The ten-day trial had ended.
On the second day, Yamamoto stood on the high platform of the battlefield, while Raven and the other four Island admins stood in five rows together with their respective team members.
Yamamoto's assistant announced the results of this competition. Raven naturally took the seat of the strongest, and it was directly announced that he would become the admin of the main island.
Everything on the island would be handled by him. At this moment, Raven was basking in success. Sinnoh's Island admin was also retained on the island, becoming the vice-island admin to assist Raven. To put it bluntly, it was also a form of power restriction.
The other three admins naturally returned to their original positions.
Afterward, Yamamoto informed these fifty people of their next mission, which was to help Shadow Team develop this island.
The entire Shadow Island was more than ten times larger than the previous small island, and it was still a primeval forest filled with unpredictable dangers. It could be said that every step carried danger. Those capable of surviving on this island for three years could become members of Shadow Team, or even elites.
During these three years, Shadow Team would not provide supplies. What was being tested were the Shadows' field capabilities in the wild.
There were not even Potions. Survival depended entirely upon one's own knowledge. Of course, Shadow Team provided books regarding medicinal plants and Berries free of charge.
At this moment, all fifty people impatiently grabbed one copy. Without pressure, there would be no motivation. Right now, it could be said that such a book concerned their very lives.
For such a book… unless someone wanted to become a Pokémon Breeder, nobody else would normally bother learning it. There were thousands upon thousands of Berries and medicinal plants. How many people could completely memorize them all?
However, if these people truly managed to survive and emerge three years later, they would absolutely be able to recite everything fluently from memory!
Yamamoto walked down from the high platform and came before Tetsuya and Catherine. "I'm looking forward to seeing what the two of you will grow into after three years."
Yamamoto left, and the other three Island admins also departed.
Now Raven and the Sinnoh admin were managing all the "industries" and affairs across the entire main island. Naturally, they urgently needed to understand the island's operations. Although a simple handover had already been completed, the two were still completely confused.
They directly had the fifty Trainers return to the previous dormitories first and await arrangements.
---◓---
These past few days had been strangely quiet. Everyone shut themselves inside their rooms reading books.
As for that book, Tetsuya had already memorized it thoroughly by heart.
On this day, Tetsuya walked out of the dormitory and arrived at the seaside. Nobody here dared casually approach the shore, as whirlpools could appear at any moment.
The vast ocean stretched endlessly.
'Where exactly was the place I belonged…?'
Tetsuya picked up a stone from the shore and threw it into the water. Very quickly, it was swept into the dark undercurrents and whirlpools beneath the sea.
"…Don't waste your effort. Even Wailord couldn't swim across waters like these."
It was Catherine's voice.
Tetsuya turned around. Catherine's expression remained just as cold. "I throw a stone… and you think I want to leave this place?"
Catherine smiled. "Heh~ Doesn't everyone want to leave?"
"You're wrong. The people reading books in their rooms only want to survive. They've already been completely led around by the nose by Shadow Team," Tetsuya said.
"But you are different," Catherine said calmly.
"You're different as well," Tetsuya said.
'…'
"…What was your final Pokémon?"
The reason Catherine sought out Tetsuya was still because of battle. She had devoted her entire body, soul and mind to battle and already possessed secret guides for raising Flying-type Pokémon.
She had not placed a single one of these boys who landed on the island in her eyes. She only had one objective…
Kill the Island admins…
Kill the Shadows!
Then use the ship to escape the island.
Now a Tetsuya had suddenly appeared. He actually defeated her without even revealing his final Pokémon. This was like a nightmare haunting her.
"Everyone who came from Johto already knows, so why bother asking me?" Tetsuya said.
"Because you are the only opponent," Catherine said.
"We are not opponents. On this island… I alone am not your opponent."
After Tetsuya finished speaking, he left. Right now, he could not say too much. Although he already clearly understood Catherine's objective, she was a person with great intelligence and extraordinary strategic ability. Without sufficient confidence, she would never cooperate with him.
To put it bluntly, when she said just now that "everyone want to leave", it was merely a test toward him. His willingness to say such things was first to express his own attitude. Even so, she still had not clearly revealed her own stance.
Catherine stood in place, continuously recalling what Tetsuya had said. "Should this person really be trusted or not…?"
With such power, it was impossible for him to willingly submit beneath Shadow Team's oppression. The outside world was much broader. That was the world belonging to the strong.
---◓---
After several days, Raven finally officially took over this island. There were many Shadows on the island, as well as some Breeders abducted from outside, raising Pokémon within Shadow Team's ranch and planting medicinal plants, Berries, and so on.
There was also technology developed by Shadow Team here. There were even two researchers at PhD level conducting scientific research here, mainly studying the secrets behind Pokémon becoming stronger.
They were all unscrupulous researchers obsessed with stimulating Pokémon to unleash power. Even Raven did not dare provoke these people, since they were Shadow Team's think tank.
This island truly gathered together a massive portion of Shadow Team's assets. No wonder after being wiped out in one blow, they never recovered again.
On this day, Raven brought these fifty people to Shadow Team's ranch. Many people discovered that the Pokémon taken away from them were right here.
After being separated for three years, it felt as though a lifetime had passed. Even though they had endured the tempering of time, that purest bond had never changed…
Many people embraced their Pokémon and cried together.
At this moment, Raven said, "As long as you remain loyal to Shadow Team, I will return these Pokémon to all of you once again.
Ahem! Considering that Johto Region's Jacky has always remained loyal to Shadow Team and also possesses, eh, extraordinary strength… I have decided to return his Dratini to him now!"
At this moment, Raven was already winning people's hearts. Many people cast envious gazes toward him, while Jacky felt as though he were dreaming. He actually knelt on the ground to thank Raven…
The heroic ambition he once possessed of wanting to destroy all of Shadow Team had long already been thrown to cloud nine.
Tetsuya let out a long sigh. He had originally thought he could cooperate with Jacky, but now it truly meant there was one more opponent.
'Could it really be that you were so foolish you did not understand this originally belonged to you in the first place…? If someone used your salary as a bonus reward to give back to you, would you also be tearfully grateful?
Truly ignorant… or rather, truly a kid, sigh…'
Shadow Team's tactic of attacking the heart was truly brilliant. In this way, those who eventually became members of Shadow Team could all recover their original partners, and thus their hearts would be bought over by Shadow Team.
These people were already being led around by the nose by Shadow Team, and their family members would also be threatened by them. At that point, they truly would be indoctrinated to become loyal Shadow Team death soldiers.
'Forget it…'
Three years of wilderness survival could be considered simple, yet also difficult. It all depended on how one survived.