Dusk Stone

Honestly, Aoki didn't want to take advantage of the Gastly. After all, although they looked cunning and eerie, after so much contact, it became clear that the Gastly were not much different from other Pokemon. They were also an honest kind of Pokemon, though perhaps a little less kind-hearted.

What Aoki was talking about was evolutionary stones. He mentioned it casually, unsure if the Gastly had seen such stones. His primary objective had already been achieved: securing the quest items and helping Slowpoke learn Telepathy.

What surprised Aoki was that after he finished speaking, an older Gastly floated over, holding two black stones. The Gastly looked at him curiously and asked, "Are you talking about these stones?"

"..."

The Gastly's gas-like hands held the two black stones aloft. These were unmistakably Dusk Stones. Aoki was momentarily speechless. He had not expected the Gastly to actually produce evolutionary stones, let alone two of them.

Murkrow, upon seeing the stones, let out a soft "Caw" and tugged at Aoki's trousers with its claw. Murkrow's gaze was fixed on the stones, and an undeniable longing shone in its eyes. Something deep within Murkrow told it these stones were essential—that they would make it much stronger.

Aoki looked down at Murkrow and gently stroked its feathers. "Murkrow, I know. But it's not time yet. Don't worry."

Hearing Aoki's reassurance, Murkrow calmed down, though the longing in its heart remained. Murkrow trusted Aoki and knew he would do what was best.

Aoki understood Murkrow's instincts. The Dusk Stone resonated with it because it would enable Murkrow to evolve into Honchkrow. Such an evolution would undoubtedly result in a significant boost in strength. However, according to Aoki's plans, Murkrow wasn't ready to evolve just yet. To evolve now would waste its exceptional potential.

Initially, Aoki hadn't intended to take the Gastly's evolutionary stones. However, he didn't expect the elder Gastly to be so straightforward, offering two Dusk Stones simply because he'd mentioned them in passing.

"System," Aoki silently commanded. The system scanned the two stones, providing detailed data:

Dusk Stone (Intermediate): A rare stone that allows certain Pokemon to evolve. Its dark surface seems to hold a faint glow. It can slightly improve the Pokemon's potential during evolution.

Dusk Stone (Basic): A stone that enables certain Pokemon to evolve. Though effective, it does not improve the Pokemon's potential.

"Just as expected," thought Aoki. Even evolutionary stones varied in quality and effects. If Murkrow used the intermediate Dusk Stone, its potential would increase after evolution, possibly reaching light green-tier potential. For now, Aoki could only speculate about the effects of a high-quality Dusk Stone.

He placed the two stones into his Team Rocket belt's storage compartment and nodded in gratitude. "Thank you."

"It's the least we can do," replied the elder Gastly. "These stones are useless to us, but their energy was too potent to leave lying around. That's why we kept them. I'm glad they'll be of use to you."

Aoki nodded again. For the Gastly, the Dusk Stones had no practical value. They'd simply stored them for their energy, which was too concentrated to ignore.

The elder Gastly's gas-like form began to shift, and black mist started to spread toward Slowpoke. Seeing this, Murkrow squawked loudly, flapping its wings aggressively. It instinctively moved to protect Slowpoke.

Aoki raised a hand, signaling Murkrow to stand down. He watched the elder Gastly closely, narrowing his eyes but refraining from action. Slowpoke, standing calmly, showed no resistance.

The process didn't last long. The black mist dissipated, retreating back into the elder Gastly. "I have taught your Slowpoke Telepathy," said the elder Gastly. "Its potential is extraordinary. All it needed was guidance."

"Thank you," Aoki said sincerely. He'd known Slowpoke had impressive potential but hadn't expected the elder Gastly to comment on it.

"Master… Master… Master," a soft, childlike voice suddenly echoed in Aoki's mind.

Aoki's eyes widened in surprise. "Slowpoke? Was that you?"

Slowpoke nodded slowly. A faint blue light shimmered in its eyes. Although its voice was hesitant and unpolished, it was clearly communicating via Telepathy.

Aoki crouched down, patting Slowpoke's pale pink head. "It's okay. Take your time. We'll work on it together."

"Hmm!" came Slowpoke's telepathic reply. Its voice carried an innocent, almost childlike tone. It was clear Slowpoke had great potential, though it was just beginning to tap into its psychic powers.

Murkrow tilted its head, watching Slowpoke curiously. It cawed softly, clearly impressed by its companion's newfound ability. It circled Slowpoke a few times, trying to figure out how Telepathy worked.

Telepathy didn't rely on spoken language. Instead, it used pure mental communication, automatically conveying thoughts in a way the receiver could understand. To humans, it often sounded like speech.

The journey to the cave had been fruitful. The biggest reward was undoubtedly the Larvitar egg. Though it had yet to hatch, Aoki was confident it would in time. There was also the Earth Core Milk, a rare substance with immense value. Securing ten bottles of it was a significant accomplishment, though it would need to be kept secret to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

Finally, the two Dusk Stones were an unexpected bonus. Combined with Slowpoke learning Telepathy, the trip was a resounding success.