people!
During the last year, they would receive systematic training, which could ensure the combat power of these ten people once they reached the main island, something closely tied to his achievements as well.
Therefore, for these final ten Trainers, Raven's selection was naturally extremely cautious. He absolutely had to ensure they were the strongest.
Raven selected nineteen members of the Shadow Team to battle against the remaining Trainers. Those who could defeat a Shadow would directly pass.
Those who did not pass would engage in pairwise battles. It would still follow the system of gaining points according to the number of opposing Pokémon defeated. Everyone would battle every other person once, accumulating total points by the end.
Looking at it this way, it was no wonder Raven wanted to begin the competition early. If all nineteen people failed to pass directly, that would mean every person had to fight eighteen matches, and it was impossible to battle every day. At the very least, there had to be time to recover energy.
Therefore, this elimination round would certainly last a very long time, and it would also be the final elimination round.
Moreover, Raven threw out many "temptations". "…If you become one of the ten strongest, you will receive one year of training from me!
Supplies will no longer need to be exchanged for points, and one year later, after arriving at the main island, if you can become the strongest among the five regions… I will personally guarantee that all of you become official members of the Shadow Team. I will retrieve each person's confiscated Pokémon from the headquarters!
After becoming members of the Shadow Team, all kinds of resources allocations will be even better than what the League provides, and your relatives will also receive the protection of the Shadow Team!"
Many people could hear the hidden meaning within Raven's words.
However, regarding being able to retrieve their own Pokémon, many people's expressions changed, especially Jacky. As someone whose dream was to become an official "Pokémon Trainer", Starter Pokémon held extraordinary meaning for them.
Becoming a Shadow undoubtedly meant being cut off from relatives and friends, but as long as one remained loyal, their relatives would naturally receive protection. However, if they betrayed the organization, everyone clearly understood what sort of outcome awaited them…
For Tetsuya, this final year of "systematic training" was instead disadvantageous. Setting aside whether their training methods would even surpass his own, he still needed to feed Ditto and Gengar. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, it would inevitably be difficult to avoid exposing something.
Moreover, after the "systematic training", the gap between the nine Trainers and Tetsuya would inevitably narrow, and this was also something he did not wish to see.
Therefore, he had to resist a little…
'Sigh…'
"I object!"
""""!!!""""
Tetsuya's words successfully attracted everyone's attention. Many people could not help sighing in shock. Several people standing beside Tetsuya could not help stepping back a few paces, thinking that Tetsuya was simply seeking death.
Tetsuya, now the target of everyone's "criticism", stood upright at the very front.
Raven widened his eyes and glared directly at Tetsuya.
"…What nerve you have, huh. Do you know that if I were unhappy… you would already be dead right now!?"
Tetsuya did not reveal any expression. Having ranked first every single time, he had long since estimated that Raven would not kill him. This was the privilege of being an "excellent student."
"I would like to see exactly what objections you have! If you cannot give a proper reason… today will be the day you die."
More than anything, Raven simply wanted to test Tetsuya's courage.
Many people felt their hearts rise into their throats. Today, Tetsuya was most likely doomed!