After a simple survey of the surrounding environment, Aoki found that the environment here was not much different from the forest he had trained in, except that the level of Pokémon was higher and the types of Pokémon were more diverse.
After all, the ecological chain here had already stabilized.
Fortunately, there was a relatively safe grassland.
Although there was no place to shelter from the wind and rain, and there were no natural covers nearby, at least it was safer.
Aoki found a place with relatively high terrain and fewer wild Pokémon around.
He decided to spend the night here.
He took out a tent from his backpack, along with some essential living tools.
Since today was the first day entering Neverland, it was better not to light a fire for dinner, as the surrounding environment was not very safe.
This time, Aoki had specially bought a field tent with higher durability. It had a special protective color on the outside, allowing for simple adjustments to blend into the environment. For example, in this grassland, the slightly lighter green could easily integrate into the surroundings at night.
He then sprinkled some powder around to repel insects and ward off some weaker Pokémon. This effectively kept mosquitoes away and deterred less aggressive Pokémon, but that was the extent of it.
After distributing the Pokémon's food and Pokéblocks, the five little ones were released.
Aoki had brought them all along for this journey.
It wasn't necessarily for battles, but having them close allowed for better training.
In fact, Aoki sometimes wondered if he should find a truly trustworthy breeder to serve as his dedicated caretaker. The person wouldn't need to do much—just take care of the Pokémon that Aoki didn't have with him at any given time.
After all, he already had over a dozen Pokémon with him, and if he caught even more powerful wild Pokémon, his roster would only grow larger.
Managing them all alone might eventually become impossible.
Right now, Aoki could still handle training five of Honchkrow's team and five of Aron's team—a total of ten Pokémon. But he knew he wouldn't stop at just these.
For instance, the Florette he captured this time was a valuable support Pokémon that could enhance the team's endurance in the wild. Should he train her?
If so, to what extent?
Would she be raised to the level of his main battle Pokémon, or would she remain at a slightly lower level?
Aoki's main battle Pokémon had to follow a strict training plan calculated by his system. But secondary Pokémon—like Tropius and Gyarados, whom he hadn't used in a while—had also been with him for a long time. Should he just release them?
Gyarados had been living comfortably; he probably wouldn't want to leave.
In that case, it wouldn't be a problem for Aoki to continue supporting him.
But something had to be done.
So, some basic training would still be necessary. That meant he needed a trusted individual to handle tasks that he didn't have time for.
This matter required careful consideration.
After all, there was still a mysterious island full of secrets that no one had discovered yet. If he could claim it for himself, it would be invaluable.
In addition to Pokémon food, the team's standard nutrition was Pokéblocks.
Consuming them once or twice simply helped restore energy quickly, but long-term consumption had clear benefits for the Pokémon.
However, Aoki now had two heavy eaters, and simple food wouldn't be enough.
Aron and Larvitar!
Fortunately, last time, he had bought 10 million Pokecoins' worth of ore from Steven, which should last the two little ones for a while.
Seeing them sitting together, holding ores larger than their bodies and crunching them down happily was a sight to behold.
The ore was extremely hard—Aoki had tried using Psychic Powers to scratch it but couldn't leave a single mark. Yet Aron and Larvitar were biting through it piece by piece, as if they were chewing brittle bones.
And they were thoroughly enjoying it.
Torchic, curious about the situation, watched Larvitar and Aron eating with delight. Under Larvitar's wary gaze, Torchic cautiously pecked at the ore in Larvitar's claws.
The result was obvious.
Torchic immediately teared up.
Meanwhile, Larvitar only ate with greater enthusiasm.
He had been worried someone would steal his food, but after realizing that only he and Aron could actually eat the ore, he felt reassured.
Halfway through his meal, he still held onto his ore with one hand to keep it from falling, while his other small hand reached for the red backpack on his back. Inside were fragments of Groudon's armor. Once he confirmed they were still there, he continued eating in peace.
A piece of ore larger than their bodies vanished into their stomachs without changing their appearance much.
It was as if their mouths were made of steel and their stomachs were lined with diamonds.
These ores were considered valuable resources in Steven's family. At the rate these two were eating, the 10 million Pokecoins' worth of ore Aoki had purchased would last them about two months at most.
As their strength increased, they would eat even more, meaning their consumption would rise significantly.
This was why raising pseudo-legendary Pokémon was so difficult.
Pokémon like Larvitar required a massive intake of nutrients and energy during their growth period. Regular food wouldn't suffice—it had to be high quality.
As they evolved, their resource consumption would only increase.
Everyone wanted a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, but not everyone could afford one.
After dinner, it was time for their daily training session.
Even the newly captured Florette was required to participate.
After all, she had enjoyed a delicious Pokéblock meal, just like the others.
She was small and didn't eat much, but if she had a bigger appetite, she might have devoured the food like Larvitar and Aron.
Despite her small size, she was full of energy.
Her training involved continuously using Grassy Terrain.
Aoki noticed that even though she was already proficient in support moves, her execution was even better than expected.
But that didn't mean she had reached her full potential.
Even her mastery of Grassy Terrain wasn't complete yet.
If she could quickly master it, Aoki wouldn't have to worry as much about the team's endurance in battle.
A walking, self-sustaining healing station—her ability even surpassed that of a Pokémon Center.
Though she couldn't treat severe illnesses or hidden injuries, she could handle physical exhaustion and minor wounds just fine.