Zorua

Not daring to waste even a moment, the next batch of people fled from Houndoom's gaze. In a flash, they entered the cages, the iron doors automatically closing behind them. Another burst of cries followed, before everything became quiet.

No batch took more than three minutes from start to finish. The later they went, the more despair filled their hearts, yet when faced with Houndoom, no one dared resist. Only Sato remained calm from beginning to end. Houndoom's methods were simple but practical; more than anything, it was the environment that gave it an advantage.

Leer! A nearly useless skill that Trainers would hardly ever use, yet under the effect of the environment and Houndoom's own strengths, it directly deterred over a hundred people. Houndoom was clearly extremely proficient in using Leer.

Never underestimate any skill! Sato remembered that a Skill Teaching instructor had told him this before his rebirth. Because of that, he firmly believed it.

In only half an hour, the group of over a hundred had dwindled to the final batch. Since there were not enough people, only six remained in Sato's last group. When the cage's iron door opened again, Sato stepped forward without hesitation and directly entered the sixth cage.

Click!

The iron door automatically closed. A powerful bloody smell rushed into Sato's nose, and what came into view was a layer of thick blood plasma so slick that each step felt as though it could make him fall. An old light bulb wrapped in wire hung from the ceiling, barely allowing Sato to see the environment inside the cage.

None of this moved Sato. He even looked around, trying to match everything with his distant memories. Then, a Poké Ball abruptly rolled to his feet and burst open!

"Caterpie~"

A green head, a goose-yellow belly, large fluttering eyes, and pink Y-shaped antennae. Sato had already retreated to the door. He looked at it with a mixture of nostalgia and coldness—a Caterpie, one of the most common Pokémon in the Kanto Region.

Without any warning, Caterpie suddenly raised its head and shot a strand of white silk directly at Sato. String Shot! Caterpie's once-clear eyes were now blood-red. As Sato sidestepped to evade it, the nostalgic look gradually vanished from his face, leaving only indifference.

The String Shot Caterpie spat out stuck directly to the steel plate. Having just used String Shot, it was at the moment when its old strength had faded and new strength had yet to arise. Sato lowered his body, explosively pushed off with his back legs, and lightly sprang in front of Caterpie.

His right hand shot out and firmly grabbed Caterpie's pink antennae, while his left hand covered its head. Then he used the greatest strength this ten-year-old body possessed!

Rip!

The pink antennae were torn out by the roots, and green insect fluid sprayed all over Sato's face. Yet he did not even blink. He merely felt Caterpie's faintly twitching body beneath his left palm as it slowly collapsed into the thick blood plasma.

Clean and crisp!

After wiping the bloodstains from his face with his pajamas, Sato stood up and quietly waited for the others to complete the selection. Soon, an invisible iron door opened on the other side. Lowering his head slightly, Sato walked out without hesitation. From beginning to end, he never looked back at Caterpie behind him.

As a Gold Rank Killer, Sato's heart was not necessarily cold and hard, but he could at least kill calmly. Even if his opponent was a young Pokémon only a few days old, Sato could seize its fatal weakness without changing expression, then deliver a one-hit kill!

When Sato emerged from the cage, he glanced at the five cages to his left. Their doors stood open, and they were completely empty. Clearly, in such an environment, no matter how pure and innocent a Pokémon or person might be, they would be affected by the heavy bloody smell. The instant they entered, both sides understood: either you died, or I lived! Ghost Ship Death Training Camp, Bloody Elimination Method, first stage: face a Pokémon. Either kill it, or... be killed! The Ghost Ship Organization had used the most direct method to shatter the last beautiful fantasies in everyone's hearts.

"This batch is truly terrible. Out of one hundred and thirty-six people, only thirty-eight passed the first stage. My assessment... looks like there's no hope for it." A familiar voice came from the shadows as the Red Card Assassin and Blue Card Assassin appeared one after another.

Looking at the only remaining thirty-eight people, the Red Card Assassin spoke regretfully, but the intense excitement in his eyes made those who had survived by luck curse him as a madman.

The rest still had panic, hatred, cowardice, and even excitement in their eyes, but not despair. No matter how the process had gone, they had ultimately overcome their own fears and killed a Pokémon barehanded. Their mindsets had already changed as well.

"Congratulations, everyone. You have passed the first elimination stage. We won't waste any time; we'll directly enter the next stage. The rules are the same for all of you, so cheer on!"

The Red Card Killer had an unpredictable temperament. Amid the fearful gazes of the remaining thirty-eight people, he pressed the remote in his hand again. The iron doors of ten cages automatically opened, and the sharp-eyed people immediately noticed that a dagger had been quietly placed at the entrance of every cage.

"There are weapons, so there's nothing to be afraid of now."

"There are weapons, which also means the Pokémon we'll face this time are stronger!"

The person who had spoken first immediately glared at him. Anyone could see such a simple truth, but it was irritating to insist on tearing away that final layer of pretense. Seeking benefit and avoiding harm was human instinct.

"001, 014, 028..." The assassin in red muttered the numbers of the survivors on his list to himself. He stopped once he had called ten people and waved his hand. Those whose numbers had been called entered the cages in order, their first action being to pick up the daggers.

Click!

The iron doors closed again. The next moment, all kinds of impacts and cries came from within the cages. This time, not even a minute had passed before every cage became quiet.

Gulp!

No one knew who had swallowed softly, but the surroundings were too quiet—so quiet that everyone heard it. Despair and fear swept through their hearts again! "033, 036, 046..."

The voice came again like a death warrant. Even if they were terrified, those whose numbers were called still silently stepped forward, picked up daggers, and entered the bloody cages. Compared to the first round, everyone performed far better.

Sato was still last in line. Looking at the eighth cage before him, a trace of burning desire flashed through his eyes. He picked up a dagger and strode inside. Everyone else wore miserable expressions, but a smile actually began to appear on his face.

Click!

The familiar sound of the door locking. What came into view was still a dark-red, bloody room. Sato did not hurry to search for where his opponent had gone. Instead, he lightly cut the back of his hand with the dagger.

"Ku~"

A faint yet stubborn cry came from somewhere. Looking toward the sound, a thin black Pokémon slowly appeared in a corner of the room. At the sight of that familiar figure, Sato's grin widened. One of the most important reasons he had joined the organization was the weak Pokémon before him, used as a rookie trial and liable to be killed at any moment.

Zorua! "Kuso!"