Five Days Later

That night, a peaceful rest was had.

The next morning, Aoki, who had meditated all night, woke up.

Bringing his Pokémon along, he embarked on another day of exploration.

Despite the forest's varying terrain forcing him to take detours, Aoki maintained a general course toward the southwest, heading in the direction of Viridian City.

However, when encountering dark, damp forests or swamps, Aoki would take the initiative to explore them. His main goal was to search for traces of Scolipede.

After all, any profit he could earn while training his Pokémon was a gain he would not pass up.

As long as the wild Pokémon he encountered had decent potential, Aoki would capture them for future trade.

As he delved deeper into the forest, the wild Pokémon he encountered became stronger and more formidable.

This was precisely what Aoki wanted to see.

"Skorupi, use Bug Bite!"

At this moment, Aoki was commanding Skorupi in battle against a wild Ursaring, a Pokémon with a light green potential rating and a level of 31.

Ursaring was a species known for its immense strength. Typically residing in forests, its imposing physique and fierce temper made it a Pokémon that few dared to provoke.

However, this particular Ursaring had chosen the wrong opponent to challenge.

Rather than evading Ursaring's attack, Skorupi charged forward, channeling Bug-type energy into its pincers before executing Bug Bite.

After learning this move the previous day, Skorupi had gradually begun mastering the ability to attack using its pincers rather than its mouth.

Aoki had been strategizing for Skorupi's evolution.

Once Skorupi evolved into Drapion, it would naturally be capable of utilizing powerful multi-hit techniques.

This would vastly enhance its offensive capabilities. If Drapion could consistently attack with its pincers instead of its mouth, its combat potential would soar even higher.

Moreover, after equipping the Toxic Orb the previous day, Skorupi had already built up an immunity to its toxic effects, accelerating the development of its Poison-type abilities.

Boom!

Skorupi's two pincers clashed against Ursaring's powerful paws.

Both Pokémon were renowned for their physical strength, and neither was willing to concede an inch.

However, Ursaring, accustomed to overpowering foes with sheer might, found itself at an unexpected disadvantage.

To its astonishment, the smaller Skorupi was not only matching its strength but was gradually pushing it backward.

Ursaring's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Skorupi, use Poison Tail!" Aoki commanded.

Skorupi's combat capabilities were not limited to its pincers.

Upon hearing Aoki's command, Skorupi's eyes gleamed. Its pincers twisted slightly, shifting from pushing to grabbing. It seized Ursaring's paws, while its tail, now coated in a deep purple venom, struck swiftly at Ursaring's underarm.

"Roar!"

Ursaring howled in pain.

Skorupi had targeted a weak spot, triggering its Sniper ability for a devastating blow.

A purple hue spread across Ursaring's body—clear evidence that it had been poisoned.

Seizing the opportunity, Skorupi released Ursaring's paws and lunged forward, biting down with Venoshock, amplifying the venomous effects.

Ursaring stumbled back, its body weakening as its vision blurred before finally collapsing to the ground, unable to continue fighting.

"Well done, Skorupi. Remember this rhythm—use brute force to break the opponent's balance, interrupt their movements when necessary, and when the moment is right, strike their weakest point with a decisive blow to end the battle instantly."

Aoki handed Skorupi a few Pokeblocks as a reward, gently patting its now hardened armor.

"Skoro!" Skorupi responded with determination.

It had begun to fully understand the advantages of its Sniper ability and was now instinctively seeking its opponents' weak points with every attack.

Ursaring was merely one of many defeated foes, and Skorupi was proving capable of overpowering Pokémon three to four levels higher than itself, provided type matchups were not a disadvantage.

Aoki casually tossed a Pokéball, capturing Ursaring. Whether he kept it or not was irrelevant—at the very least, he could assign it to his subordinates to bolster their ranks.

And so, Aoki continued his journey with his Pokémon.

This brief battle was a mere snapshot of Aoki's daily routine.

Travel, battle, move forward—always searching for traces of Scolipede.

Following this pattern, Aoki and his Pokémon spent five days advancing through the forest.

Now deep within its core, they had reached a point where they could encounter Pokémon beyond Aoki's current strength at any moment.

This forced Aoki to proceed with extreme caution. He avoided large, clearly marked territories where dominant Pokémon ruled.

Fortunately, with Slowking's Teleport, Aoki could avoid unnecessary engagements. At times, however, he would deliberately challenge these powerful Pokémon to further train his team.

These past five days reminded Aoki of his time growing up on Trial Island.

However, compared to those days, the opponents he now faced were far deadlier.

Luckily, Aoki himself had grown far stronger as well.

After five consecutive days of relentless combat, Aoki's Pokémon had undergone noticeable transformations.

With virtually no downtime aside from resting, they had fought battle after battle, refining their instincts. Their temperaments had shifted—becoming wilder, more aggressive, and consumed by the thrill of battle.

Among them, Slowking had emerged as a primary force, now reaching level 39. Just one more level, and it would reach the elite tier, though it still needed time to build up experience after its recent level-up.

Honchkrow had also grown stronger, reaching level 38. The abundance of Grass- and Bug-type Pokémon in the forest allowed it to make full use of its Flying-type advantage. Its Overconfidence ability, coupled with Brave Bird, made it a devastating force against large swarms of Bug-types.

In these battles, Honchkrow often contributed more damage than the rest of Aoki's Pokémon combined. With its Overconfidence stacking continuously, it reached a point where it could knock out Pokémon in a single blow.

If not for stamina constraints, Aoki believed that Honchkrow could single-handedly wipe out an entire forest of Bug-types.