NOVEL NEXT Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Reward Selection
Ron spent three minutes asking Shadow for a rough outline of his next steps. Once he received the necessary details, he asked no more, quietly awaiting Shadow's instructions.
Shadow was quite satisfied with Ron's tact, just as he had been with his earlier performance.
For an undercover operative, it's essential to project a generally likable personality.
Ron might not be overly warm or charismatic, but he gave off no unpleasant or unapproachable vibes. That alone made him a suitable candidate.
Beyond personality, an ideal undercover agent needed a steady mindset. The ability to remain calm and composed, even in the face of catastrophe, was non-negotiable. A minor slip could easily expose their identity.
Next came discretion. As Shadow had mentioned earlier, Ron's mission was straightforward: to gradually climb the ranks and serve as a nail driven deep into the league by Team Rocket.
To accomplish this, curiosity had to be curbed. Overly inquisitive agents inevitably raised suspicions.
Lastly, there was ambition—a hunger for power. Shadow didn't need to test Ron on this front; he could see the burning desire for strength in Ron's eyes.
Initially, Shadow hadn't placed high hopes on this trial's outcome. However, now he was thoroughly pleased with Ron, who had emerged as the final candidate.
"Well done. From here on out, everything will be arranged for you. Take note of this—this is how we will stay in contact," Shadow instructed, handing Ron a communication device.
"And one last thing: without permission from either myself or Lord Giovanni, never reveal your true identity, no matter whom you encounter in Team Rocket. You are, however, allowed to act against Team Rocket members if necessary, as long as it's within the limits."
After delivering his final instructions, Shadow left Ron's room without lingering, leaving Ron to process everything.
Ron's way of processing was simple: he lay on the bed and waited for his rewards to arrive.
It wasn't that Ron was particularly nonchalant; it was just that his choices were limited from the start. Accepting this mission was his only viable option.
Shadow's involvement made it clear that Giovanni himself was pulling the strings. Even if Ron refused, Giovanni could easily find someone else.
In fact, if Ron hadn't stepped up, the now-deceased Akita would have eagerly taken on this task.
Unless Ron's strength someday reached a level where he could negotiate even with Team Rocket holding leverage over him, he had no room to maneuver.
Back in his previous life, Ron had learned a lot about Pokémon through various mediums, including anime and manga. Among them, Koga, the Fuchsia City Gym Leader, had left a strong impression.
Though officially a Gym Leader of the League, Koga secretly collaborated with Team Rocket.
Unlike Ron, Koga was powerful enough to walk the line. Even after the League discovered his ties with Team Rocket, Koga managed to navigate the situation without offending either side. He eventually rose to the rank of Elite Four.
For Ron, Koga was a benchmark. Only by reaching a similar level of strength could he begin considering his future options.
At the moment, Ron's goal was simple: become as strong as Koga. Any long-term plans could wait until he gained control over his own destiny.
Besides, accepting this mission meant smoother access to resources. As long as Ron continued to grow stronger and prove his worth, Team Rocket would grant him increasingly abundant resources.
After giving it some thought, Ron concluded that there was no downside to accepting the mission.
Shortly after Shadow left, a Team Rocket member entered the room.
"For your trial rewards, you may select two items of any quality, five Technical Machines (TMs) of your choice, and one Pokémon in its baby stage. Any species is allowed—even pseudo-Legendaries," the member announced.
"You have five minutes to decide. Let me know when you've made your choices."
Team Rocket understood that if you wanted a horse to run, you needed to feed it well.
The item options included evolutionary stones like the Moon Stone and powerful items like the Life Orb.
Through observation, Ron had already confirmed that his Nidoran♂ had the Hustle ability, which would change to Sheer Force upon evolving into Nidoking—a trait Ron highly anticipated.
Thus, the optimal choices were a high-quality Moon Stone and a Life Orb.
Even though these items weren't immediately necessary, Ron estimated that in four to five months, Nidoran♂ would grow strong enough to benefit from them. Acquiring such rare items within that time frame would otherwise be a challenge.
The only dilemma lay in his Gloom's evolution items.
Ron had initially planned to release Gloom after reaching a safe zone, fulfilling a promise he had made.
However, to his surprise, Gloom had refused to leave. It had begged to stay by Ron's side, even if it meant being overlooked.
Since evolving into Gloom, its Stench ability had driven away its former friends. Ron's presence had been a beacon of light in its otherwise dark life.
After much deliberation, Ron decided to keep Gloom.
Having captured Gloom, Ron felt responsible for its future. Moreover, its Hidden Power signaled good potential, and its performance thus far had been commendable.
This meant Ron now had to consider Gloom's evolution path.
Gloom could evolve into either Vileplume with a Leaf Stone or Bellossom with a Sun Stone.
Ron believed Bellossom suited Gloom better. Upon evolving, its Stench ability would change to Healer, allowing it to occasionally cure allies of status conditions after using a move.
After careful consideration, Ron opted for a Sun Stone and a Moon Stone as his two items. The Life Orb could wait for another day.
Next came the TMs. Currently, Machoke's strongest move was Close Combat with 120 base power. While sufficient for now, it might become less effective later.
The strongest moves suitable for Ron's Pokémon included Focus Blast, Hyper Beam, and Giga Impact.
Machoke: Focus Punch
Persian: Hyper Beam
Gloom: Hyper Beam or Giga Impact
Nidoran♂: Both Hyper Beam and Giga Impact would be considered later.
Ron decided on the following TMs:
One Focus Punch
Three Hyper Beam
One Protect
Though Protect was merely a defensive move, it could block a single attack, making it an excellent survival tool.
Finally, it was time to choose a Pokémon.
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