Chapter 152: Shiny Shinyko (Membership Extra - )
After reading the question, Miori casually picked up the pen and circled option A.
The moment she finished, a deep voice came from the front of the booth.
"Option A. The correct answer."
Miori raised her head.
A tall man had appeared in front of the booth.
He wore the same uniform as the other two recruiters and had a baseball cap pulled low over his face. Only part of his chin remained visible, bearing a faint scar.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
The man placed both hands on the table.
"I’m the recruitment officer responsible for this area. You may call me Captain K."
Miori adjusted the enormous sunglasses that concealed almost half her face and spoke in a deliberately lowered voice.
"Hello. I’m here to apply for a position."
Captain K picked up her completed application form and read through it from beginning to end. He then slowly raised his head.
"...Your name is ’Shiny Shinyko’?"
"That’s right."
Miori remained completely composed.
"It’s the stage name I use while working the entertainment circuit."
"The entertainment circuit?"
"I work in show business."
Miori adjusted her sunglasses, her voice utterly matter-of-fact.
"I mainly perform street magic outside Gym entrances. Business has been poor during the off-season lately, so I wanted to find a respectable job."
Captain K stared at her for several seconds.
A street magician applying to an organization like theirs seemed suspicious no matter how he considered it.
However, the organization genuinely lacked personnel. It also wasn’t entirely unreasonable that a struggling street performer concerned about making a living would be attracted by a full employment-benefits package.
"Very well."
Captain K placed the application form inside a folder.
"Shiny Shinyko, you’re hired. Beginning today, you are a trainee member of our organization and will receive all basic employee benefits."
"That’s all it takes?"
Miori froze.
"Of course. People like you who share our ideals are exceedingly rare."
Captain K searched through a drawer, removed a laminated employee identification card, and handed it to her.
"Keep it safe. Lost cards will not be replaced."
Miori accepted the card and looked down.
Name: Shiny Shinyko
Position: Trainee Member
Identification Number: Z-5253
"Why isn’t the organization’s full name printed on this?"
"Because our organization’s full name is classified information."
Captain K crossed his arms.
"Once you become a full member, we’ll tell you its official name. Until then, you only need to know that we are Organization Z."
"Then what exactly do we do?"
"The specific nature of our work can only be disclosed after you become a full member."
Captain K’s tone remained unchanged.
"However, I can tell you that our organization has only one central principle—to grant Pokémon true freedom."
"Grant Pokémon true freedom?"
"That’s right."
Captain K’s expression became unusually serious.
"Human Trainers imprison Pokémon inside Poké Balls and force them to battle, work, and perform. They treat Pokémon as tools."
"Our organization’s mission is to restore freedom to every Pokémon."
Captain K paused before lowering his gaze toward Miori.
"You passed the psychological assessment. That proves you share our ideals."
Miori adjusted her sunglasses without answering.
Captain K interpreted her silence as agreement and continued:
"Of course, you’re still on probation, so you can’t participate directly in our core operations. However, trainee members receive the standard benefits and don’t need to return to the organization with us."
"You merely need to remain available whenever you’re summoned for work."
"No problem."
Miori made an affirmative gesture.
[VIP Chat Group]
[May]: Shiny Shinyko!! Hahahaha! How did she even come up with that name?!
[Iris]: "Shiny Shinyko" is already fairly restrained. At least she didn’t call herself "Shiny Shiny Shinyko."
[Bianca]: Three Shinies would be far too shiny.
[Lance]: This Organization Z is rather interesting. However, the psychological-assessment question has already exposed the nature of their organization.
[Alder]: "Grant Pokémon true freedom." That philosophy is quite familiar in the Unova region.
[Drayden]: Team Plasma.
[Raihan]: Asher mentioned this earlier, didn’t he? After Ghetsis was arrested, a young man rebuilt Team Plasma. This "Organization Z" must be the reorganized Team Plasma.
[Brock]: The question is, how long can Miori keep her undercover identity hidden? She served as a Gym Leader for quite some time. Any random challenger could recognize her.
[Skyla]: That may not necessarily be a problem. She’s only a trainee member for now, and with that disguise, her face is completely hidden.
[Brock]: That’s true.
[Jessie]: Team Plasma’s employee benefits are actually this good? James, Meowth, do we receive social insurance and housing-fund benefits?
[Meowth]: If we had anything like that, would we constantly be going hungry, meow?
[James]: I’m so hungry...
[Cassidy]: Ohohoho~ You three are doing so miserably in Team Rocket. Why not transfer to Team Plasma?
[Butch]: Exactly! At least then you’d stop embarrassing the Boss!
[Meowth]: Shut up! We would never betray the Boss, meow!
The video continued playing.
After leaving the recruitment booth, Miori walked for approximately twenty meters before turning into a small grove beside the road.
Once she confirmed that no one was nearby, she tore off her sunglasses and baseball cap.
"Shiny Shinyko."
She lowered her gaze to the name printed on the employee card, the corner of her mouth twitching.
"I truly am a genius when it comes to naming things."
"From now on, Shiny Shinyko will be my official code name inside Organization Z."
As she walked, Miori turned toward Emolga.
"You need a code name too."
Emolga tilted its head.
"Emolga?"
"You’ll be called Emolga Ranger."
Emolga smacked the back of her head with one wing.
"You don’t like it? Then how about Lightning Mouse? Electro Kid? Thunderbolt Hero?"
A small burst of electricity erupted from Emolga’s cheek pouches, clearly expressing its dissatisfaction.
"All right, all right. You can think of one yourself."
Miori rubbed her ear.
"Honestly, what’s wrong with Emolga Ranger?"
Miori continued along Route 4.
She planned to visit Castelia City first to replenish her traveling supplies, investigate the publicly available information on Organization Z, and finally challenge the local Gym.
Reaching Castelia City from Route 4 required crossing an extensive suburban area.
After walking for more than an hour, Miori finally saw the city in the distance.
Tall buildings filled Castelia City, while shops and office buildings lined both sides of its streets. Elevated trains occasionally roared past overhead.
Miori stopped at the road leading into the city, planted both hands on her hips, and took a deep breath.
"Castelia City! I’m here! This time, I will definitely—"
Grrrrrrrrrrrgle~
Before she could finish her declaration, her stomach voiced its objection.
"...Eat first."
Miori decisively lowered her raised fist and expressionlessly entered the nearest fast-food restaurant.
...
TL: Thanks, Luxx, for the Tier 3 membership—here’s a special treat for you: let me sing you a song. Ahem... "You are—myyy fireee—" *gets shot*