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After Sato and the others were escorted from the large plaza, they officially entered Team Rocket's massive underground secret base in Pewter City. Eventually, they were brought to a communal dining hall.
After finishing their dinner within the allotted time, Sato and the new recruits were taken to a barracks specifically set up for them. Once all the recruits had gathered there, a long-waiting Team Rocket squad leader explained the rules they needed to follow while in the base. This included areas they were allowed to access and the basic guidelines they must adhere to.
About ten minutes later, Sato Kaede found himself in his own single-occupancy room. The room was about the size of a studio apartment. Despite its small size, it was fully equipped with a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.
Of course, the furnishings were quite basic: just a bed, a desk, a chair, and an old desktop computer. Besides these items, there were also three sets of solid black uniforms neatly placed on the bed, with a peculiar-looking watch resting on top.
According to the squad leader's introduction, the black uniforms were specially issued to new recruits. While inside the base, they were required to wear this uniform at all times; otherwise, they would be treated as intruders.
It's worth noting that these uniforms were not ordinary. They were made from special materials by Team Rocket, making them not only lightweight and sturdy but also offering protection against fire and electricity.
Wearing one was akin to donning lightweight armor, providing the wearer with some level of defense. And this was just the uniform issued to new recruits.
The peculiar watch, on the other hand, served as each Team Rocket member's identification. Besides its ID function, it had various features, including a space for storing items, a communication tool, and a bank card-like function.
Within Team Rocket, the common currency used was a virtual one called "points." These points were highly valuable. As long as a recruit had enough points and the right permissions, they could use the Team Rocket points exchange system to acquire a variety of items.
Being a large, shadowy organization with influence across both Kanto and Johto, Team Rocket had an abundance of resources. The points exchange system contained a wide range of items acquired through the group's operations.
Whether it was rare Pokémon items, valuable TMs, or even the famous pseudo-legendary Pokémon from different regions, the points exchange system had it all.
As part of their new recruit benefits, Sato Kaede and the others had already been credited with points in their accounts as starter funds for nurturing their Pokémon.
All in all, Team Rocket put a considerable amount of effort into training their recruits. From providing them with starter Pokémon to giving them protective gear and points, it was clear how much emphasis they placed on developing new talent.
"Only one week to tame it, and the only resource I have right now is points. I need to think carefully about how to make the best use of this limited resource," Sato thought to himself as he lay in bed, forcing himself to stay awake and plan his next steps.
He then got up from the bed and sat at the desk, powering on the desktop computer.
Soon, the screen lit up and displayed the desktop. There were only two icons: one labeled "My Computer" and the other "Points Exchange System."
Seeing the second icon, Sato eagerly clicked on it with the mouse, only to discover that it required identity verification to access. The squad leader had not mentioned this part.
Fortunately, Sato Kaede was a programmer in his previous life, and the computers in this world were not much different from those back then. Seeing the situation, he didn't panic. After thinking for a bit, he carefully inspected the entire computer. Eventually, he found a slot on top of the computer case near the wall, which resembled the shape of his Team Rocket-issued watch.
With a "let's give it a try" mindset, Sato Kaede placed his Team Rocket watch into the slot. A second later, the desktop interface switched, and he successfully passed the identity verification, entering the points exchange system.
Overall, the items available in the points exchange system were divided into four categories. The first was various Pokémon items, the second was TMs, the third was Pokémon, and the fourth was training manuals.
The Pokémon item category contained things like sprays, evolutionary stones, and held items. In addition to these, there were common miscellaneous items and even some gadgets invented by Team Rocket.
The TM category, as expected, consisted of various move discs. Upon a quick glance, Sato realized that nearly every type of TM was available, except for moves exclusive to legendary Pokémon.
Unfortunately, due to his current status as a new recruit, Sato could only exchange for relatively common TMs.
The Pokémon category naturally allowed recruits to exchange for various Pokémon. However, unlike the broad selection of TMs, the types of Pokémon available for exchange were limited, with most being from the Kanto and Johto regions.
Lastly, the training manual category contained various guides on quickly and effectively raising certain Pokémon. However, most of the manuals were incomplete or had severely truncated methods.
After entering the points exchange system, Sato felt like he had discovered a new world. His exhaustion vanished instantly, and he began using his highly efficient mind, thanks to his past programming experience, to memorize the names and point values of the items.
Soon, he found the items he needed to help him tame Zubat. There weren't many items available, but he found a high-powered flashlight, a net made of iron, soundproof earmuffs, and several packs of blood.
It had been mentioned earlier that Zubat, like regular bats, were nocturnal creatures with very poor vision, making them highly sensitive to bright light.
Therefore, Sato decided to exploit this weakness to tame Zubat. The bright light from the flashlight could deal significant damage to Zubat, making it easier to control.
As for the net and earmuffs, he chose them for his personal safety. After all, even a cornered rabbit can bite, let alone a Pokémon that is much more powerful. To prevent Zubat from lashing out, taking precautions was essential.
Lastly, the packs of blood were meant as a bribe. Zubat has an almost obsessive craving for blood. Even when they are full, they often continue to drink, becoming so heavy they could no longer fly.
If he could use Zubat's gluttonous nature to quickly build a relationship and gain it's trust, it would be a great success for Sato. He knew that Zubat's final evolution into Crobat required a high level of friendship. (As for why Crobat appeared in the wild, that was a mystery for another time.)
The items Sato chose were all relatively low-cost miscellaneous goods. The high-powered flashlight required points, the small iron net needed points, the soundproof earmuffs and each small pack of blood would also cost a few points.
Based on Sato calculations, the total points required for all these items — was well within his current budget.
However, Sato didn't rush to exchange for the items immediately. Instead, he spent nearly two hours memorizing the names and prices of various items in the points exchange system. Afterward, he shut down the computer, lay down on his bed, and fell into a deep sleep.