Early the next morning, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the luxury single room, casting dappled shadows on the wooden floor.
The rhythmic crashing of waves against the beach drifted in, sounding like an endless lullaby.
Jiang Han opened his eyes. There was no trace of sleepiness in them, only clarity and alertness.
"Knock, knock, knock."
A soft knocking sounded at the door.
Jiang Han sat up instantly, his muscles tensing subconsciously. His ears twitched slightly as he tried to distinguish the breathing outside the door.
It was very light and seemed somewhat unsteady.
He slid out of bed silently and moved to the side of the door.
A dagger flashed out from his space ring, and Jiang Han habitually hid it behind his back.
He couldn't help it; his time in the Rookie Training Camp had forged a cautious personality. Any unknown, strange person could potentially bring danger.
"Who is it?" His voice was cold, devoid of any warmth.
A timid female voice came from outside: "Mr. Jiang... Jiang Han? I'm a staff member from the Pokémon Center. I'm sorry to disturb your rest."
Jiang Han didn't open the door immediately; instead, he looked out through the peephole.
Standing at the door was a girl about his age, wearing a Pokémon Center uniform. Her hands were nervously clutching the hem of her clothes, her cheeks were flushed with an unnatural redness, and her eyes darted around, not daring to look directly at the door.
Confirming there was only one person and that she didn't look like a threat, Jiang Han opened the door just a crack. His body still blocked the entrance, and his eyes were filled with scrutiny.
The moment the girl saw Jiang Han, her face turned even redder. She had noticed this young Core Lineage Trainer yesterday; his cold temperament and handsome appearance had left her restless all night.
Today, she had summoned all the courage she could muster to come and talk to him.
"Something the matter?" Jiang Han's tone made the air turn several degrees colder.
The girl felt panicked under his gaze and stammered:
"Th-that... on the beach outside the Pokémon Center, there's... there's a Rookie Pokémon Battle today. I... I wanted to ask if you're interested in going to see it?"
A rookie battle?
Jiang Han's eyes suddenly narrowed.
What does she mean? Does she think I'm a rookie? Or is she implying my strength is so weak that I'm only fit to watch rookie battles?
Is this a probe from the Alliance, or some kind of crude provocation? In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
He looked at the girl's eyes, which seemed exceptionally sincere due to her nervousness, and ultimately it only turned into a cold retort.
"Do I look like a rookie?"
"Huh?" The girl was dazed by this nonsensical question and subconsciously shook her head, "N-no, I just..."
"Or rather, do you think I'm very weak?" Jiang Han's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an invisible pressure.
Now, the girl was completely stunned.
She just wanted to find an excuse to talk to the boy she liked. How did it turn into questioning his strength? Looking at Jiang Han's expressionless, handsome face, a surge of grievance and embarrassment welled up in her heart.
"You have no sense of romance!"
She stomped her foot, cursed at him, her eyes reddened, and she turned around and ran away crying.
Jiang Han tilted his head, watching the girl's retreating back with a slight frown.
"Strange woman."
He muttered to himself, completely failing to understand her emotional shift.
He was simply analyzing the various intentions that might exist behind a sentence; this was an instinct for survival developed in Team Rocket.
He closed the door, and only then did his right hand hidden behind his back relax. The cold, glinting dagger was silently returned to his space ring.
"A Pokémon battle, huh..."
Jiang Han sat back on the edge of the bed, actually developing a bit of interest in the suggestion.
The mission to investigate Team Aqua's movements wouldn't start for a week, so these few days were indeed a bit boring. Going to see the level of local Trainers wouldn't be a bad way to pass the time.
He took Inkay's Poké Ball out of his backpack, along with a tm.
"Protect."
This was the reward he had received along with the Brick Break tm when he participated in the Surfing Day event in Dewford Town.
Brick Break had already been given to Sandile, enhancing its coverage. However, Sandile had learned too many moves in a short time—Sand Tomb and Brick Break—and Jiang Han was worried about biting off more than it could chew, so he had kept Protect.
He had thought about finding time to learn it later.
But now that he had an Inkay, Jiang Han felt that the Protect tm was more suitable for it.
His gaze fell on Inkay, who was floating in mid-air, curiously poking the tm with its tentacles.
This little guy's level wasn't high, currently only Level 10, and the moves it knew were only Hypnosis, Wrap, and Psybeam.
But its advantage lay in being flexible enough, always floating in the air. If it learned Protect, it should be able to help Jiang Han deal with attacks from various angles.
Jiang Han's thinking was very clear: when training pokémon, besides making them stronger, an even more important role was for them to Protect him at critical moments.
"This little thing is a good choice."
He pressed the Protect tm against Inkay's forehead.
The disc turned into a white light and instantly surged into Inkay's body.
The little guy wobbled comfortably, seemingly grasping something. A thin energy shield flickered around its body for a brief moment.
Preparations complete, Jiang Han arrived at the beach the girl had mentioned.
As expected, quite a few people had gathered here, mostly tourists visiting Slateport City and some young Trainers.
A simple battle arena had been cordoned off with ropes in the center of the beach. At this moment, two pokémon were engaged in a fierce battle.
A Zigzagoon was moving in a "Z" pattern, quickly dodging attacks from the sky.
Its opponent was a Wingull, circling at a low altitude and continuously spitting out small Water Guns.
Both pokémon were low-level, likely around Level 10 or so. The battle had no strategy to speak of; it was basically just trading blows, acting entirely on instinct and the shouts of their Trainers.
Jiang Han didn't approach the crowd. He just stood in the shadow of a coconut tree, hands in his pockets, watching coldly from the sidelines.
"Too crude," he evaluated in his mind. "The use of energy, the timing, the move combinations... it's a total mess."
Just as he was losing interest and preparing to turn and leave, a discordant voice suddenly sounded beside him.
"Hey, you over there with the black hair. Looking at you, you don't seem like some kind of rookie, do you?"
Jiang Han turned his head and saw a young Trainer wearing a floral shirt and sunglasses, looking like he thought he was very cool, with his arms crossed and his chin pointed at him.
"What, do you look down on us rookie Trainers, or... are you afraid to take the field?"
The young Trainer's lip curled, his tone full of provocation.
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