At noon, Aoki parted ways with Courtney and continued his journey toward Slateport City.
"Bagon, use Headbutt!"
"Toot!"
Bagon dashed forward at full speed, slamming its hard skull into a wild Oddish. The impact sent Oddish tumbling backward, rolling across the forest floor before coming to a stop, its eyes swirling.
"Bagon, great job."
Aoki offered timely praise.
Hearing this, Bagon let out a pleased cry and jumped into Aoki's arms, rubbing its rough forehead against him affectionately.
"Alright, enough with the Charm. We need to help Oddish recover first."
Aoki gently rubbed Bagon's head before kneeling down to check on the injured Oddish. Taking out a small bottle of Potion, he carefully sprayed it over Oddish's wounds. After a moment, the little Grass-type stirred and slowly stood up.
Once fully recovered, Oddish happily nibbled on a few Pokéblocks Aoki had offered before bouncing away into the underbrush.
Bagon let out an energetic cry, already eager for another battle.
Aoki chuckled. Right now, his primary focus was training Bagon.
Once Bagon evolved into Salamence, it would be a formidable force. And if he could obtain a Salamencite, the power of its Mega Evolution would make it an absolute powerhouse.
Of course, he wasn't neglecting his other Pokémon—each had their own growth path, and he was equally invested in their training.
As he made his way through the dense forest, Aoki kept an eye out for strong wild Pokémon to challenge. Every battle was an opportunity for his team to gain experience, and as a reward, he would offer wild Pokémon a Pokéblock afterward.
Suddenly, a Shiftry emerged from the foliage, blocking his path.
Pokémon: Shiftry
Level: Superior
Potential: Gym-level
A decent opponent.
"Wait! Shiftry, would you like to battle my Grovyle? I'll give you a reward afterward."
The Shiftry narrowed its eyes at Aoki, clearly uninterested at first.
Who was this human to order it around?
But then, it spotted the Pokéblocks in Aoki's hand. Its pupils dilated slightly—those were some high-quality treats.
Aoki smirked, knowing he had its attention.
Shiftry stood its ground, signaling its agreement.
"Good choice. Grovyle, you're up!"
With a flash of red light, Grovyle appeared, already in a battle stance.
Shiftry wasted no time, whipping its leafy arms forward to launch a barrage of Razor Leaves.
"Swerve left and use Leaf Blade to deflect!"
Grovyle darted forward, its sharp Leaf Blade cutting through the air, knocking away the spinning leaves one by one.
"Good! Close the distance—quickly!"
Just as Grovyle was about to lunge, a reddish glow surrounded its body, freezing it in place.
"Extrasensory? Break free with Bullet Seed, then push forward!"
Grovyle tensed, forcing its body to move against the psychic hold. It opened its mouth and fired off multiple glowing Bullet Seeds.
Shiftry swiftly dodged, leaping from tree to tree with incredible agility. However, Grovyle took advantage of the distraction and closed the gap.
"Now! Use Energy Ball!"
A glowing green orb formed between Grovyle's claws before launching toward Shiftry.
Shiftry leaped into the air, barely avoiding the attack. The Energy Ball slammed into the ground below, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.
Aoki's eyes gleamed.
"Grovyle—Brick Break! Take advantage of the smoke!"
A shadow dashed through the swirling dust.
By the time Shiftry realized what was happening, Grovyle was already mid-air, arm raised for a devastating strike.
Boom!
The direct hit sent Shiftry crashing down.
It struggled to get up, but its swirling eyes indicated it was already unconscious.
"Well done, Grovyle."
Aoki recalled his Pokémon, then knelt down to administer some basic treatment to Shiftry before continuing his journey.
A New Challenger—A Champion-Level Threat
By noon, Bagon began nudging Aoki's arm insistently.
Master, I'm hungry.
Aoki chuckled at Bagon's impatience and glanced up at the scorching midday sun.
"Well, it's about time for lunch anyway."
He released his entire team, setting up a meal for them. Pokémon food and Pokéblocks were already prepared, but he still needed to cook something for himself.
Just as he was about to start, a dark shadow shot out from the trees—so fast that it was almost imperceptible.
The next moment, Boss Lairon's food was gone.
A moment of stunned silence fell over the group.
Then—
"Doraaa!!"
Boss Lairon let out a furious roar. Its eyes gleamed with rage as it turned toward the direction of the thief.
Aoki's expression darkened as he followed its gaze.
Standing just within the treeline, partially concealed by the shadows, was a Pokémon that sent a chill down his spine.
Pokémon: Garchomp
Ability: Rough Skin
Level: Champion
Potential: Champion
Moveset: Earthquake, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Claw, Dragon Rush, Dragon Tail, Flamethrower, Hydro Pump, Thunderbolt…
Aoki's heart pounded.
A Garchomp—a Pokémon from the Sinnoh region—and not just any Garchomp. A Champion-level Garchomp!
This wasn't something he should be encountering in a beginner's area.
Looking at the long list of mastered moves, Aoki felt like he had just walked into a nightmare-level dungeon without realizing it.
"…What the hell is a monster like this doing here?"
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 40+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/Kora_1