This time Aoki didn't leave for a very long time. He and Steven spent two days practicing together on Mount Chimney.
During these two days, Honchkrow and Weavile, who were left by Aoki in the backyard, did not relax. They were only one step away from the Elite level and worked very hard to train themselves.
With Aoki not around, their training not only did not decrease, but they even increased their own intensity.
Aoki also noticed their progress.
It couldn't be seen with the naked eye, but in the data map of the System scan, their various stats had improved, showing their dedication.
But what surprised Aoki even more was Larvitar.
Not to mention the changes in Larvitar's body shape, considering it was born not long ago.
Originally, its size was already the largest among Aoki's Pokémon, but during this time, Larvitar's weight continued to grow.
After Miltank provided Larvitar with a certain amount of calcium tablets every day according to Aoki's plan, the growth rate of its body also improved.
Now Larvitar is about the same size as a normal Larvitar, but according to the data displayed by the System, it is still in its infancy.
However, what made Aoki even more pleased was that, under his conscious teaching, Larvitar had gradually learned to control its own weight.
Now, when it runs on the ground, it no longer leaves footprints of different depths like before.
Although the footprints are still there, at least Larvitar has been able to control its own balance. With some more training, it should successfully master its weight control.
Its body is still developing, so even if it wants to control its weight, it still requires adjustment.
Once it enters its growth period, it should gradually stabilize.
But what gratified Aoki the most was Larvitar's ability to control its Ground-type energy.
Aoki wasn't sure about its ability to control Rock-type energy yet, but considering Larvitar's egg had been soaked in Earth Core Milk for so long, its control over Rock-type abilities should also be strong.
After all, the ultimate Tyranitar is a Rock/Dark-type Pokémon, and the Rock-type is crucial to its development.
Even though Aoki has Blaziken with the Acceleration ability and Aron with the steadfast, unyielding nature, among Aoki's second echelon of Pokémon, the one with the strongest control over energy is the newly born Larvitar.
When Aoki reappeared in the backyard, Larvitar couldn't have been happier.
Aoki had been away for several days, which made the still-baby Larvitar miss him greatly.
It jumped hard on the ground, and with Larvitar's weight, its physical strength and skeleton supported it well enough to jump normally.
But it was troublesome for Aoki, who had to exhaust all his Psychic Powers and physical strength just to keep Larvitar's weight from overwhelming him.
Rubbing the gradually rough armor in his arms, Aoki couldn't help but sigh.
Such weight was truly frightening.
This is just Larvitar now—once it enters its growth period, Aoki probably won't be able to hold it at all.
After releasing all of his Pokémon, following a brief rest, they resumed their training.
Training had already become a daily habit for Slowking and the others. If they didn't train for a day, they would feel uncomfortable.
But this time, the training wasn't just for the five of them.
Torchic, Aron, Poliwag, and Mudkip—these four newcomers also joined the training for the first time.
Their training intensity wasn't comparable to Slowking and the others, but it was still much tougher than their previous playful exercises.
After their first battle attempt, they would have to say goodbye to their carefree days.
Among them, the one who adapted the fastest was Aron, followed by Mudkip, then Poliwag, and finally, Torchic.
Aron was naturally combative. Among its species, it was the one that enjoyed battling the most.
Although Mudkip wasn't as aggressive as Aron, it still had a strong determination to fight.
Poliwag participated simply because of its easygoing nature. Since Aoki wanted it to train and battle, it did so without hesitation, placing its own desires second.
Torchic had the hardest time adjusting.
However, since the last battle, despite the pain, exhaustion, and tears in its eyes, it neither begged for mercy nor showed grievances, nor did it cry in front of Aoki.
Aoki was somewhat surprised by this.
Torchic's tenacity exceeded his expectations.
So, which Pokémon was the most envious now?
Larvitar in Aoki's arms!
Its small eyes sparkled as it watched the Pokémon training in the backyard. If Aoki hadn't stopped it, it probably would have rushed in too.
"It's not time for you to train yet. Once your physical development stabilizes, even if you don't want to train or battle, I will make you do it. So, enjoy this time while you can," Aoki said, patting Larvitar's small head.
Thanks to Telepathy, Larvitar understood Aoki's words.
It nodded obediently and waved its small arms enthusiastically in the air, as if cheering them on.
But as it waved, some fine sand and small pebbles on the ground slowly floated into the air along with its movements.
Seeing this, Aoki's eyes lit up.
Its innate talent truly lived up to its mother's expectations.
Looking at the sand and pebbles swirling around, Larvitar became excited again, waving its arms faster, making the debris float around Aoki's body.
Suddenly, an idea struck Aoki. He took out a palm-sized red object from his storage space.
Upon seeing the item in Aoki's hand, Larvitar's eyes widened. All the floating sand and pebbles dropped to the ground as it stared intently at the fragment of Groudon's armor in Aoki's hand.
Its small eyes darted between Aoki and the object, filled with eagerness and longing.
Aoki chuckled and lightly tapped Larvitar's hardening head. "This is for you, but you can't control it yet. You can only touch it, but you're not allowed to absorb the energy inside. If I catch you secretly absorbing it, I will confiscate it immediately."
Larvitar nodded immediately.
For some reason, it had a deep instinctual feeling that this red object was immensely beneficial to it.
With that, Aoki took out some special material threads and made a small backpack-like pouch for Larvitar, securing it on its back with the Groudon armor fragment inside.
Larvitar now had a little backpack.
Ahem... It actually looked pretty cool.