After taking down the Pokémon hunter, Aoki ignored the flickering campfire.
With the immediate threat eliminated, he turned his attention to the real priority—his reward.
A Saffron treasure chest. There had to be something valuable inside.
"Ding Dong! Congratulations to the host for successfully opening the Saffron treasure chest. You have obtained the Profound Truth of Steel Berry and the Profound Truth of Rock Berry."
Aoki's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Unexpectedly, these were rare Berries imbued with profound energy, and most importantly, they were perfectly suited for Boss Lairon.
The last time he acquired two Profound Truth Berries, they significantly boosted Boss Lairon's strength.
Though the boost had not been enough to push him into the Elite level, it had brought him to the very threshold of that realm.
Now, Boss Lairon stood at the precipice, with one foot already stepping past the boundary.
If he consumed these two new Profound Truth Berries, he would undoubtedly make the final breakthrough and officially become an Elite Pokémon.
Considering that Boss Lairon was born just over a year ago, reaching Elite level in such a short time was practically unheard of.
According to Professor Birch, even among the most prestigious Pokémon breeding families, the quickest recorded breakthrough to Elite level took over two years.
That was for Pokémon with exceptional genetics and top-tier resources.
"Boss Lairon, these are for you."
Aoki retrieved the two shimmering Profound Truth Berries and placed them before Boss Lairon.
Without hesitation, Boss Lairon rushed over, clamping his powerful jaws onto the Berries and biting down.
The moment the juices spread across his tongue, an immense surge of energy radiated from his body.
Nearby, Courtney observed the scene, her crimson eyes widening in disbelief.
She had encountered Elite-level Pokémon before, so she recognized the aura manifesting around Boss Lairon.
It was the presence of a Pokémon on the verge of comprehending profound meaning.
For someone Aoki's age to have a Pokémon capable of reaching this stage was beyond astonishing.
Boss Lairon's aura intensified.
Frogadier, Combusken, and Treecko instinctively gathered around, drawn to the surge of energy as if witnessing a grand evolution.
Aoki's breath slowed.
If this worked, Boss Lairon would become his first true Elite Pokémon, a monumental step toward his dream of becoming an Elite Trainer.
Suddenly, Boss Lairon's consciousness seemed to drift into a mysterious realm.
A grand, illusory gate appeared in his mind, barring his path.
Summoning all his strength, Boss Lairon charged forward, ramming the gate with his steel-plated skull.
A shockwave rippled through the space, sending him tumbling back, but he did not stop.
Again and again, he slammed into the gate, each collision creating deeper cracks.
Aoki could almost feel the tension in the air as Boss Lairon pushed himself beyond his limits.
Then, with one final, earth-shaking impact, the gate shattered completely.
At that exact moment, a radiant surge of power erupted from Boss Lairon's body, and his steel armor shimmered with profound energy.
Boss Lairon's eyes snapped open.
He let out a thunderous roar, pounding his armored chest with both forelegs.
The entire forest reacted.
Wild Pokémon in the vicinity turned their heads in his direction.
Bird Pokémon took flight in a panic, their instincts warning them of an overwhelming presence.
Boss Lairon had just crossed into the Elite tier, and his raw energy was uncontrollable.
Aoki clenched his fists, excitement flashing across his face.
There was no doubt about it—Boss Lairon had ascended to the next level.
His first Elite Pokémon. A moment worth remembering.
Immediately, Aoki activated his Eye of Data to assess Boss Lairon's new stats.
Name: Boss Lairon
Ability: Heavy Metal
Strength: Elite Level
Potential: Elite Level
Moves: Double-Edge, Head Smash, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Rush…
The transformation had granted Boss Lairon even greater power.
Not only had his core strength increased, but he had also acquired powerful new techniques, including the Rock-type move Head Smash and Dragon-type moves Dragon Pulse and Dragon Rush.
Alongside his existing arsenal, these new techniques made him an absolute force to be reckoned with.
"Unbelievable… Aoki is this young, yet he already has an Elite Pokémon…"
Not far away, Courtney's eyes shimmered with admiration.
She had already respected Aoki's abilities before, but now her admiration deepened into something more.
An Elite Pokémon at his age was practically unheard of.
Her heart pounded as she looked at him.
"Boss Lairon, you've become stronger."
Boss Lairon rumbled happily, stepping forward and gently placing his large forelegs on Aoki's shoulders, his eyes filled with affection.
Frogadier, Combusken, and Treecko gathered around, acknowledging Boss Lairon as their leader.
Aoki exhaled slowly, deep in thought.
Now that Boss Lairon had reached the Elite level, his next priority was increasing his potential.
Otherwise, this would be his final limit.
He had a few specially crafted Pokéblocks that could enhance Pokémon potential, but gathering the necessary ingredients was difficult.
If he could obtain them from treasure chests, that would be ideal.
If not, he would have to find a way to purchase them.
Unfortunately, the best enhancement materials were monopolized by major families, making them rare and extremely expensive.
Most breeders used primitive methods, failing to maximize their Pokémon's true potential.
Unlike them, Aoki's Pokéblocks provided superior results.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Aoki turned his attention back to Courtney.
With Boss Lairon now an Elite, it was time to deal with her.
Was it just his imagination, or was she really looking at him… differently?
If Courtney had feelings for him, that wouldn't be a bad thing.
She was a beautiful woman, and a powerful trainer in her own right.
More importantly, she could be a valuable subordinate.
Of course, if something more developed between them…
Cough, cough… let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Courtney noticed Aoki's gaze and immediately looked down, suddenly acting shy.
She wasn't sure why, but she felt flustered around him.
"Are you okay?" Aoki asked, pretending to be unaware of her true identity.
"I-I'm fine… Thank you for helping me earlier," she said, regaining her composure.
As she stood up, her eyes widened—she had completely forgotten about her injured Ninetales.
Aoki also noticed.
He reached into his pocket, retrieving a few bottles of healing potion.
"Here. You should heal your Pokémon," he said, tossing them over.
Courtney quickly snapped out of her daze.
She had been so distracted by Aoki that she had neglected Ninetales.
Her heart ached with guilt.
How could she have forgotten about her partner?