A/N: For some reason Webnovel is not allowing me to post chapter 533 so I am going to try to figure out how to do so.
Riding the Tropius, Aoki arrived on the outskirts of Violet City.
It was not Aoki's first time visiting Violet City. Previously, he had rented a house in the city's suburbs for over a month. During that time, he had trained his Pokémon in the city's battle arena and made a small fortune in the process.
This time, however, Aoki was merely passing through and had no immediate plans to revisit the arena. Instead, he intended to stay in Violet City for a short while—not to challenge the arena, but to investigate the organization controlling it from the shadows: Void.
Although Void had not publicly pursued an investigation into the disappearance of the Black Snake Gang in Verdanturf Town, Aoki could not be certain whether one of its high-ranking members, a man named Kenan, had taken an interest in the matter.
To be honest, given the current state of Verdanturf Town, Aoki was not overly concerned about Kenan. Whether Kenan was a quasi-Elite or even an Elite Trainer, he still wouldn't be able to overcome Aoki's mentor.
One of the main reasons Aoki had left Matsuda in Verdanturf Town was to ensure that the Breeder Association had a reputable leader. Another key reason was to have an experienced veteran act as a deterrent against external threats.
After landing on the outskirts of Violet City, Aoki found a secluded spot to change his clothes and remove his makeup. Once inside the city, he began gathering intelligence on the Void organization.
No underground force can keep its internal affairs entirely secret. Aoki knew that by seeking out the right information brokers in the city and paying them well, he could obtain valuable details.
Having served as a member of Team Rocket and possessing experience spanning two lifetimes, Aoki was well-versed in navigating such environments. The black market, teeming with all sorts of individuals, was a prime location to acquire intelligence.
Of course, some information would be accurate, while some would be deliberately misleading. Distinguishing between the two was up to the buyer's skill.
In a small corner of the black market, Aoki purchased intelligence on Void from a seemingly disabled informant. Underestimating an information broker was a mistake—many of them maintained extensive networks.
Why did Aoki choose this particular broker?
Instinct.
It might sound odd, but he trusted his gut.
With the documents in hand, Aoki left the black market, reviewing the gathered information carefully. As expected, some of the details were true while others were uncertain. However, one thing stood out: the leader of Void, a figure known simply as Void, was said to be an Elite-level Trainer.
In a major city like Violet, he ranked among the top five Trainers, making him a formidable force. However, rumors suggested that Void had not been seen for some time. The exact reason for his disappearance was unclear, but his absence had left the organization under the control of multiple high-ranking officers.
This shared leadership had led to growing internal discord.
Furthermore, the absence of Void had created an opportunity for rival factions both within and outside Violet City. Many organizations coveted Void's influence over the city's battle arena, a prime location for generating wealth.
Yet, these rival factions hesitated to move openly, uncertain whether Void had truly vanished. Until that uncertainty was resolved, they dared not make a direct move.
With both internal power struggles and external threats looming, Void was preoccupied, leaving no room to concern itself with a small town like Verdanturf.
This explained why the Void organization had yet to send anyone to investigate Verdanturf Town.
It was likely that Kenan, the Void executive, was too busy dealing with power struggles to focus on minor matters.
For Aoki and Team Sky, this was excellent news. With Void embroiled in turmoil, Team Sky had more time to solidify its foundation.
After confirming this information, Aoki saw no need to linger. Originally, he had planned to disrupt Void's operations if they had set their sights on Verdanturf. He would have assassinated key members or attacked their strongholds to sow chaos and pit Void against other factions in the city.
Now, however, that was unnecessary. Void was already in disarray.
Seated in a taxi, Aoki passed through the city, contemplating his next move.
By the time he left Violet City, the sky had begun to darken. Spending a day in the city in exchange for peace of mind was an acceptable trade-off.
Mount Pyre lay east of Violet City, requiring Aoki to traverse Route 118 and Route 123.
He would likely have to camp outdoors for the night, depending on his ability to travel safely in the dark.
Releasing Honchkrow, Aoki had it escort Tropius as they flew through the night sky.
As darkness deepened, a swarm of Zubat and Golbat emerged, eyeing Aoki and his Pokémon. However, the combined presence of Tropius and Honchkrow kept them at bay.
Still, their numbers continued to grow, and Aoki frowned at the increasing swarm of Golbat.
He spoke coldly. "I didn't want to bother with you, but you're pushing your luck. Honchkrow, show me your full power! Let me see how much you've improved these past few days."
"Caw!!!"
Honchkrow cried out in excitement.
It had spent the past two days training alongside Sneasel in the backyard and was eager for a fight.
Spotting a particularly aggressive Golbat, Honchkrow launched a Shadow Ball at it.
Boom!
Despite being a newly learned move, Honchkrow could already execute Shadow Ball at impressive speed.
With a swift beat of its wings, Honchkrow soared into the enemy ranks.
Tailwind surged around it, amplifying its speed. White Flying-type energy and dark aura interwove around its wings.
Like a predator among prey, Honchkrow struck with brutal efficiency.
At first, the Golbat resisted, but they were no match for Honchkrow's power. As soon as the first few fell, the rest scrambled to flee.
However, the sheer number of Zubat and Golbat caused chaos—those attempting to escape collided with newcomers trying to enter the fray.
The resulting pandemonium only worked in Honchkrow's favor.
Some Zubat attempted to attack Aoki directly, but were swiftly repelled by Haunter, who lurked within Aoki's shadow.
Honchkrow, fueled by its pent-up energy from training, continued its onslaught.
By the end of the skirmish, Honchkrow had reached a new milestone.
It had advanced to Level 40, officially stepping into the ranks of elite Pokémon.