Boss Lairon stepped forward as soon as it spotted Aoki, its massive body making the ground tremble slightly. Its eyes locked onto Aoki and his Pokémon with a fierce glare. As the leader of the Aron tribe, it had a duty to protect its kin, and right now, that meant confronting the intruder.
"Boss Lairon, I'll leave this to you," Aoki said as he released his own Boss Lairon.
This was not a battle to be taken lightly—wild Boss Lairon was already at the quasi-Elite level. Ordinary Pokémon would struggle against such an opponent, so Aoki had no choice but to rely on his own.
The contrast between the two was immediately apparent. Aoki's Boss Lairon, well-fed on Celadon and Rainbow Pokéblocks, boasted a sleek, polished armor sheen, its metallic plates reflecting the dim cave light. Compared to the rugged, battle-worn exterior of the wild Boss Lairon, Aoki's Pokémon looked undeniably stronger and more vibrant.
To put it simply, it was handsome.
Among the Aron tribe, Aoki's Boss Lairon was practically a celebrity.
Wild Boss Lairon hesitated for a moment before stepping forward, its aggressive posture giving way to something unexpected—it was excited. Then, without warning, it rushed toward Aoki's Boss Lairon, not to attack but to nuzzle against it affectionately.
Aoki, who had been preparing for a battle, suddenly paused. Something was off. Using his Viridian Force, he sensed the wild Boss Lairon's emotions.
"This isn't aggression… It's love?"
Boss Lairon's body language confirmed it—this wasn't a fight but a rather unexpected romantic pursuit.
Aoki immediately checked the wild Boss Lairon's data through his system.
Name: Boss Lairon
Gender: Female
Strength: Quasi-Elite
Qualification: Elite-level
Everything clicked into place. This Boss Lairon wasn't trying to challenge his Pokémon—it had fallen for it!
"What is this? A seduction attempt?" Aoki muttered, rubbing his chin.
Maybe… Just maybe, this wasn't a bad thing. If his Boss Lairon accepted the affection, he could gain the trust of the entire Aron tribe without even battling.
"Boss Lairon, what do you think? If you like her, it's not a bad deal," Aoki teased.
He wasn't about to force his Pokémon into anything—a serious trainer would never manipulate emotions for personal gain. But if Boss Lairon was interested, it could be an easy way to win over the entire group.
"Dora…"
Aoki's Boss Lairon let out a low, almost bashful rumble and rubbed against the female Boss Lairon in response. It seemed that the attraction was mutual.
Aoki sighed. "Even my Pokémon are getting into relationships before me…"
He shook his head before looking at the female Boss Lairon and the rest of the tribe. "How about this? If you and your clan join me, I'll provide shelter, food, and safety. You won't have to worry about survival."
"And, of course, you'd get to stay with my Boss Lairon, fall in love, have a family… and so on."
It wasn't seduction. It was persuasion.
"Dora…"
The female Boss Lairon didn't hesitate—it nodded in agreement.
Aoki smiled and pulled out a Luxury Ball, tapping it gently against Boss Lairon's armor.
Click!
Capture successful.
With their leader captured, the rest of the Aron tribe quickly followed suit. They understood that their best chance at survival was to stay with Aoki. Without their Boss Lairon, the underground cave was far too dangerous.
One by one, Aoki caught them, sending most of the group back to Professor Birch's research lab.
Now, his main team was fully formed:
• Frogadier
• Combusken
• Bagon
• Treecko
• Boss Lairon
• Boss Lairon (Female)
With this, Relicanth was officially removed from the lineup. Aoki had only caught it as an early-game safeguard, but now he had an Elite-level Boss Lairon, which was simply stronger and better suited to his needs.
"All right, now that that's settled, let's keep exploring. Maybe we'll find another rare Pokémon," Aoki said.
Behind him, the two Boss Lairons walked side by side, occasionally rubbing their armor plates together affectionately.
Aoki sighed. "I can't believe my Pokémon are getting into relationships before I am…"
At least he had managed to recruit an entire Pokémon tribe without a single battle.
Meanwhile, at the Birch Research Lab…
Professor Birch inspected the newly received Poké Balls.
"Oh? These are the Pokémon Aoki just caught?" he mused as he released them.
Aron, Lairon, and even a Boss Lairon appeared before him. The sheer number of Pokémon made him blink in surprise.
"This is incredible! An entire Aron tribe?" Birch muttered. "Aoki's luck is unbelievable."
Birch also noticed Relicanth among them. "And even a Relicanth? A rare fossil Pokémon?"
Birch couldn't help but grin.
"As expected of Aoki. He's progressing fast."
If Aoki kept this up, his performance at the upcoming Ever Grande Conference would be something to watch.
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