Continuing on the Path

"Skye, when you return, start recruiting people. You can use my name," Aoki instructed, his tone firm. "I have only one requirement: better a villain than a hypocrite."

Aoki's standards for recruits were simple. He had no interest in people of noble character. Such individuals rarely survived long as testers, let alone in the Team Rocket ranks.

Aoki wasn't a saint. His subordinates could have any number of flaws, but hypocrisy was something he despised above all.

"Take Guga and Soros, for example. I'd rather deal with short-tempered individuals than those who scheme behind my back," Aoki continued.

"Yes, Lord Aoki," Skye replied readily.

Now that he had Soros's Koffing, Skye felt his strength had greatly improved. If he could tame it properly, it would give him a significant edge. Coupled with Aoki's reputation as the top-ranked tester, Skye was confident he could successfully recruit solitary individuals.

Skye felt a surge of excitement. He had narrowly escaped death and even gained a strong Pokémon. If given enough time, he believed he could surpass Soros and carve his own path to power.

His grip on Koffing's Pokéball tightened involuntarily, his hands trembling with anticipation. However, he knew Aoki wasn't someone who liked to micromanage. Skye would need to take responsibility for managing their forces.

At the moment, Skye dared not have any thoughts of betrayal. Aoki's strength and potential were unquestionable. Following him closely was the clearest path to rising within Team Rocket's ranks.

After some thought, Aoki tossed Soros's Team Rocket belt to Skye. "This should contain all his remaining resources. Consider it your starting capital."

To Aoki, Soros's accumulated points weren't particularly valuable. Still, even small gains could be useful to Skye.

Skye hesitated for a moment, looking at the belt in his hands with a complicated expression.

He and Soros had grown up together, their relationship a mix of rivalry and camaraderie. Soros had always seemed to have better luck, constantly besting him. But now, that luck had run dry, and Soros had fallen into the abyss, leaving Skye to rise in his place.

"Your current mission can be put on hold," Aoki said. "Focus on taming Koffing and preparing for the next test. That's your main task now."

With that, Aoki turned and began walking deeper into the forest. Whether Skye and Fox could return safely was not his concern. If they couldn't even survive in the wild, Aoki would consider them unworthy of his trust.

As Aoki departed, Murkrow and Slowpoke followed closely. The decision to spare Skye and Fox had been Aoki's, and the Pokémon wouldn't question their trainer's choice.

Watching Aoki's figure disappear into the forest, Fox exhaled deeply and slumped to the ground, indifferent to the corpses nearby.

Though Aoki had seemed calm and reasonable, the pressure he exuded was overwhelming. The bodies on the ground served as stark reminders of what had just transpired.

"He's impossible to read," Skye murmured, gazing in the direction Aoki had gone.

For Skye, the Koffing in his possession represented a turning point. If he trained it well, it could be the foundation of his future success.

As Aoki continued through the forest, he had little expectation of Skye or Fox. This was merely an experiment. If it worked out, great. If not, it was just a single yellow-qualified Pokémon—nothing he couldn't afford to lose.

Aoki smirked as he realized he had wandered off his intended path.

"To deal with Soros and the others, I deliberately deviated from my route. Now I'll need to backtrack," he muttered to himself.

Turning to Slowpoke, Aoki said, "Looks like I'll need your help again. Use Teleport to return us to the main path."

Slowpoke's eyes glowed with blue light as it enveloped Aoki and Murkrow in a psychic field. In an instant, they vanished.

When Aoki opened his eyes again, he was back on the familiar path.

"Teleport is such a practical skill. Well done, Slowpoke!" Aoki praised.

Teleport was invaluable for survival in the wild, whether for advancing quickly or escaping dangerous situations. However, the skill had its limitations:

The range was dependent on the Pokémon's psychic strength. It could only take them to places they'd been before. Teleportation couldn't be performed if interrupted by another psychic force, as spatial fluctuations could send them to an unintended location.

Additionally, longer distances required more time to prepare, as pinpointing coordinates among countless spatial fluctuations was a complex task.

Glancing around at the familiar surroundings, Aoki placed his hands on his hips. Thankfully, they hadn't been teleported too far back.

Without hesitation, Aoki quickened his pace, determined to reach his mission site. According to his map, he would need to pass through several Pokémon territories before arriving.

The first territory he would encounter was that of the Scyther.

Aoki had always admired Scyther. If he encountered one with good potential, he would consider capturing it.

Although Scyther lacked a direct evolution, its alternate evolution into Scizor—via Metal Coat—changed its role from an agile assassin to a well-rounded warrior with improved physical defense.

Aoki's knowledge suggested that Scizor could also undergo Mega Evolution. If so, its strength would increase significantly.

As he approached Scyther's territory, Aoki felt a twinge of excitement. The prospect of encountering multiple Scyther was enticing.

"Let's see if there's a worthy one," Aoki murmured, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.