Sniper Ability

It was clear that the corolla on Vileplume's head had been bitten off by the sharp teeth of Skorupi, with some pink nectar slowly oozing out.

Vileplume looked to be in pain.

The injury to its petals, combined with being slammed violently against a tree by Skorupi, had left its body struggling to keep up.

However, Skorupi wasn't as unscathed as it seemed.

After all, Vileplume was relatively strong. Even though its attack had missed, it had still managed to make Skorupi's head feel slightly uncomfortable.

But fortunately for Skorupi, it was quadruple resistant to Giga Drain, so the attack had no real effect on it.

The energy absorption from Giga Drain wasn't enough to help Vileplume recover from its injuries.

"Press the attack! Skorupi, rush in and use Poison Jab! Let's see if it can match your strength!" Aoki said with a grin.

As battles accumulated, Skorupi's strength impressed Aoki more and more. So far, it hadn't met a single Pokémon that could overpower it head-on.

"Skor!!"

Skorupi shook its head, let out an angry cry, and lunged toward the weakened Vileplume.

Vileplume, still struggling from being thrown back, barely managed to recover. Seeing Skorupi charging at it again, its expression changed—

Panic.

It had realized it had encountered an immovable force.

Usually, Vileplume relied on its overwhelming strength and techniques to dominate its opponents. But now, it was the one being crushed.

Still, escape was impossible.

Running was out of the question—the only choice was to stand and fight.

Its damaged corolla trembled as various powders burst forth from the bud.

Poison Powder, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder!

At the same time, its feet rooted deeper into the ground. Countless tiny roots extended from its soles, piercing the soil.

Grass energy hidden beneath the surface slowly flowed into Vileplume's body.

With Ingrain activated, it could restore some stamina while grounding itself more firmly.

Its expression hardened—it had no choice but to fight.

With a desperate swing of its right hand, it unleashed another Giga Drain!

Skorupi sneered.

Its powerful pincers grabbed Vileplume's hands, stopping the absorption attack entirely.

Without slowing down, Skorupi tore through the roots holding Vileplume in place, then slammed it against a tree once more, sending out a loud thud.

Then, in a flash, the tail that had been hanging motionless behind Skorupi suddenly struck.

Like lightning—too fast for the naked eye to follow—it stabbed forward and withdrew in an instant.

Toxic venom seeped into Vileplume's body.

As Skorupi stepped back, it saw that Vileplume had lost consciousness.

A faint lavender glow emanated from its body—it had been poisoned.

If Vileplume didn't wake up soon and get treatment, it might succumb to the poison and become yet another nutrient source for the forest.

Perhaps the energy it left behind would help a group of Oddish evolve into Gloom.

The moment Vileplume collapsed, the Gloom and Oddish that had been hiding in the shadows vanished.

Some Oddish even buried themselves in the soil, disguising themselves as mere patches of grass. The only giveaway was their slightly more vibrant green.

Aoki took out a Pokéball and tossed it at Vileplume.

It was a valuable catch—if someone could tame it, it might prove useful.

The capture process was straightforward. When Aoki released it again, Vileplume remained unconscious.

He had Skorupi absorb the lingering toxins from its body, then treated its injuries.

Being a Grass-type, Vileplume had natural healing abilities.

Moreover, this particular Vileplume was particularly vibrant. If given access to sunlight, it could recover even faster with Synthesis.

By combining Synthesis with Ingrain, its healing potential was tremendous.

"You did well. Here's your reward." Aoki smiled, taking out some Pokéblocks.

Skorupi happily devoured them, replenishing its energy.

At this point, Skorupi had finally stopped growing. Even continued use of high-energy supplements wouldn't have much effect anymore.

Of course, its rapid development had largely been thanks to Aoki's customized Pokéblock formulas.

"But this isn't your limit. You still have plenty of room to grow."

After praising it, Aoki began pointing out ways Skorupi could improve.

"For instance, I've trained you to identify weaknesses in opponents and attack them mercilessly.

Vileplume was the first Pokémon you've faced where spotting a weakness wasn't easy. But in the future, you'll encounter many unfamiliar Pokémon. You need to be able to assess and exploit their vulnerabilities quickly.

Your ability, Sniper, amplifies the damage of critical hits. If you had found Vileplume's weak point earlier and used Bug Bite directly, it wouldn't have even had a chance to fight back.

With your strength, combined with Sniper's power boost, you could have taken it down in a single hit."

Skorupi's expression grew thoughtful—it was replaying the battle in its mind, analyzing Vileplume's weak points.

"I know you're still adjusting to your rapidly growing body, so some of the things I taught you might feel awkward right now.

But from now on, your focus should be on pinpointing your opponent's weaknesses.

Your goal is to strike and finish the battle in one hit.

You have that potential!"

"Skor!!"

Skorupi let out a determined cry.

It could recall the rush of finding an opponent's weakness and striking them down instantly.

With its natural talent and relentless combat drive, Skorupi was becoming one of Aoki's most fearsome Pokémon.

With Skorupi at his side, Aoki ventured deeper into the forest.

Behind him, his other Pokémon had simply been watching the battle.

Given its strength, Vileplume had never been a real threat to them.

But for Skorupi, this was valuable training.

And there were still many more battles ahead.